ZERO: Invented in Babylon and the most basic building block of the digital age, also a core concept in the world of SBIR/STTR

By Javier.Saade, SBA OfficialPublished: November 24, 2014Note: This blog is Coauthored by Javier Saade, SBA’s Associate Administrator for Investment and Innovation, Nagesh Rao, Senior Advisor for Investment and Innovation, Manny Oliver-DOE SBIR Program, and Chris O’Gwinn-DOE SBIR ProgramWhen people think of the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs, the three phases (Phase I, II, & III) come to mind with associated dollar amounts of grant/contract financing. However, there is a far more critical phase in need of support and assistance, and that would be Phase 0. This is where ideation happens in getting a potential solution to a critical problem from the napkin, to the lab and to the marketplace.  It is also the genesis point for where a good idea could sink or swim depending on the team and infrastructure support required to help get the endeavor off the ground.This is where the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is looking to Read More