Funding Opportunities
Partnerships for Innovation: Building Innovation Capacity (PFI: BIC)
Deadline: August 6, 2012
External Deadline:
Letter of intent due 09/26/12; full proposal due 12/12/12
Sponsor: NSF
National Science Foundation Partnerships for Innovation: Building Innovation Capacity (PFI: BIC)
Institute Contact: Gail Spatt, 404.385.8334 or spatt@gatech.edu
Sponsor Website: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2012/nsf12578/nsf12578.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_179
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a limited submission opportunity entitled Partnerships for Innovation: Building Innovation Capacity (PFI:BIC). A brief description included in the solicitation reads as follows:
“The PFI: BIC program starts with an existing sound scientific and/or engineering-based research discovery that can be translated through a partnership between academe and small businesses to potentially market-valued solutions and to enhance the innovation capacity of the partners. . .The funds will provide support to an academic institution to partner with at least two small technology-based businesses that are not in direct competition with each other. The primary aims of the activities of this partnership are three-fold:
- to build the innovation capacity of the individual participants from academe and from business;
- to increase the viability of the small business concerns; and
- to develop the next-generation workforce by providing opportunities for students at different levels to effectively learn from, participate in, and be profoundly changed by exposure to the process of building innovation capacity that occurs in BIC projects.
The active collaboration between academe and business could result in solutions with potential for an impact on more than one market.”
The full solicitation is available at http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2012/nsf12578/nsf12578.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_179
Georgia Tech is permitted to submit one application to the program and will therefore conduct an internal competition. Please note the following:
- The PI should be from GT, but there need to be at least two small technology business partners who will help 'translate' the technology. These entities are the basis of the collaboration, but other organizations (large businesses, non-profits, etc) may also participate as appropriate.
- A maximum of $600,000 total will be awarded over a 2-year period.
- The solicitation includes several specific requirements in terms of the age of the companies, the relationship of the PI to the companies, the PI's prior funding under this program, etc. Please read the solicitation carefully to confirm eligibility.
Interested parties should contact Gail Spatt (404.385.8334, spatt@gatech.edu). She has some additional information she can share from the federal relations department, and the advance notice will also allow the internal committee to anticipate the number of potential applications. PIs will need to provide Gail with a two-page internal proposal with the concept and the names of people/companies involved by August 6, 2012. The internal committee will review the proposals and notify the selected PI within two weeks. Letters of intent are due to NSF on September 26, 2012.