The Biden-Harris Administration awarded nearly $5 million to 17 small businesses across nine states under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. The SBIR Phase I awards will fund research projects to explore the technical merit or feasibility of an innovative idea or technology for developing a viable product or service for introduction in the commercial microelectronics marketplace. This is the first award for the CHIPS Research and Development Office.
“As we grow the U.S. semiconductor industry, the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to building opportunities for small businesses to prosper. With today’s awards, these 17 businesses will support CHIPS for America’s efforts to grow the U.S. semiconductor ecosystem and support our national and economic security,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.
NIST measurement science, or metrology, is at the heart of all the advances we anticipate from American chipmakers in coming years, like smaller, faster, chips that take less energy to make, operate and cool, with more functions at less expense.
The award-winning projects were competitively selected from proposals submitted in response to a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on multiple topics on research projects for critically needed measurement services, tools, and instrumentation; innovative manufacturing metrologies; novel assurance and provenance technologies and advanced metrology research and development (R&D) testbeds to help secure U.S. leadership in the global semiconductor industry.
These are all Phase I SBIR awards, which are meant to establish the merit, feasibility and commercial potential of the proposed research and development projects. All 17 small businesses will be under consideration for a SBIR Phase II award in Spring 2025. Each Phase II award can be funded up to $1,910,000.
“NIST and CHIPS for America are proud to support these small businesses as they take innovations, scale them for the commercial marketplace, and boost the U.S. economy. We are happy to support the entrepreneurs with great ideas as they seek to build the next great American company,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Director Laurie E. Locascio.