Opportunities for Currently NSF Supported and Self-Sustaining, Graduated Engineering Research Centers to Partner with Small Businesses (ERC & SBIR)

This opportunity aims to enable currently supported NSF Engineering Research Centers (ERC) that are in the Classes of 2003-2008 and recently graduated, self-sustaining ERCs to benefit from the role of small firms in carrying out research to speed the translation of research results into commercial products and for small businesses to benefit from the innovative and leading-edge research performed at Engineering Research Centers (ERCs). These centers have pushed the boundaries of knowledge across a broad spectrum of technology fields while transferring a continuous stream of cutting-edge enabling and systems technologies to the market place through their industrial partners and spin-off start-up firms. Proposals are invited from the institutions with the 13 ongoing ERCs and the 22 recently graduated, self-sustaining ERCs in the Class of 1990 or later to perform collaborative research with ongoing and graduated SBIR/STTR Phase I and Phase II awardees funded by any agency and other small R&D firms. Proposals may also be submitted by NSF supported ongoing and graduated SBIR/STTR Phase II awardees who will collaborate with an ongoing or recently graduated, self-sustaining ERC for the purposes outlined in the solicitation. A self-sustaining graduated Engineering Research Center (ERC), for the purpose of this solicitation, is one that is defined as an ERC in the class of 1990 or later that is financially self-sustaining and retains ERC key features. Self-sufficiency was determined through a survey of graduated ERCs. This would include any ERC from earlier classes that was reestablished for a new term of NSF support through an ERC competition. The results of that survey, "Post Graduation Status of Engineering Research Centers - 2010," can be found at: http://www.erc-assoc.org/topics/6-nsf-policies.html. A list of currently NSF supported and self-sustaining graduated ERCs eligible to compete can be found in the Appendix. The goals of this effort are to: Speed the translation of ERC-generated research and technology advances to the marketplace and engage students more directly in the innovation process though collaboration between an ERC and a small R&D firm, andStrengthen the research capacity of the small R&D firm or SBIR/STTR awardee to speed the entry of its innovation into the marketplace and broaden its portfolio of marketable products through collaboration with an ERC. The result will be the creation of a mutually beneficial research and commercialization platform that joins ERCs and small R&D firms or SBIR/STTR companies. This platform will establish a partnership upon which the ERC and the firm can collaborate in the future and ERC students can learn about the innovation process.