Patrick Clemins, PhD, Manager of Cyberinfrastructure and Partnerships with Vermont EPSCoR, was an invited panelist at the State Science & Technology Institute Annual Conference (SSTI) on September 11, 2019. Dr. Clemins was a presenter on the panel session titled "Successful Support for First-Time SBIR Applicants". Dr. Clemins outlined the different funding mechanisms that Vermont EPSCoR offers to small business owners and innovators. The panel was sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Other members of the panel included Brittany Sickler (Senior Innovation Policy Advisor, SBIR/STTR, SBA), Daniel Moses (Director, Oklahoma Catalyst Programs, University of Oklahoma), and Steve Konsek (SBIR/STTR Program Director, NSF). "The SSTI Annual Conference brings together professionals from across the country who are working to improve their region's innovation economy," said Dr. Clemins. "Attending the conference made it clear to me that while each region has its own unique set of challenges in building or expanding their innovation economy including low population density in rural areas, limited access to capital or technical assistance, meager support from local, regional and state governments, and lack of diversity, there is merit in sharing programs and initiatives that successfully address these challenges so they can be modified to address similar challenges that other regions face." For more information on the SSTI Annual Conference, please visit 2019.ssticonference.org.