Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program is a federally legislated program that requires federal agencies expending over $100 M annually in extramural research and development (R&D) to reserve 2.5% of that budget for awards to for-profit, small businesses to increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from federal R&D and to stimulate small business innovation in technology.

SBIR in Support of Technology Transfer

The SBIR in support of Technology Transfer (SBIR-TT) model is focused on providing SBIR funds to advance federal laboratory technologies toward commercial application. Along with SBIR funds, intangible resources such as expert know-how and protected intellectual property are provided to support SBIR Awardees in their commercialization effort.

Current Brookhaven SBIR-TT Offerings

Compact, High-Resolution, Multi-Layer Semiconductor PET Detector Module

Multi-layer semiconductor detectors can enhance image resolution, contrast, and position sensitivity in positron emission tomography (PET) systems, but the conventional electrodes used require a prohibitive number of readout channels. Now, a breakthrough compact PET detector offers a specialized configuration of cross strip electrodes in its detector stack to reduce readout channels by half and efficiently generate ultra-high resolution images in PET scan and other gamma radiation detection systems.

The primary intended use of the Reduced Readout Channel Semiconductor Detector Module is in PET systems and medical imaging. However, semiconductor radiation detectors are now used in a large variety of fields, including homeland security, nuclear nonproliferation, non-destructive detection, radiation imaging, nuclear physics, X-ray and gamma ray astronomy, and nuclear medicine.

Fact Sheet (PDF)  Slide Deck (PDF)

Palladium-Cobalt Nanoparticles for Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysis

Platinum is the most efficient electrocatalyst for accelerating the oxygen reduction reaction in fuel cells, but it is both rare and expensive. These breakthrough palladium-cobalt nanoparticles successfully replace platinum in this crucial reaction, resulting in a highly effective, low-cost electrocatalyst.

The nanoparticle electrocatalyst has been successfully tested for fuel cells, but in principle could be used to reduce oxygen in any context.

• The TRL of the technology is approximately 3.
• The technology has been tested in rotating disk electrode tests.
• Catalyst samples are available under this TTO for testing purposes. One gram of the catalyst can be provided.
• There are two separate opportunities: the electrocatalyst application and the heterogeneous catalysis application.
• We have entered a “quiet period” since the solicitation was published, so no contact with the investigators is permitted. However, you can ask send us the written questions. The answers and the questions will be posted on this website.
• We have no set expectations for transition. The opportunity refers to demonstrating the catalytic activity of the PdCo particles in a fuel cell or as a heterogeneous catalyst.

Fact Sheet (PDF)  Slide Deck (PDF)