Open

The Learning and Cognition Technologies topic aims to cover all learning and cognitive innovations that require research and development to advance the field of STEM education from “pre-K to gray.” This topic supports the development of a prototype or proof-of-concept and does not support curriculum development or incremental work on existing technologies. Subtopics include but are not limited ...

The Medical Devices topic aims to support the early-stage development of novel products, processes, or services that will enable the delivery of high-quality, economically-efficient healthcare in the United States and globally. The medical devices topic is not aimed at supporting or conducting clinical trials, clinical efficacy or safety studies, the development of pre-clinical or clinical-stage d ...

The Mobility topic aims to support novel innovations in land, air, sea-based movement of goods and people. This topic supports the research and development of transformative hardware, software, and behavioral solutions in support of a resilient and sustainable future of mobility. Proposals responsive to this topic can include innovations in hardware and software, innovations to facilitate adoption ...

The Nanotechnology topic addresses the creation and manipulation of functional materials, devices, and systems with novel properties and functions that are achieved through the control of matter at a submicroscopic scale (from a fraction of nanometer to about 100 nanometers). This includes, but is not limited to, innovative hierarchical nanostructures, nanolayered structures, nanowires, nanotubes, ...

For projects that do not seem to fit into one of the other technology topic areas, but still meet the NSF SBIR/STTR goals of supporting research and development of deep technology, with commercial viability and the potential to benefit society, please pick Other Topics and subtopic OT1. Project pitches and proposals submitted to Other Topics are typically transferred and reviewed in the topic area ...

The Pharmaceutical Technologies topic covers a wide range of technology areas to advance the discovery, early-stage development and characterization, formulation, delivery, and/or manufacture of novel drugs, moieties, compounds, products, processes, platforms or services that will improve the selection, quality, or price of pharmaceutical and biologic therapies. The Pharmaceutical Technologies top ...

The Photonics topic addresses the research and development of new materials, devices, components, and systems that have the potential for revolutionary change in the optics and photonics industries. Photonic technologies can include anything generally operating in or using photons in the electromagnetic spectrum from gamma rays down to long radio waves. Examples include lasers, various light emitt ...

The Power Management topic address the development of novel technologies that enable new power and thermal management solutions. Innovations supported could range from device-scale breakthroughs, to embedded or standalone systems, to grid-scale technologies.

This topic focuses on innovations in information and communications technologies that rely fundamentally on quantum mechanical properties and interactions. Typically, such innovations will involve the generation, detection, or manipulation of quantum states to provide faster, more efficient or more secure information processing and communications. Proposals may include innovations at the component ...

The Robotics topic covers robot intelligence and experiential learning, particularly those in the areas of high-performance processors or hardware to provide situational awareness and improved artificial intelligence. Innovations in voice, obstacle and image recognition, emotional response, and hand-eye coordination are encouraged. We encourage proposals describing projects that borrow features fr ...