US National Science Foundation aids ocean energy developers

US NSF Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) provides non-dilutive funds for early-stage R&D at small businesses and startups, including ocean energy developers.

National Science Foundation SBIR/STTR offers an opportunity for ocean energy developers under the Chemical and Environmental Technologies topic that covers a wide range of technology areas of current and emerging commercial significance to the chemical industry and environment.

One of the areas for which NSF is providing the funding is the development of sustainable technologies for energy efficiency, capture, storage and use.

The proposed projects should include novel technology and approaches for the direct capture, conversion, storage, and use of any renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, solar-thermal, ocean, geothermal, bioenergy and so on.

Projects may include novel technology that will lead to enhancements in these areas.

Technologies may include innovations in the combinations of different approaches in order to improve energy efficiency.

A proposal should present a clear value proposition, the market opportunity, a strategy for commercialization of the innovation, a business case for how the innovation could rapidly lead to revenue generation for the small business, a clear detailed description of the technical innovation and the key technical challenges that need to be overcome with SBIR/STTR funding, and a clearly defined R&D program.

The deadlines for the proposal submissions are June 16 for SBIR, and June 18 for STTR, 2015.

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Image: Oregon Wave/Illustration