OUSD (R&E) CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Trusted AI and Autonomy OBJECTIVE : Design, develop, and implement an innovative, centralized, user-friendly, AI-powered platform intended to streamline and enhance every stage of the program lifecycle. The SBIR/STTR Command Center will address the following key objectives: 1. Streamline the application and review process: Simplify application materials, establish a centralized online portal, and significantly reduce review turnaround times. 2. Enhance transparency and consistency: Develop standardized review criteria, ensure technical expertise within review panels, and provide real-time visibility into the process for all stakeholders. 3. Improve post-award management: Streamline reporting requirements, promote flexibility in funding use, and facilitate valuable connections between awardees and potential partners. 4. Leverage technology: Harness the power of AI, data analytics, and intelligent automation to improve program efficiency, effectiveness, and data-driven decision-making. This may include exploring the integration of Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) technology to further enhance the platform's capabilities. DESCRIPTION: The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are critical drivers of technological innovation and economic growth, empowering U.S. small businesses to develop groundbreaking technologies. The SBIR/STTR process plays a vital role in supporting innovation, and there are opportunities to enhance its efficiency to better align with the rapid evolution of technology. Improving review times, simplifying application procedures, and increasing standardization could further strengthen the programs' impact on economic growth and national competitiveness. The SBIR/STTR Command Center will empower all program stakeholders agencies, small businesses, and reviewers with a unified platform that fosters a more efficient, transparent, and impactful innovation ecosystem. This centralized approach will: 1. Reduce administrative burden and accelerate funding timelines, allowing small businesses to focus on research and development. 2. Improve the quality and consistency of proposal evaluations, leading to more informed funding decisions. 3. Enhance communication and collaboration among agencies, reviewers, and awardees. 4. Provide valuable data and insights to inform program improvement and strategic decision-making. Proposals must demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of and commitment to addressing the following legal and ethical considerations: 1. Data Security and Privacy: Compliance with all relevant federal and state laws and specific regulations governing SBIR/STTR data. 2. Intellectual Property Rights: Clear definition and protection of intellectual property rights for both applicants and the government. 3. Accessibility and Non-Discrimination: Compliance with accessibility standards and adherence to non-discrimination principles. 4. Algorithmic Transparency and Fairness: Mitigation of potential bias in AI/ML algorithms and promotion of transparency in automated decision-making. Summarizing, the successful proposal will address the following technical challenges (but not limited to): 1. Conducting a comprehensive needs assessment: Analyze current SBIR/STTR processes to identify areas for improvement and gather feedback from stakeholders (agencies, small businesses, reviewers). 2. Developing a strategic plan: Outline specific recommendations, a detailed implementation roadmap, and necessary steps to integrate efficiencies into the SBIR/STTR process, addressing the objectives outlined above. 3. Designing and developing the platform: Create a secure, scalable, and user-friendly platform that incorporates the key features and modules outlined in the proposal requirements, including the potential integration of RAG. 4. Implementing pilot programs: Conduct thorough testing and evaluation of the platform in a controlled environment, incorporating feedback from stakeholders, before wider deployment. 5. Providing ongoing support and evaluation: Monitor the impact of implemented changes, provide ongoing support to stakeholders, and recommend adjustments to optimize functionality and impact, as well as ensuring continuous compliance with legal and ethical standards. PHASE I: This topic is accepting Direct to Phase II proposals ONLY. Phase I-like proposals will not be evaluated and will be rejected as nonresponsive. For this topic, the Government expects the small business would have accomplished the following in a Phase I-like effort via some other means, e.g., independent research and development (IRAD) or other source, a concept for a workable prototype or design to address, at a minimum, the basic capabilities of the stated objective above. Proposal must show, as appropriate, a demonstrated technical feasibility or nascent capability. The documentation provided must substantiate the proposer's development of a preliminary understanding of the technology to be applied in their Phase II proposal in meeting topic objectives. Documentation should comprise all relevant information including, but not limited to, technical reports, test data, prototype designs/models, and performance goals/results. Feasibility = maturity and what have you already done/validated. Proposers interested in participating in Direct to Phase II must include in their responses to this topic Phase I feasibility documentation that substantiates the scientific and technical merit and Phase I feasibility described in Phase I above has been met. (i.e., the small business must have performed a proof of concept like Phase I component and/or other validation in a relevant environment, and/or at a much higher TRL level (5 or higher) and describe the potential commercialization applications. The documentation provided must validate that the proposer has completed development of technology in previous work or research completed.) IRAD work: Documentation should include the most relevant information including, but not limited to: technical reports, test data, prototype designs/models, and/or performance goals/results. Work submitted within the feasibility documentation must have been substantially performed by the proposer and/or the principal investigator (PI). PHASE II: Proposals will be evaluated to the degree that they deliver an integrated solution that demonstrates performance, efficiency, and functionality in support of the SBIR/STTR lifecycle management process from topic development to award. Metrics for success are: delivery of an advanced, user-centric SBIR/STTR evaluation portal with a suite of reporting capabilities to effectively manage the SBIR/STTR programs and report progress, ability to create specific and open topic evaluation workflows that can adhere to solicitation requirements managed by the SBIR/STTR Program Office, operational automation to integrate with the Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP), system ability to provide ad hoc and enhanced reporting using historical data to generate reports and trend analysis, dashboard generation that provides status of multiple overlapping solicitations in varying steps of the program, and provide 24x 7 support. The technology solution should be designed with the flexibility to accommodate program-specific modifications as needed by the SBIR/STTR Program Office. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Scale up the capability into a mature, full-scale, stand-alone capability and integrate across the government workforce. The solution will provide completed modifications to meet specific program goals as determined during the initial development. REFERENCES: 1. https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-14-748t 2. https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-104677 3. https://www.turbosbir.com/education/blog/inside-the-mind-of-an-sbir-sttr-reviewer-what-to-expect-during-the-review-process/ 4. https://legacy.www.sbir.gov/tutorials/preparing-proposal/tutorial-1 KEYWORDS: Workflow; Autonomy; Scalable; Integration; AI/ML
