July
28, 2003
DOE Awards
$102 Million in Small Business Grants for Innovative
Research
WASHINGTON, DC -- Secretary of Energy Spencer
Abraham announced today that 234 small businesses
in 34 states will receive Department of Energy
(DOE) grants totaling $102 million to conduct
innovative research. The department chose 351
projects from among 1,450 proposals submitted
under DOE’s Small Business Innovation Research
(SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer
(STTR) programs. The department’s Office
of Science administers both programs.
“These research projects will help meet
the department’s energy, environmental,
national security and science missions,”
Secretary Abraham said. “The department’s
programs help stimulate technological innovation
in the private sector. Reaching out to small businesses
will give owners the jump-start they need to create
new jobs, support their workers and improve our
economy as called for in President Bush’s
small business agenda.”
DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest
supporter of basic research in the physical sciences
in the nation and ensures U.S. world leadership
across a broad range of scientific disciplines.
Secretary Abraham will testify Tuesday, July 29,
on the department’s Science Program Initiatives
at a hearing of the Energy Subcommittee of the
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
DOE selected 237 proposals from 178 small businesses
to receive Phase I grants averaging $100,000 each.
The companies will use the Phase I grants to explore
the feasibility of their proposed innovations
over the next year. The companies may then apply
for Phase II grants of up to $750,000. The projects
are in 47 technical topic areas supporting programs
such as fossil, nuclear and renewable energy,
energy efficiency, environmental cleanup, national
security, biological and environmental research,
and high energy and nuclear physics.
Examples of the Phase I projects include developing:
• transistor-like, white light sources that
last 100,000 hours
• a poplar tree tailored for biofuel production
• a permeable, reactive barrier that can
remove mercury from water and reduce the cost
of cleaning up contaminated groundwater
• new nanomaterials to improve radiopharmaceuticals
for use in radiation therapy
DOE also selected 103 Phase I SBIR projects from
last year to receive Phase II funding averaging
$708,000 each. These 84 companies will continue
their research and development effort under the
new, two-year grants.
Eleven additional Phase II winners under the STTR
program will receive $500,000 grants. The STTR
small business winners team with a non-profit
research institution such as a university or Energy
Department laboratory for their work.
Examples of the Phase II projects include developing:
• a novel membrane to separate carbon dioxide
from flue gas
• a new class of lithium batteries
• a technology to produce wind energy turbine
blades from carbon fibers and reduce the cost
of wind energy
• new lasers to detect chemical and biological
agents
The department’s program offices, excluding
weapons activities, fund the SBIR and STTR projects.
The lists of winners and their projects is available
at: http://www.science.doe.gov/sbir.
The companies are located in: Alabama, Arizona,
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida,
Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New
Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina,
Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee,
Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
Media Contact(s):
Jeff Sherwood, 202/586-5806
Number: R-03-166
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