Carol Rabke, Ph.D. Dawnbreaker, Inc.

1. Best Practices: One-on-One Meetings with Program Managers and Quad Chart Preparation Carol Rabke, Ph.D. Dawnbreaker, Inc.

2. Unique Opportunity • Guidance provided by a knowledgeable person • Focus your effort on best opportunity • Do your homework (now) • Come prepared

3. Do Your Homework • Before making meeting selections, review SBIR/STTR On-Line Tutorials • Contracts vs. Grants • Finding a Topic • Agency Introductions • Agency Solicitations • Website • https://www.sbir.gov/tutorials

4. SBIR/STTR Tutorials • Designed to provide you with pivotal information quickly • Accommodates different learning styles • Check out the brief videos https://www.sbir.gov/tutorials

5. Agency Introductions • Each agency has a unique culture • Program implementation varies • Understand prerequisites • Which agencies are a good choice for your technology? Your company?

6. Review Agency Opportunities

7. DOE Example https://science.osti.gov/sbir/Funding-Opportunities

8. NSF Example https://seedfund.nsf.gov/apply/ What we look for Here’s what we look for when determining which companies to fund: Game-changing: Your innovation could make a difference to people worldwide or revolutionize an industry. High-risk: Your product is based on unproven technology that needs further testing (and funding for that testing). Market pull: You have evidence that your product or service could meet an important, unmet need for your customers. Scale: If you successfully bring your product or service to market, it could form the foundation for a scalable business and make a large impact in your target market.

9. NSF Example

10. https://www.acq.osd.mil/osbp/sbir/solicitations/index.shtml

11. Now What?? • Register to attend the Albany Road Tour Stop • Sign up for OoO meetings with agencies of interest • Be prepared to answer a few simple questions • Prepare your quad chart (SBIR elevator pitch)

12. Register http://www.sbirroadtour.com/dates.php#

13. Action Items • About 6 weeks out (early August), you’ll get an email asking you to register for OoO meetings • Need to answer a few simple questions • Company demographics • Familiarity with SBIR/STTR • What you want to gain from the meeting • Prepare a quad chart (SBIR elevator pitch)

14. Quad Chart aka SBIR Elevator Pitch

15. Complete a Quad Chart • Quad Chart (SBIR Elevator Pitch) is a one-page document used to quickly brief agency representatives • Fill it in to the best of your ability • 4 quadrants • Technology • Company • Research Need • Opportunity

16. Company: Name: Email: State: Phone: TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT Technology/Research Overview: The team has developed a method to reduce triglycerides; improve glucose tolerance; and reduce weight using an adult stem cell technology platform Intellectual Property Protection: Two issued patents and one patent pending Stage of Development: Basic research Value Proposition: Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease for those that cannot treat this syndrome with exercise. . COMPANY INTRODUCTION Mission: To improve patient outcomes by transforming great science into actionable solutions for the treatment of metabolic diseases. Founded: 2005 Number of Employees: 20 Facility Description: We are currently developing this method in a laboratory located at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Product Sales: None to date RESEARCH NEED Seeking funding to test this platform on diabetes, high blood pressure, and abnormal cholesterol levels. OPPORTUNITY Need/Problem:Metabolic syndrome is becoming increasingly common due to a rise in obesity rates among adults. In the future metabolic syndrome may overtake smoking as the leading risk factor for heart disease. Target Customer: About 32% of people in USA are considered to suffer from metabolic syndrome, with the risk increasing with age (e.g., 40% of people aged between 40 and 60 are considered to suffer from this syndrome). Market Opportunity: Our technology aims to address the rise in obesity rates in order to reduce the risk of a debilitating stroke or myocardial infarction.

17. One-on-One Meeting Specifics

18. One-on-One Meeting • What can you reasonably accomplish in 15 minutes? • Prepare a list of agency questions • Make sure you retrieve and print/screen shot your meeting schedule • Bring business cards and extra handouts • Prepare to spend no more than 5 minutes discussing your quad chart See DHS video for Dos and Don’ts - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaPTmtclFTE

19. What to accomplish in 15 minutes • Introduce yourself, your company and research interests • Demonstrate that you have knowledge of the agency and have reviewed current or most recent solicitations/awards • Learn if a specific topic is potentially a good fit • Ask what next steps they would recommend (LOI, Pitch) • Ask what mistakes most new applicants make

20. Generate Questions

21. Listen • Ask questions • Listen for opportunities and fit • At least half of your meeting should be the Program Manager providing information

22. Was your meeting successful? • Yes… • You gained insight whether a specific topic is a good fit • The questions you prepared in advance were answered • You walked away with lessons learned regarding common mistakes • You know what your next steps are

23. Questions? Carol E. Rabke, Ph.D.NSF, Program ManagerDAWNBREAKER, Inc.585.617.6272 (office)585.576.7981 (mobile)crabke@dawnbreaker.com