Kentucky to host 2012 NIH SBIR/STTR Conference

LEXINGTON, KY (Dec. 7, 2011) — The Kentucky Science & Technology Corporation (KSTC) announced today that the Commonwealth of Kentucky will host the 2012 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Conference.  This is the first time Kentucky has hosted the NIH SBIR/STTR Conference. 

The conference May 30-June 1, 2012 in Louisville will attract about 600 small businesses and entrepreneurs.  A majority of the NIH institutes and Food and Drug Administration officials will participate. This will be a unique opportunity to meet one-on-one with NIH institute representatives to ask questions, get clarifications and receive the latest information on the NIH SBIR and STTR programs that fund new and existing growth-driven technology companies. Approximately $2.5 billion are available for this fiscal year for the SBIR and STTR programs. Nearly $700 million of this total is available from NIH. 

The Kentucky conference will help set the stage for new collaboration on innovative ideas across state boundaries, which will have regional, national and global impact upon commercialization. The NIH conference will bring together small businesses, entrepreneurs and economic development organizations along with major universities and industries to prepare for challenges in developing tech-based companies and economies. The SBIR and STTR grants are critical for high tech businesses to develop innovative and high risk ideas, specifically in their startup and technology development stages.

KSTC will partner with co-sponsors including the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development Office of Commercialization & Innovation, the University of Louisville, the University of Kentucky, and other private and public organizations to showcase Kentucky as a great place to grow ideas and businesses. 

For additional information contact Mahendra Jain, executive director, Kentucky Science & Engineering Foundation at KSTC, 859.246.3230, mjain@kstc.com.