Small Business Windfall

August 2, 2006

The US Department of Energy has awarded $116 million in grants to small businesses for innovative research that will help meet the department’s diverse energy, environmental, science and national security missions.

“High-technology small companies, many of whom started in business as a result of SBIR and STTR awards, have become a valuable resource for solving high risk, high technology problems. Solving these problems will continue to be essential to meeting the nation’s current and future energy challenges,” said Dr. Raymond L. Orbach, DOE Under Secretary for Science.

The research projects are in 49 technical topic areas ranging from developing new sensors that monitor the electric transmission grid and help reduce blackouts to developing ground-penetrating radar in order to see contaminated groundwater and help clean up pollution.

One hundred ninety-three companies in 33 states were selected to receive a total of 291 Phase I grants worth up to $100,000 each to explore the feasibility of their proposed innovation.

Here is more information on how you may be able to participate.