TPO Newsroom
NOAA issues FY24 call for SBIR Phase I proposals
On September 28, 2023, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued its Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Phase I Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. NOAA Phase I SBIR awards provide up to $175,000 to fund a six month period of performance for conducting feasibility and proof of concept research. The tentative award start date for the FY24 competition is June 1, 2024.
Genevieve Lind, PhD, featured in FedTech Innovator podcast
In this episode of the “FedTech Innovator” podcast, host Ben Solomon sits down with Genevieve Lind, PhD, from the NOAA’s Small Business Innovation Research Program to discuss NOAA’s approach to the SBIR proposal, the administration’s vast mission space, and her path from neuroscience to leading NOAA SBIR.
Guinness World Records: two great accomplishments by NOAA and partners that made the book
The 2024 edition recognizes NOAA and industry partners for the highest wind speed recorded by an uncrewed surface vehicle and for endurance inside a tropical storm.
NOAA and Community Offshore Wind to partner on environmental monitoring program
The agreement focuses on informing development of an environmental monitoring program for the offshore wind project off the shores of New York and New Jersey.
NDBC and Sofar agree to three year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement
The National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) and Sofar Ocean have signed an agreement to explore potential benefits of co-use of technologies and methodologies by exchanging technical knowledge.
Jennifer Stewart joins NOAA TPO as Technology Transfer Specialist
Jennifer Stewart has joined the NOAA Technology Partnerships Office as the new Technology Transfer Specialist, and is stationed at the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, CA. Jennifer has spent the last 12 years as a civil servant within the field of technology transfer, brokering connections between technologies, inventors, academic and industry partners, and state, local, and federal government partners. In her role at TPO, Jennifer will work to maximize the impact of taxpayer investments in NOAA’s R&D, drawing from expertise in areas including innovation discovery, technology road mapping, intellectual property management, patent licensing, and cooperative research and…
NOAA invests $16M in small business innovation
The NOAA Small Business Innovation Research Program has awarded approximately $16 million in grants to 47 U.S. small businesses. This seed funding will support research and development of innovative technologies across NOAA’s mission. The winning proposals span multiple research topic areas, including climate change adaptation and mitigation, coastal resilience, and extreme weather events, among others. This year, 30 companies were each awarded up to $175,000 in Phase I startup capital to test the feasibility of their proposed technologies over the next 6 months. Small businesses were selected to receive funding based on the scientific and technical merit, level of innovation,…
NOAA seed funding gives small startup a boost
See our latest NOAA SBIR Program success story on small business NEOEx Systems. They have developed a liquid-hydrogen fuel technology to replace traditional fuel and electric power supplies on aerial drones, potentially extending mission duration by up to 20 times.
NOAA TPO Deputy Director featured in Federal News Network podcast
On August 4, TPO Deputy Director Derek Parks was featured in the Federal News Network podcast, “Federal Drive”, hosted by Tom Temin. They discuss the Federal Laboratory Consortium’s “LabTech In Your Life” program, an interactive website that illustrates the impact of federally-funded technology in everyday life.
Ripple effect: A public-private partnership advances ocean science
A successful partnership between NOAA and Saildrone, Inc. has expanded to support research missions across agency led to business growth and technological innovation, and contributed to the broader New Blue Economy.
NOAA deploys drones in the ocean and atmosphere to advance hurricane forecasting
NOAA and partners are improving hurricane forecasting by harnessing the power of new technologies and working to coordinate these technologies to predict hurricane track, intensity, and rapid intensification.
Patenting innovation in climate science
Parikha Mehta has spent the last four months focused on the intersection of intellectual property and climate and environmental technologies while on an employee exchange (known as a detail) at NOAA from the U.S Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Her goal: Help researchers understand the importance of protecting their inventions so that NOAA’s research and technology can better serve the public and inspire future innovation.
NOAA and the University of Rhode Island Sign Agreement to Explore Effects of Offshore Wind Energy Development
NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center and the University of Rhode Island have signed a 5-year formal partnership agreement to research how offshore wind energy development will affect marine ecosystems and the people who live near, or work on, the ocean. Read the full announcement. A small fishing vessel near wind turbines. Credit: Bob Brewer on Unsplash
Revolutionary NOAA High-Altitude Research Tool Passes Key Milestone
The quest by Global Monitoring Laboratory scientists to develop a reliable, cost-effective way to study Earth’s stratosphere passed a significant milestone on May 17 when a remotely controlled glider, carried to an elevation of 90,000 feet by a weather balloon, returned to its launch location on Colorado’s Pawnee National Grasslands with its scientific payload intact.
NOAA – Microsoft CRADA partnership
NOAA and Microsoft have forged a formal agreement to harness Microsoft’s cloud computing tools and help advance NOAA’s mission to create a Climate-Ready Nation. As scientific research is called upon to inform solutions for some of society’s most pressing challenges, public-private partnerships unlock enormous potential for collaborative problem-solving and innovation.
NOAA SBIR will host Technology Showcase on May 31 – June 1
The NOAA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program hosted a NOAA SBIR Demo Day on May 31 – June 1, 2023, in Washington D.C. Attendees learned about the technologies that NOAA-funded companies are currently developing to solve problems related to changing climate, weather, ocean health, and coastal resilience.
NCEI and WHOI Begin Research Collaboration
NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have established a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to share high-quality oceanic data collected from the National Science Foundation-funded Ocean Observatories Initiative’s instrument arrays. The goal of the partnership is to archive and deliver the initiative’s data for continued research on ocean processes.
NOAA, Proteus Ocean Group partner to explore use of underwater research station to increase ocean understanding
NOAA and the Proteus Ocean Group have signed a formal agreement to use the “underwater space station of the ocean” PROTEUS™ to advance marine science, research, and education, furthering our understanding of the ocean environment and revealing solutions to some of our planet’s most-pressing concerns, including those related to climate change.
NOAA scientists are working to decode Earth’s atmosphere
Using a converted Cold War-era bomber, NOAA's chemical sciences laboratory is working to decode the makeup of our stratosphere.
NOAA scientist’s patented design expands the limits of atmospheric research
The new instrument is smaller, lighter and much more sensitive to low concentrations of nitrogen oxides. NOAA scientist Andrew Rollins was awarded a U.S. Patent for his innovative design in August 2022.
NOAA and L3Harris partner for better, faster satellite data
NOAA and L3Harris have entered a formal agreement with the goal of improving technology that will enable NOAA to handle an increase of satellite data expected during the next decade.
NOAA, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office create work-sharing program to advance green technology
The Department of Commerce’s U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and NOAA today announced a collaboration to promote and advance further innovation in the climate and “green” technology areas.
How a NOAA partnership helped create a seaweed dream team
A NOAA partnership has helped land-based macroalgae farm SOLSEA achieve profitable seaweed production while contributing to innovative research Story originally published by The Fish Site The power of partnership When Diane Boratyn first decided to grow macroalgae – more commonly known as seaweed – on land to support her plant-based skincare company, she knew about the health benefits of seaweed but lacked the know-how to cultivate it consistently on a commercial scale. She quickly learned that it would take large-scale production of seaweed in order to be competitive in expanded markets. Boratyn has a mind for business innovation and was fully…
Applications open for NOAA Applied Technology Program Specialist
The NOAA Technology Partnerships Office seeks to hire an Applied Technology Program Specialist, The Specialist will encourage the timely disclosure of innovative technologies by NOAA labs; oversee intellectual property protections and technology transfer; develop strategic partnerships between NOAA and industry, academia, other government agencies, and the general public; manage licensing agreements; and perform statistical analysis of technology transfer and cooperative research and development activity. Applications will be accepted through February 13. For Federal applicants, see this USAJOBS posting for full job description and application instructions:https://www.usajobs.gov/job/702801100#summary For non-Federal applicants, see this USAJOBS posting for full job description and application instructions:https://www.usajobs.gov/job/702801400#hiring-paths Note:…
Missions accomplished: research partnerships advance NOAA innovation
Public-private collaborations drive NOAA successes in 2022 Public-private partnerships are vital for bringing private sector innovation and agility to NOAA’s research and development efforts. One of the key tools in NOAA’s partnership toolkit is the CRADA, or Cooperative Research and Development Agreement. “A CRADA is a flexible tool that helps NOAA work quickly and easily with the private sector. CRADAs help facilitate a collaborative, two-way exchange of information, technologies, and ideas,” says NOAA Technology Transfer Program Manager, Wayne Mackenzie. A CRADA is a formal agreement that allows federal and non-federal partners to do collaborative research and develop new science into…
NOAA scientists receive Technology Transfer award
A NOAA-led team of scientists will be recognized at this year’s 2022 Governor’s Awards for High Impact Research event on December 14 in Denver, Colorado. The event is sponsored by CO-LABS and will honor NOAA and CIRES award recipients for both the Pathfinder Partnership and Technology Transfer award categories. The Technology Transfer Award recognizes research that resulted in a technological solution with widespread and measurable societal use, with related impact on a global challenge or issue. This year’s recipients developed a first-of-a-kind Whole Atmosphere Model and Ionosphere Plasmasphere Electrodynamics Model (WAM-IPE), which allows forecasters to provide better information to the public about…
NOAA issues FY23 call for Phase I SBIR proposals
Small businesses must submit a Letter of Intent by January 13, 2023 On December 2, 2022 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued its Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Phase I Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. NOAA Phase I SBIR awards provide up to $175,000, which funds a six month period of performance for conducting feasibility and proof of concept research. The tentative award start date for the FY23 competition is August 1, 2023. NOAA encourages proposals from qualified small businesses for highly innovative technologies with strong commercial potential that fit within NOAA’s…
NOAA connects with entrepreneurs and innovators at BlueTech Week
The NOAA Technology Partnerships Office recently participated in BlueTech Week in San Diego, CA, an annual conference where global participants collaborate and innovate on water and ocean challenges.
NOAA, Microsoft team up to advance Climate-Ready Nation
NOAA and Microsoft have forged a formal agreement to harness Microsoft’s cloud computing tools and help advance NOAA’s mission to create a Climate-Ready Nation.
NOAA SBIR companies pitch their technologies to industry experts
The NOAA SBIR Program recently hosted the NOAA SBIR Commercialization Assistance Workshop in Washington, D.C. Throughout the two-day event, SBIR grant recipients showcased technologies that they developed with seed funding support from NOAA.
NOAA SBIR-funded company joins partnership to protect marine mammals
Vineyard Wind announced a new partnership with Charles River Analytics aimed at protecting marine mammals during the construction of the Vineyard Wind 1 project, the first commercial-scale offshore wind project in the U.S.
NOAA SBIR-funded company develops satellite wildfire detection
With NOAA funding, MyRadar is training artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms with data from the urban-wildland interface, where buildings are adjacent to wilderness areas.
A NOAA-funded startup innovates for social good
A small company with big ideas delivers solutions to non-technical and tech-savvy users As the catastrophic Colorado wildfires of late 2020 burned out of control, a small company based in Fort Collins, Colorado, decided to use the event as a rare opportunity to test a brand-new technology. At the time, Access Sensor Technologies was developing a modernized air quality monitoring station, using early-stage funding they received from the NOAA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. Historically, air sampling has relied on a small number of permanent sampling units. This is because each unit is expensive to build, requires significant time…
NOAA SBIR helps small business find traction and long-term success
Crucial federal support provides catalyst for small business growth Early support can have a lasting impact Sometimes success comes with time and perseverance, but an early boost can make all the difference – especially when it comes to a small company’s chances of getting off the ground. When small business owner Vincent Kelly, founder and director of Green Eyes, LLC, was asked what his company gained from its participation in the NOAA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, his response hit a key note. “Here I am, some fifteen years later, and the business is standing on its own and…
SBIR-funded wildlife camera aim to bridge science, education, and technology
Field Data Technologies of Essex, Montana is helping to bridge science, education, and technology by developing new trail camera technology that allows the detection of wildlife which is too small to trigger commercially available cameras.
NOAA SBIR Technology Showcase will be held in October
NOAA Small Business Innovation Research awardees will present their innovative research & development projects The NOAA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program will host the NOAA SBIR Commercialization Assistance Workshop on October 26-27, 2022. This year’s event offers both in-person (Washington, DC) and virtual options for participation. Each year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awards approximately $10M to U.S. small businesses to develop innovative new technologies through the SBIR Program. The primary goal of the NOAA SBIR Program is to empower small businesses to develop and commercialize technologies that are related to NOAA’s mission. As part of the program, small…
NOAA supports small businesses to fuel technology innovation
NOAA has invested in 23 small businesses developing innovative technologies in technical areas including climate adaptation and mitigation, weather-ready nation, healthy oceans, and resilient coastal communities and economies. These grants were awarded under the agency’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, and total over nearly $3.4 million.
NOAA technology used to research deep-sea volcanic and hydrothermal activity
As part of the ongoing Tonga Eruption Seabed Mapping Project a team of scientists conducted a deep-water survey to better understand impacts of the January 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption on the ocean environment.
An Irish Oyster Farmer and a CEO of an Aquaculture Research Company Discuss the Future of Probiotics
Industry stakeholders offer unique perspectives on the benefits of a NOAA developed oyster probiotic OY15 and the impact it could have on oyster hatcheries worldwide.
NOAA invests $5.9M in small businesses to advance innovative technologies
The NOAA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program awarded approximately $5.9 million in Phase II SBIR grants to 12 small businesses. This seed funding will support research and development of innovative technologies in the NOAA mission space. The winning proposals represent projects across multiple research topic areas.
NOAA uses array of marine and air uncrewed tools to improve hurricane forecast models
In partnership with NOAA, Saildrone Inc. is deploying seven ocean drones to collect data from hurricanes during the 2022 hurricane season with the goal of improving hurricane forecasting. For the first year, two saildrones will track hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico.
SBIR-funded deep-sea methane spectrometer successfully undergoes field testing
NOAA PMEL, University of Washington, and OptoKnowledge Systems, Inc. successfully conducted the first deep water test of a new methane analyzer to measure the concentration and carbon isotope ratio of methane near the Axial Seamount.
Eruption highlights how NOAA technological innovation powers public safety, economic development, and scientific discovery
When a volcano in the South Pacific Ocean erupted in January 2022, NOAA researchers were well-equipped to study the multi-hazard event by sky and by sea. Key technologies and strategic partnerships made it possible for NOAA to issue warnings that saved lives around the world, while also collecting scientific data that will improve forecasting models and disaster response for future events.
Partnership to advance ecosystem models, water level predictions
Collaboration designed to improve response to coastal climate risks. NOAA and climate analytics company, Jupiter Intelligence, signed a formal agreement to advance understanding of coastal ecosystems, precipitation and water level predictions. The goal of the partnership is to support community response to coastal risks to mitigate effects of climate change...
NOAA’s Cooperative R&D Agreements – Supporting Partnerships with the U.S. Private Weather Industry
NOAA laboratories regularly partner with private sector companies to conduct work that is mutually beneficial and helps to accomplish the NOAA mission.
Upcoming America’s Seed Fund Startup Expo to feature three NOAA SBIR award winners
Three small businesses funded by the NOAA Small Business Innovation Research Program were selected to showcase their innovative technologies at the inaugural America’s Seed Fund Startup Expo on May 25, 2022.
NOAA teams up with Viking to conduct and share science aboard new Great Lakes expedition voyages
NOAA plans to expand its research in the Great Lakes region as the agency teams up with the travel company Viking to carry scientists aboard new expedition voyages planned to begin in 2022.
Public-private research partnerships are fueling NOAA innovation
A record number of NOAA Cooperative Research and Development Agreements in 2021 has generated scientific and economic benefits Research partnerships are increasingly important as scientists work to address complex global problems like coastal resilience, food security, and climate change. Public-private partnerships, in particular, are vital for bringing private sector innovation and agility into NOAA’s research and development efforts. One of the key tools in NOAA’s partnership toolkit is the CRADA, or Cooperative Research and Development Agreement. A CRADA is a formal agreement that allows federal and non-federal partners to do collaborative research and further develop new science into commercially-available products. CRADAs connect NOAA…
Exploring the Pacific Arctic Seasonal Ice Zone With Saildrone USVs
NOAA PMEL researchers sent ocean drones to the U.S. Arctic to test their remote navigation capabilities close to ice and to collect data on Arctic weather, climate, and ecosystems. The saildrones were equipped to observe oceanic and atmospheric variables that are needed to estimate air-sea fluxes of heat, momentum, and carbon dioxide. Comparing Saildrone data to data obtained through existing collection methods allowed researchers to identify ways to improve ice navigation in the future.
NOAA issues FY22 call for Phase I SBIR proposals
On November 16, 2021 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued its Fiscal Year (FY) 22 Phase I Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. NOAA Phase I SBIR awards provide up to $150,000 with up to a six (6) month period of performance for conducting feasibility and proof of concept research with a tentative award start date of August 1, 2022. NOAA encourages proposals from qualified small businesses for highly innovative technologies with strong commercial potential that fit within the NOAA mission areas. To be eligible to submit a Phase I application, small businesses must…
NOAA awards $10.7 million to support Small Business Innovation Research
NOAA’s SBIR Program Benefits 35 U.S. Small Businesses NOAA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program recently awarded approximately $10.7 million in grants to 35 small businesses. These awards fund the development of innovative technologies that support NOAA’s mission and the U.S. economy. This year, NOAA granted 19 Phase I and 16 Phase II SBIR awards. The goals of the SBIR program are to stimulate technological innovation, strengthen the role of small businesses in meeting federal research and development needs, encourage participation by socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses, and increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from federal research and development funding.…
Small Company Thrives on Commercialization of NOAA’s Miniaturized Particle Spectrometer
POPS is a low-cost, high-sensitivity alternative to traditional aerosol measurement technologies. For many people, hiking is a peaceful escape from everyday stressors. For Dr. Ping Chen, CEO of Handix Scientific Inc., hiking was a starting point of his success. In 2015, he met NOAA inventor and research physicist, Dr. Ru-Shan Gao, on a trail in Boulder, Colorado. As they walked, Gao proudly spoke about NOAA’s recently-developed Portable Optical Particle Spectrometer (POPS) for aerosol measurement. Chen immediately realized the technology’s tremendous potential and expressed interest in licensing and commercializing the technology with a firm belief that POPS was going to be a…
These 5 technologies are helping save our ocean
Protecting and exploring our global ocean is a huge job: It covers more than 70 percent of Earth’s surface. Cutting-edge technologies help us dive deeper, gather more ocean data and solve some of its biggest challenges. Here are 5 innovative high-tech tools borne from NOAA’s partnerships with the fishing industry and technology companies large and small.
NOAA Awarded U.S. Patent for Innovative Lionfish Trap
Device could help protect threatened ecosystems and aid fishing communities The Challenge Over the last 20 years, invasive lionfish populations have dramatically increased throughout the western Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea. Lionfish have already caused a decline in native species that have significant ecological, cultural, and commercial value. Further impacts on coral reefs and other important ecosystems are anticipated, but not yet fully understood. Fortunately, as the threat of lionfish has intensified, so too have the levels of awareness and concern among not just scientists and fishers, but among members of the public. In recent years, state-sponsored…
Small business partnership leads to big advances in water quality monitoring
Sea Grant is partnering with Swift Engineering on the development of a buoy like none before. Meet Kelp – a remote, self-powered buoy for water quality monitoring.
New technology uses NOAA data to provide faster disaster warnings
Mayday.ai applies artificial intelligence to NOAA satellite imagery to detect natural disasters, starting with wildfires Story originally published on Environmental News Network In 2017, as Kian Mirshahi watched wildfires rage across his home state of California, he wondered if there might be a way to get real-time information to first responders and citizens to help coordinate actions on the ground. More specifically, he wondered if Artificial Intelligence, or AI, might provide a key to faster decision-making. Fortunately, NOAA had recently rolled out two major developments, which provided the fuel for Mirshahi’s innovative drive. In 2016 and 2018, NOAA launched two…