Skip to main content

Innovation, Diversity, and the SBIR/STTR Programs Summary of a Workshop (2015) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:

2 Moving Forward: Finding Solutions
Pages 9-14

The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.


From page 9...
... program's award process, providing entrepreneurship training, and lowering obstacles in startups' transition from research and development to commercial viability. Personal stories shared by SBIR entrepreneurs illustrate the extent to which many among underrepresented groups lack the access, connections, experience, and nontechnical skills that propel others forward.
Read the entire page →
From page 10...
... The programs include, among others, Re search Assistantships for High School Students; Research Experience for Teachers, enabling teachers to take the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship back to the classroom; Research Experience for Under­ graduates, the most popular program among Phase II awardees; and the Small Business Post-Doc Research Diversity Fellowship, enabling postdocs to work for Phase II companies for up to $75,000 each. A theme that ran throughout the workshop was a need to conduct more effective outreach to potential applicants in order to encourage participation among underrepresented groups.
Read the entire page →
From page 11...
... •  aintain a central database of potential outreach partners in the Small M Business Administration, including nonprofits and state and local devel opment institutions.6 •  epeat the same outreach events multiple times to see how interest grows.7 R •  se the 3 percent of SBIR budgets for program management to improve U outreach and reduce barriers to completing applications.8 •  ind more creative ways to reach out to potential applicants early in F their academic or business careers. Some workshop speakers learned about the SBIR program by accident.9 ELIMINATING BARRIERS IN AWARD APPLICATIONS AND SELECTION Even an abundant pipeline and successful outreach will not increase SBIR diversity if applications from woman and minority candidates are not deemed competitive enough to win either a Phase I award or to transition successfully from Phase I to Phase II.
Read the entire page →
From page 12...
... • T  he NSF's programs awarding SBIR Phase II companies extra funds to hire students, faculty, and veterans provide them exposure to entrepre neurial culture.15 • A  ARP's entrepreneurship workshops for workers ages 59 and over ac complish a similar objective.16 • F  lorida's Empowering Women in Technology Startups (ewits®) program provides women with multi-week training in managing a startup.17 Each participant is paired with an experienced female mentor and works in virtual company management teams to develop a business plan and investor presentation.18 Additional suggestions included the following: •  equire a one-page commercialization plan for Phase I applications, R except for those focused on basic research, to help to focus applicants 11  See presentation by Eric Adolphe, CenterScope Technologies, in Chapter 6 of this volume.
Read the entire page →
From page 13...
... 21  See remarks of Michael Borrus or X/Seed Capital Management in Chapter 8 of this volume.
Read the entire page →

Key Terms

  • business administration
  • tanaga boozer
  • grace wang
  • entrepreneurship training
  • individual workshop

  • sbir diversity
  • commercialization efforts
  • companies extra
  • eric adolphe
  • joseph hennessey

  • extra funds
  • historically black
  • award applications
  • winslow sargeant
  • capital management

  • michael borrus
  • trademark office
  • sbir phase
  • winning application
  • sbir entrepreneurs

  • including technology
  • house armed
  • entrepreneurs illustrate
  • deemed competitive
  • services committee

  • business plan
  • nontechnical skills
  • nsf engineering
  • transition successfully
  • potential applicants


    • This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
    More information on Chapter Skim is available.