Robert Brooke will provide an overview of the federally funded Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding program. More than $4B is awarded annually to small businesses in the US via "America's Seed Fund", fostering the development of new, innovative technology that has either a strong commercial opportunity and/or government customers. In this brief session, he will discuss the goals of the program, applicant eligibility rules, who the participating agencies are, how they differ, funding amounts, and some basic tips. Attendees will leave with a basic understanding of the program and how to take the next steps to learn more. We will also hear 2 personal success stories from people who have utilized SBIR or STTR grant funding to jump start their projects. We will also hear a personal success story from a VCU faculty member, Jason Reed, who has utilized SBIR or STTR grant funding to jump start his project.