WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2023 — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $17 million in prizes for small businesses in 25 states. Seventy-seven projects are in the area of advanced scientific computing and scientific instruments that support DOE’s clean energy missions.
“Small businesses play a key role in moving science forward. They help move innovation from the lab to applications that serve the American public.” DOE Director of Science Asmeret Asefaw Berhe“The SBIR program also plays an important role in research by helping science adopt and implement new technologies and tools.”
America’s small businesses play a key role in facilitating the transition from discovery to innovation, helping bridge the gap between scientific laboratories and commercial markets. The DOE Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards are designed to translate DOE-backed scientific and technological breakthroughs into commercial products and services. The award also supports the development of specialized techniques and instruments that support scientific discovery.
Through federal-wide SBIR and STTR programs, thousands of jobs are created directly in small businesses in the United States and indirectly in the communities where they live.
Funded through DOE’s SBIR and STTR programs, today’s selection is for Phase I research and development. SMEs that demonstrate the technical feasibility of their innovations in Phase I grants will compete for prototype or process development funding in Phase II. The median Phase I reward is $200,000 over a period of 6 to 12 months. Funding for selected projects comes from DOE’s Office of Science.
The projects selected for the award are:
- Advanced Ceramics Manufacturing LLC, Tucson, Arizona. Structural components with corrosion resistant surface layers for advanced nuclear reactor systems.
- CapeSym, Inc., Natick, MA. High spatial resolution detector for nuclear physics applications.
- Carbon Solutions LLC, Bloomington, Indiana. Atlas of Local Climate Atmospheric Emissions Tracking.
- HighRI Optics, Oakland, CA. High-efficiency low-loss fiber-chip optical coupling for quantum networks.
- Om Bharti LLC, Wilmington, NC. Computer-aided modeling and analysis tools for bioprocess industrialization.
- Osazda Energy, Albuquerque, New Mexico. An optimization-based design ecosystem targeting solar module performance, reliability, and stability in solar energy.
- Renascent Energy Management LLC, Houston, TX. Geothermal energy generation using dormant wells in hot shale deposits.
For more information on DOE’s SBIR and STTR programs, visit the Program Office website.
For more information on the projects announced today, please visit https://science.osti.gov/sbir/awards/.
Source: DOE