NSF Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I, Phase II, Fast-Track Programs: A Pilot Emphasis on Scientific Instrumentation

**What Changed:** The "Who May Submit Proposals" section was **completely removed**, including all guidance on: - Small business eligibility requirements - Phase I Project Pitch invitation process and submission limits (2 pitches/year max; 3 per project max) - Phase II eligibility (only Phase I awardees) - Fast-Track requirements - Supplemental funding and Strategic Breakthoughs eligibility The "Who May Serve as PI" section was **retained but expanded** with previously incomplete PI effort requirements now fully specified: - Phase I: minimum 1 calendar month per 6 months (clarified) - Phase II: minimum 1 calendar month per 6 months (newly added) - Fast-Track: minimum 3 calendar months per 6 months (newly added) **Why It Matters:** Applicants lose critical eligibility information about who can submit (small business definition, affiliate rules, STTR partner requirements) and submission processes (Project Pitch procedures, invitation validity, submission caps). The new PI effort levels provide clarity on Fast-Track's higher commitment requirement (3x Phase I

**What Changed:** The "Who May Submit Proposals" section was **removed entirely**. The updated version deletes all guidance on: - Small business eligibility criteria - Phase I Project Pitch requirements and submission limits (2 pitches/year maximum; 3 per project maximum) - Phase II eligibility (NSF Phase I awardees only; 6-24 month window) - Fast-Track procedures - Supplemental funding opportunities - Strategic Breakthroughs eligibility **Why It Matters:** Applicants lose critical eligibility and procedural information in this document. The PI requirements section now stands alone without context on **who can submit** or **how to submit by phase**. This creates significant gaps—applicants won't know submission deadlines, invitation requirements, or per-company pitch limits from this document. They must now reference external sources (like the SBIR/STTR Program Eligibility Guide) for essential eligibility rules previously included here.

Archive Date changed from 2027-08-06T04:00:00+00:00 to 2027-08-06 04:00:00+00:00

# Changes Summary **Title:** Added "NSF" at the beginning for clarity and removed "Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer" redundancy. **Eligibility Description:** 1. **HTML formatting removed** – All hyperlinks and HTML tags (e.g., `<ul>`, `<li>`, `<a href>`) converted to plain text. Links are now displayed as URLs instead of clickable hyperlinks. 2. **"Who May Serve as PI" section expanded** – The previous version was incomplete (cut off mid-sentence). The updated version now includes: - Complete PI employment deviation approval language - **NEW requirement:** PI must have legal right to work in the US (citizenship, permanent residency, or appropriate visa) - **NEW clarification:** PI does not need academic affiliation - **NEW clarification:** No degree requirements for PI - **NEW requirement:** PI must devote minimum one calendar month effort per six months on Phase I projects - References to Phase-specific effort level requirements (appears incomplete in updated version) **Why it matters:** Applicants now have clearer work authorization

# Summary of Changes **Description & Synopsis:** Minor formatting changes only—content converted from plain text to HTML paragraph tags (`<p>`) with bolding added to "Expanding Participation" section header. No substantive changes to program scope or requirements. **Eligibility Requirements:** Significant structural and content clarification: 1. **Removed HTML formatting:** Nested bullet lists (`<ul>`, `<li>` tags) converted to plain text with line breaks, making the document more readable but structurally flatter. 2. **PI Requirements Expanded:** The previous version's incomplete "Who May Serve as PI" section is now completed with critical new details: - PI work authorization requirement added (must have citizenship, permanent residency, or appropriate visa) - Clarification that PI doesn't need academic affiliation or Ph.D. - **Minimum effort requirements newly specified:** 1 calendar month per 6 months for Phase I projects (additional effort tiers for other phases appear cut off in both versions) 3. **Hyperlinks removed:** Direct URLs and linked text (e.g., "Guide to SBIR/

Archive Date changed from None to 2027-08-06 04:00:00+00:00

Close Date changed from 2026-07-27 to 2026-11-04

Status changed from closed to open

New Grants.gov opportunity: Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I, Phase II, Fast-Track Programs (SBIR/STTR): A Pilot Emphasis on Scientific Instrumentation.