Transcript Slide 1

Outline – Part II
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Requirements and Qualifications
Phase I Components
Subcontractors
Phase II Overview
Tips and Resources
SBIR Requirements
• Small U.S. Businesses
– U.S. owned & controlled (>51%)
– <500 employees
– PI works for company
Ownership Change
– Subcontractors
SABIR Act 2005
• Universities, Federal Labs…
• Up to 1/3 budget in Phase I
• Up to 1/2 budget in Phase II
• Almost All AT Companies
http://www.theorator.co
m/bills109/hr2943.html
STTR Requirements
• Principal Investigator
– Work for small business (SB) OR non-profit research institution (RI)
– Minimum 10% time & effort
• SB & RI Requirements
– Formal agreement between SBC and RI
– Research Institution at least 30% of budget
– Small Business at least 40% of budget
• Subcontractors
– Other Small Businesses, Federal Lab…
– Up to 30%
Other Considerations
• Expertise
– Research, Design, Fabrication, Development, Testing, Market
Research, Clinical Trials, Analysis..
– Administrative, Contractual, Legal, …
• Infrastructure
– Office, Shop, Lab, Equipment, Software…
• Grantsmanship
• Opportunity Cost
– 100 to 200 hours
– $10,000 to $20,000 @ $100 / hr
Sub-Contractors
• Why Bother?
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Save Time & Money
Fill Gaps in Expertise
Fill Gaps in Infrastructure
Access To Consumers
• Elders, People w Disabilities, Clinicians…
– Cultivate Path to Market
• OEM, Suppliers, Marketing & Distribution, Licensee
• Write the Proposal!
Market Research in SBIR/STTR
• Best Practice: Customer Centered Design
• 37% of AT companies NEVER used consumers
in product design (DOC, 2003)
• Applications
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Design Requirements
Prototype Validation
Price Point
Purchase Intent
Phase I Proposal
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Registration
Generally, we won’t focus on the
Significance
STTR Program but
similar considerations apply.
Background
Research
Phase I is the Gateway to Phase II
and the Presentation Focus
Work Plan
Sub-Contractors
Letters of Participation
Other Stuff
Registration
• Small Business Must Obtain:
– DUNS number
– Entity Identification Number (EIN)
• Register EARLY:
– Grants.gov (Ed, NIH, etc.)
– Fastlane (NSF)
Significance
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Market
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UNMET NEEDS
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Description, Impact, Importance
Agency Mission, Long Range Plan
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Description, Demographics, Trends, Drivers, Legislation,
Reimbursement, Competition
Relevance to Your Proposal
Opportunity
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Why Your Company Is Interested
Significance (Market/Needs)
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Trade Publications
Academic Journals
Online Databases
Legislation
Agency Websites (mission, long range plan)
Advocacy Organizations
Market Research (public, free)
Market Research (private, contracted)
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Contracted ($): e.g. Forrester Research
Significance (Market)
• Demographics
– US Census Bureau
– Disability Statistics Center
• Product Information
– Abledata
– US Patent and Trademark Office
Significance (Legislation)
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Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
Americans with Disabilities Act
Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act
Hearing Aid Compatibility Act
Goals 2000: Educate America Act
New Freedom Initiative
Olmstead Decision & Executive Order
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act
– National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standards
• No Child Left Behind Act
• Assistive Technologies Act
Significance (Legislation)
• National Conference of State Legislatures
• National Collaborative on Workforce and
Disability
Background
• State of the Art
– Research (Yours and Others)
– Products and Technology (Yours and Others)
• GAPS
– In Products and Technology
– Failure to Address UNMET NEEDS
• History of Accomplishment
– Company’s Ability to Carry Out Research
– Prior Research, Research Infrastructure, Expertise,
Successful Product Development, Publications
Research (Overview)
• What will be Done
– General Description
– GAP (s) to be Addressed
– Innovation
• Novelty
• Challenge
– Expected Result (s)
• “Consumer Validated Prototype”
• “Bench Tested Prototype”
Research (Objectives)
• OBJECTIVES (1,2,3…)
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Detailed Description (s)
Relate to GAP (s) being filled
Specific Challenge (s)
How Challenge (s) will be Overcome
Method (s)
Evaluation (s) (Progress, Successful Completion)
• Subcontractors
– Specific Role (s)
Research (Scope)
• Phase I
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“Reasonable Rigor” given the
research objectives; and time
and budgetary constraints...
Limited time and budget
Proof-of-concept prototype
Bench testing, validation with focus groups… Yes!
Small or large scale clinical trials… No!
• Phase II
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Still limited time and budget
Pre-commercial prototype
Bench testing, validation with focus groups… Yes!
Small scale clinical trials… Maybe?
Work Plan
• TASKS (related to OBJECTIVES)
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What (1 or 2 Sentences, Details under Objectives)
Who (Lead, Staff)
How Much (% FTE lead, % FTE staff)
When (Start date, Stop date)
Where (Location, Facilities, Tools)
Subcontractors
• Who, How Much, When, Where…
• 1 TASK to 1 OBJECTIVE (Ideal)
• Bar Charts, Timelines
SBIR Outlines
• Education Solicitation (January 2007)
• NSF Solicitation (December 2006)
University Subcontractors
• Faculty consultants, research facilities,
graduate students…
• Patent and Trademark Act (Bayh-Dole) of 1982
• University Owns New Intellectual Property
– From Faculty, Staff, Graduate Students
– During Work Hours, On Property, Using Equipment…
• Each University Establishes Policy for Working
with Private Sector (or Not!)
University Subcontractors
• Technology Transfer Office
– Manages intellectual property
• Market research, technology disclosures, patent applications,
brokering, licensing, trains faculty…
Work with University
– Implements university policy
• Avoiding Intellectual Property Issues
Tech Transfer Office
Up Front!!
– Negotiate ownership and licensing terms “up front. Often
“Challenging…!”
– Bring intellectual property to the university for refinement,
fabrication, testing, trials… No NEW intellectual property!
Generally a much better approach.
Federal Lab Subcontractors
• Scientist consultants, research facilities, fabrication,
production…
• Technology Innovation Act (Stevenson-Wydler) of 1982
• Agency Mission
• Transfer Mechanisms
– Material Transfer Agreement
– License Agreement
– Cooperative Research and Development Agreements
Federal Lab Subcontractors
• Federal Laboratory Consortium
– ~700 federal labs (maybe 250 BIG labs)
– 6 regions (NE, MA, SE, MW, SW, FW)
• Federal Laboratory Locator Service
– Match small business to laboratory capabilities and
expertise
Work with FLC Locator
Service (s) First!!
Letters of Participation
• From Subcontractors, Consultants
– For Completion Of R&D Tasks
• From (Potential) Commercialization Partners
– To Support Business Opportunity (Path To Market)
• From Market Experts (E.g. Advocacy Groups)
– To Support Market Need
Other Stuff
• Prior and Current Funding
• Application to Other Agencies
• Key Staff Bio-Sketch
• Key Staff CV / Resume (Appendix)
• Subcontractor Descriptions
• Subcontractor Letter of Participation (Appendix)
Phase I Final Report
• Plan for Final Report from Day 1!
• Due Within 3 Months of Phase I Completion
– Format Provided by Funding Agency Prior to Completing Phase I
• Progress on Each Objective/Task
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How Progress Was EVALUATED
Percent Completion for Each Objective/Task
Problems Encountered
How Problems Were Overcome
Budget Report
• Agency-Specific Questions
Phase
PhaseIIIIComponents
Components
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Identification of Problem
Phase I Results
Technical Objectives and Work Plan
Commercialization Plan and History
– Outcomes and Impact
– Company information
– Finance and Production Plans
• Key Personnel and Available Resources
Commercialization Plan
• Products and services that will utilize your
technology
• Customers and market size
• Money needed after Phase II to bring product to
market
– Source of these funds
• Competition
• Barriers to market entry and how these barriers
will be overcome
Budget
• Total budget = Direct costs + Indirect costs +
Fee/Profit
• Indirect costs
– “Negotiated Rate” preferred by some agencies,
although not required if rate is within guidelines
– E.g. NIH requires a negotiated rate for indirect costs
exceeding 25% of total direct costs
• Fee/Profit- 7% of total budget is generally
accepted
Tips
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Follow Solicitation Outline
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Section Headings, Sections Contents...
Follow Solicitation Instructions
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Fonts, Referencing, Page Limits, Line Spacing, Margins…
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Eliminate Redundancy!
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Easy to Read
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Short, Clear Sentences, Limit Jargon, Clearly Explain
Necessary Jargon, Proper Grammar, Spelling
Check for Sample Awards
Tips
• Use the Program Manager
– Send Proposal Abstract, Follow Up Call
– Right Agency or Institute, Likely Interest in Proposal
• Don’t Propose Too Much
– Technically Feasible, Enough Time, Enough Money
– Key Staff MUST Have Enough Time on Project
• Do Your Homework!!!
– Current Research, Competing Products
– Cite these References in Your Proposal!
Tips
• Human Subjects (Especially People with Disabilities)
– Privacy, Waivers, Fees, Transportation, Food, Accessibility
– Reflect Costs in Budget
• Budgetary Instructions
– Stay Within Budget!
– Fees/Profit, Indirect Rate, Subcontractor Limits, Travel…
• Past Awards (Online Databases)
– Abstracts, Types of Research Funded
• Tables, Graphs, Drawings
– You May Be Asked for Alt-Text (blind reviewers)
Tips
• Break up the Proposal!
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E.g. Hardware Development +
Software Development +
Accessory Development +
Training Materials Development +…
• Build Off of Prior Work
– Much of an SBIR Proposal can be strengthened and
reused…
– Its not “luck” that one small business won 18 Phase I
and 9 Phase II SBIR awards from DoED…
SBIR Solicitations
• Small Business Administration
– Overview of SBIR, STTR Program
• SBIR Gateway
– Upcoming Solicitations
• National Institutes of Health
Apr Aug Dec
• National Science Foundation
Jun Dec
• Education
Jan
• Transportation
May
• Agriculture
Sept
Past Awards
• Small Business Administration
• TECHNET (Database 1983+)
• Awards, Abstracts National Institutes of Health
• CRISP (Database 1983+)
• SILK (Text Files 1996+)
• National Science Foundation
• AWARDS SEARCH (Database 1983+)
• Education
• AWARDS HISTORY (Database 1983-2000)
• AWARDS (Text 2001+)
• Agriculture; Topic 8.6 Rural and Community Development
• AWARDS (Text 2002+)
• Transportation
• VOLPE LIBRARY (Text 1999+)
Online Market Data
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U.S. Census Bureau (All)
T2RERC Industry Profiles (Vision, Education)
MarkeTrak (Hearing)
Disability Statistics Center (All)
National Organization on Disability (All)
Online Resource for Disability Statistics (All)
National Center on Education Statistics (Education)
DisabilityInfo.gov (All)
Microsoft Accessibility Part I, Part II (Trans-generational)
NSF Science and Engineering (Disability Statistics in)
Online Advocacy
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United Cerebral Palsy Association
The Alzheimer’s Association
National Federation of the Blind
Learning Disabilities Association of America
National Association of the Deaf
American Council of the Blind
World Institute on Disability
American Foundation for the Blind
Self Help for Hard of Hearing People
Legislation & Funding
• Industry Profile on Education Technology
– Legislation, Funding related to Learning Disabilities
• Industry Profile on Visual Technology
– Legislation, Funding related to Low Vision & Blindness
• Special Interest Group on Technology Transfer
– Brief Descriptions, Links to Disability Legislation
• RESNA
– Government Affairs Committee, Policy White Papers
• Department of Justice
– Guide to Disability Rights Laws
• Americans with Disabilities Act Home Page
– Many Useful Links
Industry Profiles (Visual Impairment)
Section
Section
Acknowledgment
Assessment of Needs
Introduction
Legislation
Executive Summary
Funding Sources
Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye
Appendix A. Manufacturers
Vision Assessment
Appendix B. Sources of Financial Aid for
Eye Care
Eye Care Professionals
Visual Impairments, Causes and
Treatments
Appendix C. State and Provincial Services
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Major Causes of Adult Blindness
Appendix E. Associations
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Major Causes of Childhood Blindness
Appendix F. Publications
Demographics
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Market Growth
Technologies
Appendix D. Conferences and Tradeshows
References
Other Resources
• SBA SBIR Handbook
• NIH Grant Writing Tips Sheets
• NIH Grant Application Guidelines
• NSF Grant Proposal Guide
• Agriculture SBIR Example Awards
T2RERC
• National Center, NIDRR Funded
• 1 of about 20 RERC
No cost for work that falls
• 4 research projects
under a T2RERC project
– Public Policy Project
– Market Research Project
– Efficacy Project
• 4 development (transfer projects)
– Fortune 500 Project
– Supply Push Project
– Demand Pull Project
AZtech Services
• Fee-for-Service
• Solicitation Consultation
• Secondary Market Research
General resource, also work
that doesn’t fall under a
T2RERC project
– Demographics, Competition, Legislation and Funding…
• Primary Market Research
– Focus Group, Panels, Surveys
– Design Requirements, Prototype Validation, Price Point,
Purchase Intent…
• Grant Writing and Editing
• AZtech Home
Questions?
Thank You!
• Steve Bauer
– [email protected]
– 716-829-3141 x117
• Jen Flagg
– [email protected]
– 716-829-3141 x144