USDOT Announces $1.7 Million in Available Funding for Small Business Innovation Research Program

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is now accepting proposals for funding from its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The SBIR Program awards contracts to small businesses across the country to spur research and commercialization of innovative transportation technologies in select research areas. The current SBIR Solicitation provides funding ranging from $150,000 to $200,000 for ten Phase I research topics.

“Small businesses are essential to our economy, and this program plays an important role in advancing America’s economic competitiveness by supporting domestic small businesses while stimulating technological innovation that can improve our transportation systems and lead to further economic growth,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology Dr. Robert C. Hampshire.  

The SBIR program supports investments in transportation that improve the safety, sustainability, and resilience of the Nation’s transportation assets, and provides opportunities for small businesses to explore innovative technologies.

The research topics selected for this year’s SBIR Solicitation address a variety of needs regarding advanced materials and structures; behavioral safety; and the safe transport of materials. Awards will be funded for projects in the following research areas:

Federal Highway Administration

• Addressing Stormwater Runoff with a Self-Contained Portable Treatment System
• Traffic Monitoring and In Situ Information Processing

Federal Railroad Administration

• Concrete Crosstie Inspection Technology
• Novel Design for Passenger Railcar Glazing Securement

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

• Child Presence Detection CO2 Release Test Device
• Immersive Virtual Reality Training on Impaired Driving for Law Enforcement

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

• Bioremediation for Hazardous Material Spills
• Integrated RFID Trackers and Sensors for Hazardous Material Communication in Transportation
• Portable State-of-Charge Sensor for Lithium Batteries
• Wearable PPE-integrated Sensors for First Responders

A full list of past years’ awardees is available here.  A pre-offer webinar for small business concerns (SBCs) interested in applying to the DOT SBIR FY 2023 solicitation will be held on Thursday, February 9, 2023, at 1:00 PM ET. Registration information for the webinar and more program information can be found on the DOT SBIR website.