As part of VT EPSCoR’s ongoing effort to build capacity for technology infrastructure, competitiveness and economic development throughout Vermont, travel awards for small businesses were offered for the first time in 2016 and resulted in 5 Vermont attendees at the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) New England Regional Summit in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The summit was held on October 6, 2016, with a pre-conference networking held on October 5, 2016.
The summit was held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The pre-conference event on October 5th focused on networking to increase engagement for female innovators and entrepreneurs. The theme of the full-day conference on October 6th was "Connecting New England Innovation Ecosystem Leaders, Entrepreneurs, Technologists, Investors, and SBIR/STTR Federal Funding Decision Makers."
The five travel awardees included:
| Christian Fayomi of Synapse IC, LLC in Winooski, Vermont, who is currently working to create a low-cost method wearable alcohol biosensors. | |
| Stephen Guerrera, Bill Parker, and Julie Parker of the Creative Microsystems Corporation. The company is focused on fields including augmented reality, advanced vision, situational awareness, and data communications. | |
| Ting Tan is an assistant professor in the University of Vermont’s College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, who is currently involved in NASA's flexible thermal protection systems project and whose long-term research is focused on understanding the creation of novel materials and structures. |
VT EPSCoR also offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to compete for seed funding of up to $15,000 through its SBIR Phase (0) awards intended to help be more competitive for federal SBIR/STTR competitions. More Information.
For more information about the SBIR conference please visit: https://www.sbirroadtour.com/boston/
To learn more about the SBIR program, please visit: https://www.sbir.gov/