The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) announced a funding opportunity on October 27, 2014, for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Topics for this funding opportunity include solid-state lighting. Qualified small businesses with strong research capabilities in science or engineering in any of the research areas sought in the announcement are encouraged to apply. SBIR grant applications must respond to a specific EERE subtopic, which include SSL topics detailed in topics 12a and 14a.

This announcement includes a new type of subtopic—the technology transfer opportunity—which aims to have small businesses commercialize intellectual property from Energy Department-funded labs and universities. Small businesses that are selected for any EERE SBIR/STTR funding keep the rights to new technologies they develop, and are encouraged to transfer these technologies to the marketplace.

Key dates for potential applicants include:

• Energy Department informational webinars on new SBIR topics, including SSL topics 12a and 14a: November 7 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

• Funding opportunity announcement and application period begins: November 24

• Mandatory letter of intent deadline: December 15 before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

• Application deadline: February 3, 2015

More information and application requirements can be found at http://science.energy.gov/sbir/funding-opportunities.