UW and Wyoming SBDC Network to Host Workshop on SBIR/STTR Opportunities at NSF Jan. 18

Small-business owners can learn about Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) opportunities at the National Science Foundation (NSF) during a half-day virtual workshop Thursday, Jan. 18.

Jim Greenwood and Ramsankar Veerakumar will lead the discussion during a Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network workshop titled “SBIR/STTR Phase I Proposal Prep With Emphasis on National Science Foundation” from 8:30 a.m.-noon. The Wyoming SBDC Network is partnering with the University of Wyoming team that is part of the NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Great Plains Region Hub. To register, go here. Registration is free.

The Wyoming SBDC Network offers business expertise to help Wyoming residents think about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their business. The Wyoming SBDC Network is hosted by UW with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council and funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Greenwood will provide helpful tips and a recommended process for developing a competitive Phase I proposal. While material is relevant to all SBIR/STTR agencies, NSF will be emphasized.

Veerakumar, an assistant instructional professor in the UW Department of Mechanical Engineering and one of UW’s I-Corps contacts, will share information on the NSF I-Corps Great Plains Region Hub. The hub trains researchers to develop business models based on customer discovery and provides mentorship to evaluate a business idea.

Greenwood, co-owner of Greenwood Consulting Group Inc., is a nationally recognized trainer and proposal reviewer for the SBIR and STTR programs. He has taught SBIR/STTR workshops in 48 states, plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., offering training through local and regional economic development groups, universities, federal laboratories, SBDCs and Manufacturing Extension Partnerships.

Small-business owners also will have the opportunity to meet with Greenwood one-on-one for strategy sessions during the afternoon. Preference for scheduling with Greenwood will be given to Wyoming small businesses. For one-on-one scheduling, email Kelly Haigler Cornish, Wyoming SBIR/STTR Initiative manager, at haigler@uwyo.edu.

For more information, call Maureen Johnson, marketing, communication and database manager for the Wyoming SBDC Network, at (307) 343-0925 or email mjohn125@uwyo.edu.