The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) team received their 2016 Department of Defense (DoD) Vanguard Awards SBIR Award in a presentation at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) July 25. Team members include NAVAIR SBIR Program Manager Donna Attick; NAVAIR SBIR Deputy Program Manager Paul Dolinar; NAVAIR SBIR Phase II.5 & III Lead Matthew Williams; NAWCAD Chief of Contracting Officer Tom Hill; NAWCAD SBIR Procurement Contracting Officer Dina Marinelli; NAWCAD Contracting Officer Supervisor Jennifer Vaccaro; NAVAIR SBIR Program Analyst Dusty Lang; NAVAIR SBIR Phase I and II team Becky Clements; NAVAIR SBIR Business Financial Manager Laura Boothe; NAVAIR STTR Lead Monica Clements; NAVAIR SBIR Topic Generation Lead Petra Branthoover; NAVAIR SBIR Phase I and II team Katie Ricker; NAWCAD Contracting Officer Judith Dastis; Avionics Department SBIR Coordinator Kamala Massary; Air Vehicle Department SBIR Coordinator Gail Miller; Training Systems SBIR Coordinator John Hodak; Weapons Systems SBIR Coordinators Maryanne Millis and DeAnne Bell; NAVAIR Fleet Readiness Center (FRC) Southwest; Advanced Technology and Innovation Integrated Product Team Lead Chris Root; NAVAIR FRC East Science and Technology Lead Robert Kestler; and NAVAIR Non-Destructive Inspection Materials Engineer Clint Salter. (U.S. Navy photo)
Huge work benefits small businesses, earns program team Department of Defense innovation award
NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER AIRCRAFT DIVISION, PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland — For finding ways to increase the number of first time awardees, decrease contract time of award, and expand technology sustainment initiatives, the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) team earned the 2016 Department of Defense (DoD) Vanguard Award for Small Business Innovation Research. The award recognizes innovative approaches, outstanding support, and implemented processes that significantly advance the SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.
Transitioning small business technologies to full military use is the goal of the SBIR and STTR programs. Through a three-phase system, the programs are the primary vehicle for NAVAIR to fund small companies to perform innovative research, and research and development projects. Phase I is typically a feasibility study phase to evaluate the scientific merit of the idea and/or perform small scale testing. Phase II is a demonstration phase in which prototypes are built and tested. Phase III is where non-SBIR (government or non-government) capital is used to pursue federal transition and commercial applications for SBIR projects.
“Great people and great work,” said Rear Adm. Shane Gahagan, Commander, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), and assistant commander for research and engineering, NAVAIR, in the award presentation here July 25. “Because of your work, we have more money being awarded in Phase I which means more small companies, who often don’t have huge cash reserves, can participate, which really means more research and more technology to solve fleet problems. The impact of your work will be felt in the years to come as technologies to help our warfighters make their way into the fleet faster.”
In collaboration with the contracting team at NAWCAD Lakehurst, New Jersey, the SBIR team in one year reduced the time in Navy Phase II contracts awarded to an average of seven months, down from 15 months -- a 53% improvement in award time, according to Donna Attick, SBIR program manager. She also noted that the work of the SBIR team reduced the "time without funding" between Phase I and II contracts.
The team also worked to get more small businesses interested in applying for SBIR funding and to increase first-time awardee success by initiating an outreach effort and visiting small businesses that are new to the SBIR process.
“During this initiative, our technical points of contact visited 40% of new firms, and 28.5% of new firms were selected for Phase II awards,” Attick said. “In post-visit surveys, firms noted that the outreach helped them to better understand the process and what products were needed, and gave them direction on producing a better product for the Navy.”
For more information about SBIR and how to apply, visit http://www.navysbir.com/.
Rear Adm. Shane Gahagan (left), Commander, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) and assistant commander for research and engineering Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), presents the 2016 Department of Defense (DoD) Vanguard Award for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) to NAVAIR SBIR Program Manager Donna Attick (right). The NAVAIR SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs team earned the honor for finding ways to increase the number of first time awardees, decrease contract time of award, and expand technology sustainment initiatives to small businesses seeking NAVAIR funding for innovative research, and research and development projects. (U.S. Navy photo)
Rear Adm. Shane Gahagan (left), Commander, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) and assistant commander for research and engineering Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), presents a Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award to Monica Clements (right), former lead for the NAVAIR Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. 
 Clements, who recently retired after 37 years of government service, was praised for her efforts which led to the competitive award of 1,335 research and development SBIR/STTR contract awards. During her four-year STTR tenure, STTR phase I contract award times were reduced by 40 percent -- the best in the Navy -- and she reduced the “time without funding between Phase I and II contracts” by 55 percent. Phase I is typically a study phase to evaluate the scientific merit of the idea and/or perform small scale testing. Phase II is a demonstration phase in which prototypes are built and tested. (U.S. Navy photo)