December 12, 2001
[LSU
NEWS]
The U.S. Small Business Administration recently announced the names
of the 68 firms, organizations and individuals
that have been selected to receive the annual
Tibbetts Award, the agency's highest national
recognition for innovative technology.
The Louisiana Business & Technology Center,
a division of the E. J. Ourso College of Business
Administration at LSU, was among the recipients
and was the only representative from Louisiana.
"The Tibbetts Award is given to the most
innovative American small businesses. I congratulate
the winners and encourage them to use their creative
energy to keep the American economy the greatest
in the world," said Hector Barreto, SBA administrator.
Named for Roland Tibbetts, who led the federal
effort to create the Small Business Innovative
Research program, these prestigious national awards
are given annually to those small firms, projects,
organizations and individuals judged to exemplify
the very best in SBIR achievement. The award recognizes
the accomplishments within communities where the
stimulus of SBIR funding has made a significant
difference.
The SBIR's dual objectives are to increase participation
of small businesses in federal high-technology
research and development activities, and to stimulate
conversion of government-funded research into
commercial applications. There are three phases
to this program.
Phase 1 is to evaluate the scientific technical
merit and feasibility of an idea. Phase 2 is to
expand on the results of and further pursue the
development of Phase 1. Phase 3 is for commercialization
of the results of Phase 2 and requires the use
of private or non-SBIR federal funding.
The awards were presented in October at the Crystal
Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Va. For more details
on the program and the award, visit www.sbirsttr.net/tibbetts.
The LBTC strives to assist entrepreneurs and
small businesses with access to the resources
they need to grow and attain long-term success.
The LBTC includes three units within its organization
-- the small business incubator, the LSU Small
Business Development Center and the Louisiana
Technology Transfer Office, which it operates
for the state of Louisiana. The LTTO promotes
and assists with grant applications for the SBIR
program.
The LTTO was named by Louisiana Gov. Mike Foster
as the designated representative entity for the
state in any and all matters relating to the SBIR's
Federal and State Technology Partnership Program.
LBTC executive director Charles D'Agostino said,
"Winning the Tibbetts Award is a great honor
for the LBTC and Louisiana. This recognition illustrates
the efforts being made to implement Louisiana's
Vision 2020. We are pleased to give Louisiana
national recognition in the technology arena and
will continue our efforts to assist Louisiana's
small businesses to win more SBIR grants,"
D'Agostino said.
For more information concerning the Louisiana
Business & Technology Center or the SBIR program,
call 225-578-7555 or visit www.bus.lsu.edu/lbtc/.
Wendy Osborn Luedtke
LSU E. J. Ourso College of Business
225/578-8865
