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DOE Awards $102 Million in Small Business Grants for Innovative Research

“These research projects will help meet the department’s energy, environmental, national security and science missions,” Secretary Abraham said.   “The department’s programs help stimulate technological innovation in the private sector.   Reaching out to small  businesses will give owners the jump-start they need to create new jobs, support their workers and improve our economy as called for in President Bush’s small business agenda.”

DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the nation and ensures U.S. world leadership across a broad range of scientific disciplines.  Secretary Abraham will testify Tuesday, July 29, on the department’s Science Program Initiatives at a hearing of the Energy Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

DOE selected 237 proposals from 178 small businesses to receive Phase I grants averaging $100,000 each.   The companies will use the Phase I grants to explore the feasibility of their proposed innovations over the next year.  The companies may then apply for Phase II grants of up to $750,000.  The projects are in 47 technical topic areas supporting programs such as fossil, nuclear and renewable energy, energy efficiency, environmental cleanup, national security, biological and environmental research, and high energy and nuclear physics.

Examples of the Phase I projects include developing:

transistor-like, white light sources that last 100,000 hours
a poplar tree tailored for biofuel production
a permeable, reactive barrier that can remove mercury from water and reduce the cost of cleaning up contaminated groundwater
new nanomaterials to improve radiopharmaceuticals for use in radiation therapy
DOE also selected 103 Phase I SBIR projects from last year to receive Phase II funding averaging $708,000 each.   These 84 companies will continue their research and development effort under the new, two-year grants.

Eleven additional Phase II winners under the STTR program will receive $500,000 grants.    The STTR small business winners team with a non-profit research institution such as a university or Energy Department laboratory for their work.

Examples of the Phase II projects include developing:

a novel membrane to separate carbon dioxide from flue gas
a new class of lithium batteries
a technology to produce wind energy turbine blades from carbon fibers and reduce the cost of wind energy
new lasers to detect chemical and biological agents
The department’s program offices, excluding weapons activities, fund the SBIR and STTR projects.   The lists of winners and their projects is available at:  http://www.science.doe.gov/sbir.

The companies are located in:  Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland,  Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

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