The Role of Intuition in SBIR/STTR
By Lisa Kurek, Managing Partner
Let me get right to the point. There is NO role for intuition in SBIR/STTR. Whether you are trying to decide which agency will be interested in your particular product and technology, or are completing the application forms, don’t rely on intuition. Why not? Let me give you two examples:
Example #1: If you rely on intuition to guide you as to which agency would be appropriate for your particular product or technology, you might look no further than to the Department of Energy if you were developing new battery technology. Certainly a potential fit. But did you know the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is interested in battery technology too? (See related article below.) If you relied on intuition alone, you might never look to NIH, Department of Defense or National Science Foundation as possible funding sources.
Example #2: If you are using the SF424R&R forms for submission of an SBIR through grants.gov, mandatory fields are highlighted in bright yellow. Yet there is at least one form field required for NIH SBIR/STTR proposals that is not highlighted in bright yellow. If you do not complete this field, you will receive a submission error that must be fixed before NIH will accept your proposal. Most applicants I have worked with that rely on intuition to complete these forms ignore this particular field only to be met with an error after submission.
This leads me to two corollaries to “Don’t rely on intuition”:
- “Do your homework” and
- “Read the Instructions!”
Following this advice will expand your funding horizons and save you tremendous aggravation as you navigate the submission process. |
