The U.S. National Science Foundation has opened NSF 26-511, Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I, Phase II, Fast-Track Programs: A Pilot Emphasis on Scientific Instrumentation.
The pilot supports U.S. startups and small businesses developing next-generation scientific instruments, novel experimental platforms, and enabling technologies that advance scientific discovery, including instrumentation that can support AI-driven research.
Funding
NSF anticipates up to $40 million in total funding for this pilot emphasis area. Phase I proposals may request up to $305,000 for 6 to 18 months. Phase II proposals may request up to $1.25 million, typically for 24 months. Fast-Track proposals may request up to $1.555 million, consisting of up to $400,000 for Phase I and up to $1.155 million for Phase II. Separately, eligible Phase II awardees may be invited by the cognizant NSF Program Officer to submit Strategic Breakthrough proposals of up to $30 million.
Voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited for the primary SBIR/STTR mechanisms.
Eligibility
Applicants must qualify as U.S. small business concerns under NSF SBIR/STTR rules, including the 500-employee size limit counting affiliates. STTR proposals must include a qualifying research institution partner.
Phase I and Fast-Track applicants must first submit an NSF Project Pitch and receive an official invitation to submit. Phase II is limited to qualifying NSF Phase I SBIR/STTR awardees. The Principal Investigator must have primary employment with the proposing small business at the time of award and throughout the award period, subject to NSF rules.
Deadline and submission
The next full proposal deadline is November 4, 2026 at 5:00 PM in the submitting organization’s local time. Later recurring deadlines include March 4, 2027 and July 7, 2027 under the solicitation schedule.
Full NSF SBIR/STTR proposals under this solicitation must be submitted through Research.gov. NSF states that these proposals will not be accepted through Grants.gov.
Program fit
Competitive projects must center on genuine technical research and development of next-generation scientific instrumentation or experimental platforms, with strong intellectual merit, broader impacts, and commercial impact. Routine product sales, ordinary deployment, or customer acquisition without a substantive technical R&D risk are not responsive.
A direct Dr. Miltie or QC Healthcare path is potentially available only if the proposing entity independently satisfies NSF small-business eligibility, PI employment and work-authorization rules, Project Pitch requirements, and the proposed work is a true scientific-instrumentation R&D project rather than ordinary healthcare product commercialization.