Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Policy Tracker

Extension proposed for SBIR program; DOE gives Early Career Awards to researchers

One-year extension proposed for R&D program
Congress is likely to extend the Small Business Innovation Research program under current rules for another year rather than make changes in the program.

Through the SBIR program, at least 2.5 percent of outside R&D spending at 11 federal agencies is set aside for small businesses. A bill pending in the Senate gradually would increase that percentage to 3.5 percent, and allow small companies majority-owned by venture capital firms to receive some of these awards. That bill failed to clear a procedural vote in the Senate, however, due to disagreements over unrelated amendments.

In response, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., introduced a one-year extension of the SBIR program. Without action by Congress, the SBIR program will expire May 31.

That would stop progress being made by many small businesses “with great ideas that are working with our government to development technologies to improve national security, better the diagnosis, treatment and cure of diseases, and move us closer toward energy independence and efficiency,” said Landrieu, who chairs the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee.

The House is expected to pass its own SBIR bill by May 31, but that version includes provisions that aren’t acceptable to the Senate, particularly on the eligibility of VC-owned firms to receive SBIR awards.

Under the Senate bill, small businesses that are majority-owned by VC firms could could receive up to 25 percent of SBIR awards at several federal agencies.
—Kent Hoover, ACBJ News Service


DOE gives Early Career Awards to researchers
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded five-year Early Career Awards, all worth at least $150,000, to 67 recipients nationally, including 11 New England researchers. The grants came from the DOE’s Office of Science and are designed to support researchers early in their careers and focused in areas of interest to the DOE, including biofuels, advanced insulators and nanotechnology.

Awards were granted to researchers doing energy-related work at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, MIT, Yale University, the University of New Hampshire, the University of Vermont and Brown University.
— MHT Staff