Developing Competitive SBIR/STTR Applications – Biographical Sketch Template
This SBIR/STTR series consists of five tools: Part 1; Get Prepared; Part 2 Prepare and Submit Your Proposal; Registration Tool; Budget Tool, and Biosketch Tool.
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer—(STTR) funding is the primary source of publicly funded research and development (R&D) and commercialization available to U.S. startups.
The single most important step in building a proposal is to explicitly follow an agency’s guidelines and timeline. There is no flexibility. Applications for all agencies* require biographical sketches for the senior/key personnel and other significant contributors in an approved template. The current approved template is (OMB No. 0925-0001 and 0925-0002 – Rev. 03/2020).
Each agency* has specific instructions on biographical sketch information. See this FAQ list from the National Institute of Health as an example. Please verify template and specific requirements.
Resources
*Links to SBIR information for Department of Commerce (DOC), Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Transportation (DOT), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Science Foundation (NSF), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (DOA).
NIH FAQ on Biographical Sketch
Online Tutorials – An excellent resource by topic. Easy to follow and absorb.
SAM – Registering new entities. This video is a must-see for any company contemplating the registration process.
NIAID Sample SBIR/STTR Applications – Collection of winning applications and summary statements.
Grant Agencies and Contracting Agencies – Search agency solicitations
