NSF Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I, Phase II, Fast-Track Programs: A Pilot Emphasis on Scientific Instrumentation
Funds startups building next-generation scientific instruments — up to $2 million per company, no equity taken.
NSF's small business programmes fund deep technology from startups, and this notice is a pilot emphasis inside them aimed at one thing: the instruments science itself runs on.
The argument NSF makes is that American scientists need next-generation instrumentation, that in many fields it matters where that instrumentation is built, and that startups are a route to it. So the pilot invests in enabl…
Startups and small businesses developing enabling technologies for science — next-generation scientific instrumentation, novel experimental platforms and other scientific equipment, including the instrumentation needed for AI-driven discovery.
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Guides for this application
All guides →NSF Seed Fund for Startups: How Deeptech Founders Should Approach NSF SBIR/STTR
A founder-focused guide to NSF America's Seed Fund, including NSF SBIR/STTR fit, Project Pitch strategy, merit review, eligibility, budgets, and commercialization logic.
Where to applySBIR/STTR Grants for Deeptech Startups
A practical guide to SBIR and STTR grants for deeptech startups, including agency fit, Phase I and II logic, eligibility, budgets, and review criteria.
DocumentsNSF Biosketch Guide: SciENcv, Format, and Examples
Learn how the NSF biosketch works, what SciENcv is used for, how it differs from current and pending support, and what startup teams should prepare.
DocumentsNSF Data Management Plan Example and Writing Guide
Learn how to write an NSF data management plan, what the plan should include, how it differs from NIH data sharing plans, and how startup applicants should handle data.
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