The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs across multiple federal funding agencies, also known as America’s Seed Fund, are one of the largest sources of early-stage capital for technology commercialization in the United States. These programs enable US- owned and operated small businesses to conduct research and development that has a strong potential for commercialization. The SBIR program, as established by law and reauthorized under Public Law 114-328, Section 1834 and Public Law 115-232, is intended to meet the following goals: stimulate technological innovation in the private sector; strengthen the role of small business in meeting federal research and development needs; increase the private sector commercialization of innovations developed through federal research and development funding; and foster and encourage participation in innovation and entrepreneurship by women and socially or economically disadvantaged persons. The STTR program aims to foster technology transfer through cooperative research and development between small businesses and research institutions.
Federal SBIR/STTR funding programs are phased. The main objective in an SBIR/STTR Phase I proposal is to establish the technical merit and feasibility of the proposed research and development efforts. For small businesses that have already demonstrated scientific and technical merit and feasibility, an SBIR/STTR Phase II project continues R&D efforts to advance the technology toward ultimate commercialization. Fast-Track projects incorporate a submission and review process in which both Phase I and Phase II applications are submitted and reviewed together as one application to reduce or eliminate the funding gap between phases. At the conclusion of an SBIR/STTR Phase II project, it is expected that the small business will fully commercialize their product or technology using either non-SBIR/STTR federal or non-federal funds. Applicants are expected ultimately to secure substantial independent third-part investor funds from another company, venture capital firm, angel investor, foundation, university, research institution, state or local government, or any combination of the above.
| Deadline: 5 PM Pacific Time on October 2, Annually View the RFP for full proposal requirements. |
Proposal Submission
Proposals must be submitted via our Grant Portal.
For additional information or inquiries, please contact us at rii@usc.edu.
Awardees
Past Awardees
2024
Bodour Salhia, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Juan Pablo Lewinger, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Lynda Roman, Keck School of Medicine of USC
The development of OvaPrint, a cell-free DNA methylation test for the early detection of epithelial cancer
Eunji Chung, USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Mohamed Abou-el-Enein, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Yi Huang, USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Storage formulation of miR-145 nanotherapeutics for atherosclerosis
Peter Yingxiao Wang, USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Longwei Liu, USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Michael Weiner, CEO of AbbraTech
Engineering Ultrasound Controllable CAR T cells targeting Intracellular KRAS mutants in Solid Tumor
Vsevolod Katrich, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Novel Angiotensin AT2 receptor antagonists for neuropathic pain treatment
2023
Brian Applegate
Aurisview: An OCT otoscopic system
Denis Evseenko
Systemic drug candidate for multi-joint osteoarthritis and pain
Mark Humayun
Advancing Development of an Automated, Large-Scale Manufacturing System to Support Broad Market Accessibility of a Bioengineered Stem-Cell Based Implant for the Treatment of Advanced Dry-Age Related Macular Degeneration
Peter Kuhn
Digital Tools Enabling Remote Clinical Trials
Michelle Povinelli
Investigation of deposition methods for microphotonic thermal control coatings
Peter Yingxiao Wang
Engineering Reversible and Inducible PSMA CAR T cells for Prostate Cancer Immunotherapy
Thank you for your interest in the Office of Research Innovation award programs.
All award programs are currently on hold pending confirmation of our FY25 budget.
Subvention funds supporting ORI’s award programs are made at the highest level of the university. Once we have confirmed our FY25 budget, we will re-activate this website.
For information regarding the Associates Award nominations, please click here or contact rii@usc.edu.
Thank you for your patience.
Silvia
SILVIA DA COSTA, PH.D.
University of Southern California
Director, Research Initiatives and Infrastructure