The SBIR
Program was created by Congress
in 1982 to help small businesses
more actively participate in federal
research and development (R&D).
All Federal agencies with an annual
extramural R&D budget exceeding
$100M are required to participate
in the SBIR Program.
The Small Business Innovation
Research (SBIR) Program at the
USDA makes grants that are competitively
awarded to qualified small businesses
for the purpose of supporting
high quality research proposals
containing advanced concepts related
to important scientific problems
and opportunities in agriculture
that could lead to significant
public benefit if the research
is successful. The SBIR Program
does not make loans and does not
award grants for the purpose of
helping a business get established.
Objectives of the SBIR program
are to stimulate technological
innovations in the private sector,
strengthen the role of small businesses
in meeting Federal research and
development needs, increase private
sector commercialization of innovations
derived from USDA-supported research
and development efforts, and foster
and encourage participation by
women-owned and socially and economically
disadvantaged small business firms
in technological innovations.
The types of research projects
awarded under this program include,
but are not limited to:
Forests and related resources,
Plant production and protection,
Animal production and protection,
Air, water and soils,
Food science and nutrition,
Rural and community development,
Aquaculture,
Industrial applications,
Marketing and trade,
Wildlife and
Animal waste management
USDA's SBIR program is administered
by the Cooperative State Research,
Education and Extension Service
(CSREES). For additional information
please visit the SBIR
Web site or contact:
Dr. Charles Cleland, SBIR National
Program Manager
CSREES/USDA, STOP 2243
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-2243
Telephone: 202-401-4002
Facsimile: 202-401-6070
E-mail: ccleland@csrees.usda.gov
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