AeroShield Awarded Competitive Grant from the National Science Foundation
Small Business Innovation Research Program
provides seed funding for R&D
HYDE PARK, MA — AeroShield Materials has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for $256,000 to conduct research and development (R&D) work on Transparent silica aerogels for energy-efficient insulated glass units.
Silica aerogels are some of the most thermally insulating materials ever created. AeroShield’s founder, Dr. Elise Strobach, is one of the inventors of a process to create the world’s most transparent aerogels, making them suitable for energy-efficient windows, freezer doors, and ovens.
“NSF is proud to support the technology of the future by thinking beyond incremental developments and funding the most creative, impactful ideas across all markets and areas of science and engineering,” said Andrea Belz, Division Director of the Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships at NSF. “With the support of our research funds, any deep technology startup or small business can guide basic science into meaningful solutions that address tremendous needs.”
“This funding enables AeroShield to advance our mission of delivering advanced materials that make our lives and homes more sustainable and affordable” said Dr. Strobach, AeroShield CEO. “Funding from the NSF is crucial to advancing the fundamental science required to bring advanced materials like ours to market.”
Once a small business is awarded a Phase I SBIR/STTR grant, it becomes eligible to apply for a Phase II (up to $1,000,000). Small businesses with Phase II funding are eligible to receive up to $500,000 in additional matching funds with qualifying third-party investment or sales.
Startups or entrepreneurs who submit a three-page Project Pitch will know within one month if they meet the program’s objectives to support innovative technologies that show promise of commercial and/or societal impact and involve a level of technical risk. Small businesses with innovative science and technology solutions, and commercial potential are encouraged to apply. All proposals submitted to the NSF SBIR/STTR program, also known as America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF, undergo a rigorous merit-based review process. To learn more about America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF, visit: https://seedfund.nsf.gov/
About the National Science Foundation's Small Business Programs: America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF awards $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology can receive up to $2 million to support research and development (R&D), helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $8.5 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering.
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