NeuroTechR3 Awarded Competitive Grant from the National Science Foundation
Small Business Innovation Research Program Provides Seed Funding for R&D
Warren, New Jersey, April 21, 2021 – NeurotechR3, Inc. has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant for $276,000 to conduct research and development (R&D) work on a telerehabilitation device that promotes neuroplasticity for motor recovery through video games, and helps stroke patients recover function in their fingers, hand and arm.
This work will take goal based games that have been demonstrated to be successful for stroke rehabilitation in the laboratory and acute rehabilitation hospitals and apply them on a smaller scale to develop an affordable, engaging, and easy to use system. It has the potential to improve the lives of millions of people suffering from impairments after stroke, and contribute to the overall improvement of human health and wellbeing
“NSF is proud to support the technology of the future by thinking beyond incremental developments and funding the most creative, impactful ideas across all markets and areas of science and engineering,” said Andrea Belz, Division Director of the Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships at NSF. “With the support of our research funds, any deep technology startup or small business can guide basic science into meaningful solutions that address tremendous needs.”
“We are thrilled to join the elite group of innovative high-impact technology start-ups funded by NSF. By receiving this grant we are able to develop a product that will improve rehabilitation at a time when the number of individuals with stroke is projected to rise significantly, especially in the younger cohort. This will increase the odds for people that suffer a stroke to regain their normal way of living and avoid long term disability.” said Mee Eriksson, CEO of NeuroTechR3.
Once a small business is awarded a Phase I SBIR/STTR grant (up to $256,000), it becomes eligible to apply for a Phase II (up to $1,000,000). Small businesses with Phase II funding are eligible to receive up to $500,000 in additional matching funds with qualifying third-party investment or sales.
Startups who submit a three-page Project Pitch will know within one month if they meet the program’s objectives to support innovative technologies that show promise of commercial and/or societal impact. All proposals submitted to the NSF SBIR/STTR program, also known as America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF, undergo a rigorous merit-based review process. To learn more about America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF, visit: https://seedfund.nsf.gov/
About the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Programs: America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF awards $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology can receive up to $2 million to support research and development (R&D), helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $8.5 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering.