Proposal review & decision

Once you submit your Phase I proposal, NSF finds at least three external experts (in technology, commercialization, or both) to review it and provide feedback.

All proposals are reviewed against the NSF merit review criteria, which cover the quality of research (intellectual or technical merit), its potential impact on society (broader impacts), and the commercial potential of the project (commercial impact).

After you submit your proposal

What to expect after you’ve submitted your proposal:

1-3 months after the submission deadline
Proposals are reviewed by a panel of at least three technical and commercial experts. The managing Program Director also reads and conducts his/her own review.

3-5 months after the submission deadline
In some cases, a follow-on due diligence process will be conducted, in which the Principal Investigator will be asked by the Program Director to provide additional information or to answer questions.

5-7 months after the submission deadline
We'll notify you whether your proposal is accepted or declined. Official communications about the status of your proposal will be via email to the address listed for the project’s Principal Investigator (PI). If your proposal is awarded, you'll receive funding of up to $305,000. Access to most of the award funds will happen at the time of the award notification.

Proposal documents and status

Review your submission
To review your submitted Phase I proposal, navigate to Research.gov and log in to view the Proposal Status Dashboard page.

Accepted

Congratulations! Visit our and visit our Phase I awardee section to see what you'll need to get started.

If your proposal is declined

We can't fund all of the proposals we receive. Historical Phase I funding rates for NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I proposal have been between 10% and 20%. We recommend reading your proposal's reviews and the panel summary (if applicable). If you'd like to speak to the NSF Program Director for more information, please email them to schedule a debrief call.

About Phase II

If your technology needs more development — and if you’ve made strong progress in Phase I — you can apply for more funding. Phase II awardees receive up to $1,250,000 over two years and become eligible to apply for several supplemental funding opportunities. Learn more about applying for Phase II.