National Science Foundation SBIR/STTR Programs

This webinar provides a special opportunity to learn about the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs directly from Program Director, Dr. Henry Ahn.

The U.S. National Science Foundation is a federal agency that supports research and education across all fields of science and engineering, currently with an $9.5 billion budget.

Through the merit review process, NSF funds the most innovative ideas in science and engineering. Notable NSF-supported advances include LASIK eye surgery, Doppler radar, the Internet, web browsers, bar codes, magnetic resonance imaging, inkjet printers, computer-aided design systems, tissue engineering, and other technology-based innovations that spur economic activity and improve the quality of life for all Americans.

NSF focuses on transforming scientific and engineering discoveries into products and services with commercial and societal impact through their SBIR/STTR funding. The deep technologies they fund show promise but their success hasn’t yet been validated. And, each year, $200+ million in research and development (R&D) funding is awarded to about 400 startups across the United States.

This webinar will help you to gain an understanding of all of the resources available to you for the highest likelihood of success in applying for one of these non-dilutive funding opportunities.

There will be time for live Q&A.

About the presenter: Henry Ahn joined the U.S. National Science Foundation as an SBIR/STTR program director in 2016. Prior to joining NSF, Henry managed seed and early stage investment programs for TEDCO for 12 years including the Technology Commercialization Fund, its flagship seed funding program for technology-based companies in Maryland. During his time at TEDCO, Henry mentored numerous entrepreneurs and was a guest speaker at entrepreneur support groups. He also served as an advisory board member and a judge. Additionally, Henry was part of the licensing/supplier relations team at a biotechnology company called Upstate, where he successfully negotiated, licensed and commercialized approximately 190 biomedical research reagents from around the world. Henry’s background also includes five years of research, primarily in the field of immunology. Henry has an MBA from Rice University, a master's in biotechnology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a bachelor's in biomedical engineering from Boston University.

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The Colorado Small Business Development Center Network is a partnership between the State of Colorado, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, the Small Business Administration (SBA), Colorado’s institutions of higher education, local economic development organizations and local chambers of commerce.