The purpose of the SBIR program is to provide an opportunity for US-owned, for-profit small business firms to submit innovative, applied, research and development projects that address important problems facing American agriculture and have the potential to lead to significant public benefit if the research

credit:

is successful.

Research proposals are accepted in any of the following topic areas:
1) Forests and Related Resources; 2) Plant Production and Protection - Biology; 3) Animal Production and Protection; 4) Air, Water, and Soils; 5) Food Science and Nutrition; 6) Rural Development; 7) Aquaculture; 8) Biofuels and Biobased Products; 9) Marketing and Trade; 10) Animal Manure Management; 11) Small and Mid-Size Farms; and 12) Plant Production and Protection - Engineering.

The SBIR program exists in three phases.

The purpose of Phase I is to prove the scientific or technical feasibility of the proposed research and development effort.

Phase I projects typically are for 8 months.

Phase II is the principal research and development effort and often involves moving the project from the laboratory to the field or the development of prototypes.

Phase II projects typically are for 24 months.

Phase III is the commercialization phase and there is no SBIR support provided for this phase.

Phase I applications are due on September 3, 200 9.

This SBIR program funding opportunity is for Phase I applications.