Small Business Innovation Research Program
Provides Seed Funding for R&D
Seattle, WA, January 2, 2018 – Boydston Chemical Innovations, Inc. has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant for $225,000 to conduct research and development (R&D) work on a metal-free olefin-metathesis route for the production of high performance plastics and composites.
This unique metal-free catalyst system is capable of producing resin and polymer feedstocks that are not available from metal-based reagents. Further, this system may offer advantages in processing and performance. The projected commercial impacts of the innovation will be enhanced material performance, lower cost products, and broadened (new) fields of use. The existing market is estimated to be $578M with 4.9% annual growth through 2023.
“The National Science Foundation supports small businesses with the most innovative, cutting-edge ideas that have the potential to become great commercial successes and make huge societal impacts,” said Barry Johnson, Director of the NSF’s Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships. “We hope that this seed funding will spark solutions to some of the most important challenges of our time across all areas of science and technology.”
According to John Goldstone, “Boydston Chemical Innovations is delighted to work on this grant from NSF. We have the opportunity to work with the University of Washington, and to move this technology from the lab bench toward scale-up and implementation, using flow reactor technologies. We plan to conduct mechanical analyses, make product specification sheets, and evaluate our new resins’ compatibility in fiber reinforced composite materials.”
Once a small business is awarded a Phase I STTR grant up to $225,000, it becomes eligible to apply for a Phase II grant up to $750,000. Small businesses with Phase II grants are eligible to receive up to $500,000 in additional matching funds with qualifying third-party investment or sales.
NSF accepts Phase I proposals from small businesses twice annually in June and December. Small businesses with innovative science and technology solutions, and commercial potential are encouraged to apply.All proposals submitted to the NSF SBIR/STTR program undergo a rigorous merit-based review process.
To learn more about the NSF SBIR/STTR program, visit: www.nsf.gov/SBIR.
About the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Programs: The National Science Foundation (NSF) awards roughly $200 million annually to startups and small businesses through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. The non-dilutive grants support research and development (R&D) across almost all areas of science and technology helping companies de-risk technology for commercial success. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $7 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering.