The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program announced Monday the award of a total of $1.9 million in competitive research awards to 20 small businesses located in 12 states.
The SBIR awards will provide approximately $100,000 in Phase I funding for small businesses to establish the feasibility of their concept over a six-month period. The Phase I funding covers the following six topic areas:
- DNA and latent fingerprint collection from same sample;
- Low-cost, disposable, tamper-proof bolt seal;
- Enhanced distributed denial of service defense;
- Privacy protecting analytics for the Internet of Things;
- A wearable communications hub designed to streamline and improve first responder communication capabilities; and
- Canine mounted track and transmit device
S&T began promoting the six above-mentioned topics in December 2014 with its pre-solicitation announcement calling for small businesses to submit proposals on technologies or products that could fill a capability gap and meet a need in the homeland security mission space.
“It is important to find highly innovative solutions to the nation’s homeland security challenges,” said S&T’s SBIR Program Director Lisa Sobolewski in announcing the pre-solicitation. “America’s small business community is a font of great ideas, and we want to hear them. I encourage all eligible US small businesses to submit proposals for this funding opportunity.”
At the end of Phase I, S&T will provide Phase II funding of $750,000 over a two year period to the small businesses based on the Phase I results and the scientific and technical merit, as well as commercialization potential, of their Phase II proposals. Phase II will further develop the Federal Research/Research & Development (R/R&D) endeavors from the completed Phase I.
Recipients of the SBIR funding include Tiax LLC, a lab-based technology development company working on developing a method for latent print work and DNA analysis from the same sample while optimizing DNA extraction protocol for fingerprints deposited on evidentiary materials used for human identification.
Another recipient, Rockville, Maryland-based Intelligent Automation Inc., is developing a canine mounted wireless video and location streaming system. The tracking device attaches to a canine and can relay information to both the handler of the canine via a wrist or forearm mounted remote monitor and a command coordination center.
The DHS S&T SBIR Program is a competitive contract awards program initiated in 2004 to increase the participation of innovative and creative US small businesses in federal research and development initiatives and to increase private sector commercialization of SBIR-funded solutions. The program consists of three phrases:
Phase I is to determine the scientific and technical merit and feasibility of the proposed effort. Phase I awards are up to $100,000 and no more than six months in duration.
Phase II continues the R/R&D efforts from the completed Phase I. Only SBIR awardees in Phase I are eligible to participate in Phases II and III. Phase II awards are up to $750,000 and typically no more than two years in duration. Funding is based upon the results of Phase I and the scientific and technical merit and commercial potential of the Phase II proposal.
Phase III refers to work that derives from, extends or logically concludes effort(s) performed under prior SBIR funding agreements, but is funded by sources other than the SBIR Program. Phase III work is typically oriented towards commercialization of SBIR research or technology.
Congratulating the award winners, Reginald Brothers, under secretary for S&T, said, “The bottom line is, S&T’s mission – to deliver effective and innovative insight, methods and solutions for the critical needs of the Homeland Security Enterprise – wouldn’t be possible without support and innovative ideas from the small business community. I want to send my congratulations to the recent awardees. I look forward to seeing your projects come to fruition in the future.”
To learn more about the SBIR and solicitation deadlines, visit www.sbir.gov/
