NASA Chooses Small-Business Innovation Proposals

RELEASE : 08-272 NASA Selects 142 Small Business Innovation Research Projects WASHINGTON -- NASA has selected 142 proposals for negotiation of Phase 2 contract awards in the Small Business Innovation Research program, known as SBIR. The selected projects have a total value of approximately $85 million. NASA will award the contracts to 121 small high-technology firms in 27 states.

The SBIR program supports NASA's mission directorates by working with them to competitively select ventures that address critical research and technology needs for agency programs and projects. The effort addresses specific technology gaps in mission programs and strives to complement other agency research investments.

Program results have benefited numerous NASA efforts, including modern air traffic control systems, Earth observing spacecraft, the space shuttle, the International Space Station and rovers and labs on Mars.

Highly competitive, the SBIR program is a three-phase award system. It provides qualified small businesses -- including women-owned and disadvantaged businesses -- with opportunities to propose unique ideas that meet specific research and development needs of the federal government. 
Phase 1 is a feasibility study to evaluate the scientific and technical merit of an idea. Awards are for periods as long as six months in amounts as much as $100,000. Phase 2 expands on the results of the development in Phase 1. Award durations are as long as two years in amounts as much as $600,000. Phase 3 is for the commercialization of the results of Phase 2 and requires the use of private sector or non-SBIR federal funding.

NASA received 259 Phase 2 proposals. The criteria used to select the winning proposals included technical merit and innovation, Phase 1 results, value to NASA, commercial potential and company capabilities. Examples of research areas among this group of selected proposals for each Mission Directorate include:

Aeronautics Research:
- Antenna technologies for airborne hazard detection and avoidance systems
- Novel materials to improve engine control of supersonic aircraft

Exploration Systems:
- Technologies needed for lunar operations including moon dust-tolerant mechanisms, hazard detection and avoidance systems, and robotic navigation equipment
- Technologies to monitor crew health and well-being during long duration missions

Science:
- Instruments for use on planetary probes to help detect past and present life
- Propulsion systems to send small, low-cost satellites from Earth orbit to the moon or beyond

Space Operations:
- Band pass filter technologies to improve ground-based laser communication receivers
- Enhanced hydrogen flame detection to improve safety at test facilities and launch sites

The SBIR program is part of NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington, working with U.S. industry to develop pioneering technologies, infuse them into agency missions and transition them into commercially available products and services.
NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif., manages the program for the Innovative Partnership Program office. NASA's 10 field centers manage individual projects.

For a list of selected companies and more information about the program, visit:

http://www.ipp.nasa.gov/ti_sbir.htm

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'Super solvents' voted 'Most Important British Innovation of the 21st Century'

Ken Seddon and Jim Swindall.

Research by scientists from Queen's University Belfast on ionic liquid chemistry has been named the 'Most Important British Innovation of the 21st Century'.

The work of staff in the Queen's University Ionic Liquid Laboratories (QUILL) Research Centre has been named as the innovation that will have the greatest impact in the coming Century.

QUILL fought off stiff competition from 11 other innovations from across the United Kingdom to win the vote which was part of the Science Museum's Initiative on Great British past and future Innovations. This initiative was also sponsored, amongst others, by: Engineering UK, The Royal Society, British Science Association, Royal Academy of Engineering and Department for Business Innovation & Skills.

A team of nearly 100 scientists are exploring the potential of ionic liquids at Queen's. Known as 'super solvents', they are salts that remain liquid at room temperature and do not form vapours. They can be used as non-polluting alternatives to conventional solvents and are revolutionising chemical processes by offering a much more environmentally friendly solution than traditional methods.

Professor Ken Seddon is Co-Director of QUILL. His seminal paper started the world-wide surge of interest in ionic liquids and it has now reached over 1000 citations. Speaking about their latest achievement, he said: "We are delighted to win as this shines a very public spotlight on how a team of chemists can dramatically improve the quality of the environment for everyone. Being named the most important British innovation of the 21st Century is recognition of the high calibre of research being undertaken at QUILL and throughout the University."

Professor Jim Swindall, Co-Director of QUILL at Queen's, said: "This is fantastic news for QUILL and for the University. This vote confirms that Queen's work on ionic liquid chemistry will eventually have a bearing on most of our lives. The liquids dissolve almost everything, from elements such as sulfur and phosphorus (that traditionally require nasty solvents) to polymers, including biomass. They can even remove bacterial biofilms such as MRSA. They are already being used in a process to remove mercury from natural gas by Petronas in Malaysia. Others can be used as heat pumps, compression fluids, or lubricants - the list is limitless."

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said: "I congratulate Queen's University on winning this most prestigious of accolades. It is a great achievement for Professors Ken Sedden and Jim Swindall and the entire team at QUILL and it is a great day for Northern Ireland science. This recognition underlines the strength of research being undertaken by Queen's and the impact this research has on the chemical and environmental industry around the world."

Robin Swann, Chairman of the Northern Ireland Assembly's Committee for Employment and Learning said: "The result of this public vote is terrific news for Northern Ireland as it demonstrates the importance of the research being undertaken at Queen's. The fact that global energy giant Petronas is already using the technology in its plants demonstrates the value and global impact of the research at the University and I congratulate Queen's on this significant achievement."

Provided by Queen's University Belfast

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