Leap

LEAP GROWS IN PUERTO RICO -EXPANDING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THE REPLICATION OF LEAP SCHOOLS IN PUERTO RICO

EXPANDING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THE REPLICATION OF LEAP SCHOOLS IN PUERTO RICO (EXPANDED PUERTO RICO)

TAS::89 0321::TAS PROOF OF CONCEPT: TACKLING THE PROBLEM OF WEATHERIZING LOW INCOME MULTIFAMILY HOUSING

THIS PROJECT WILL TEST FOOD WASTE PASTEURIZED ANAEROBIC DIGESTERLEACHATE AS LIQUID FERTILIZER (FWDD) AND COMPOST IN FOUR DIFFERENTHISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED (HU) URBAN AREAS OF CALIFORNIA TO DETERMINE IFTHIS LEADS TO HEALTHIER SOILS AND MORE CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENCE.

STEM+E ACADEMY OF SAN JUAN CHARTER SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

CROSS-PLATFORM REMOTE MONITORING TECHNOLOGIES TO MONITOR AND IMPROVE ADHERENCE TO

SBIR PHASE II: HACKING EYE MOVEMENTS TO IMPROVE ATTENTION

**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** DISTRIBUTED SOLAR GENERATION (DSG) SYSTEMS INCLUDE RESIDENTIAL ROOFTOP, COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL (C&I), AND COMMUNITY SOLAR INSTALLATIONS. THE INSTALLATION OF LARGE AMOUNTS OF DISTRIBUTED SOLAR SYSTEMS HAVE INJECTED ADDITIONAL UNCERTAINTY INTO POWER SYSTEM OPERATIONS AND PLANNING FOR ALL UTILITIES, INCLUDING RURAL-BASED ELECTRIC CO-OPS.LEAPTRAN'S PHASE II OVERALL TECHNICAL OBJECTIVE IS TO DEMONSTRATE A ROBUST, RELIABLE, AND SCALABLE SOFTWARE SOLUTION PACKAGE TO PROVIDE AGGREGATED SOLAR FORECASTING (ASF) AND NET LOAD FORECASTING (NLF) FOR THOUSANDS OF RURAL COMMUNITY SOLAR SITES' PV PRODUCTION, THUS ENHANCING THE ABILITY OF SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS TO CONTRIBUTE TO RURAL AREA GRID RELIABILITY AND RESILIENCY.LEAPTRAN'S PROPOSED PHASE II PROJECT WILL CONTINUE LEVERAGING ITS SUCCESSFUL PROPOSED OBJECTIVES FROM PHASE I. THE PROPOSED PHASE II PROJECT IS ALSO WELL ALIGNED WITH THE STRATEGIC GOALS LAID OUT IN THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA) STRATEGIC PLAN FISCAL YEARS 2022-2026, SUCH AS DEVELOPING LOW-CARBON ENERGY SOLUTIONS BY INVESTING RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY GENERATION (OBJECTIVE 1.4) AND EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE IN RURAL AND TRIBAL COMMUNITIES (STRATEGIC GOAL 5). LEAPTRAN'S PHASE II EFFORTS WILL FURTHER EXISTING AND FUTURE INVESTMENTS IN SUSTAINABLE, RELIABLE, AND RESILIENT POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS IN AMERICAN RURAL COMMUNITIES THROUGH ADVANCED DATA ANALYTIC-BASED DECISION-MAKING AND AN AGGREGATED SOLAR FORECASTING (ASF) SOLUTION.LEAPTRAN PLANS TO MARKET ITS SOLUTION MAINLY TO RURAL-BASED ELECTRIC CO-OPS AND PUBLICLY OWNED UTILITIES (POUS). SUCCESS FOR THIS TECHNOLOGY INCLUDES HAVING MULTIPLE UTILITIES USE THE PRODUCT AND DEMONSTRATING A RELIABLE SOLUTION TO PROVIDE ACCURATE ASF SOLUTIONS BY THE END OF SBIR PHASE II.

DESCRIPTION:BROWNFIELDS ARE REAL PROPERTY, THE EXPANSION, DEVELOPMENT OR REUSE OF WHICH MAY BE COMPLICATED BY THE PRESENCE OR POTENTIAL PRESENCE OF A HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE, POLLUTANT, OR CONTAMINANT. THIS AGREEMENT WILL PROVIDE FUNDING FOR LEAP SOCIAL ENTERPRISE, INC. TO CONDUCT ELIGIBLE ASSESSMENT-RELATED ACTIVITIES AS AUTHORIZED BY CERLCA 104(K)(2) IN SAN JUAN, CAROLINA, HUMACAO AND JUNCOS, PUERTO RICO. ACTIVITIES:SPECIFICALLY, THIS AGREEMENT WILL PROVIDE FUNDING TO THE RECIPIENT TO INVENTORY, CHARACTERIZE, ASSESS, AND CONDUCT CLEANUP PLANNING AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT RELATED ACTIVITIES. ADDITIONALLY, THE RECIPIENT WILL COMPETITIVELY PROCURE (AS NEEDED) AND DIRECT A QUALIFIED ENVIRONMENTAL PROFESSIONAL TO CONDUCT ENVIRONMENTAL SITE ACTIVITIES. ALSO, THE RECIPIENT WILL REPORT ON INTERIM PROGRESS AND FINAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS BY COMPLETING AND SUBMITTING RELEVANT PORTIONS OF THE PROPERTY PROFILE FORM USING EPA'S ASSESSMENT, CLEANUP AND REDEVELOPMENT EXCHANGE SYSTEM (ACRES). SUBRECIPIENT:NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.OUTCOMES:FURTHER, THE RECIPIENT ANTICIPATES CONDUCTING APPROXIMATELY ELEVEN (11) PHASE I AND EIGHT (8) PHASE II ENVIRONMENTAL SITE ASSESSMENTS, HOLDING TWELVE (12) COMMUNITY MEETINGS, DEVELOPING APPROXIMATELY EIGHT (8) SITE-SPECIFIC CLEANUP PLANS/ANALYSIS OF BROWNFIELD CLEANUP ALTERNATIVES, DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY-WIDE PLAN TO INITIATE BROWNFIELDS REVITALIZATION, AND SUBMITTING QUARTERLY REPORTS. WORK CONDUCTED UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL BENEFIT THE RESIDENTS, BUSINESS OWNERS, AND STAKEHOLDERS IN AND NEAR RIO PIEDRAS DISTRICT (PORTIONS OF CENSUS TRACTS 54.02 AND 55), CAROLINA DISTRICT (PORTIONS OF CENSUS TRACTS 505.04 AND 601.04), PR-198 CORRIDOR (PORTIONS OF CENSUS TRACTS 5004.01 AND 1806).

EMEDONLINE: TELEHEALTH MEDICATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

SBIR PHASE I: CHIP SCALE ACOUSTO-OPTICS BEAM-STEERING LIDAR -THE BROADER IMPACT/COMMERCIAL IMPACTS OF THIS SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PHASE I PROJECT IS IN ADVANCING THE CAPABILITIES OF LIGHT DETECTION AND RANGING (LIDAR) SYSTEMS, WHICH ARE CRITICAL FOR AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES, ROBOTS, AND SMART CITY INFRASTRUCTURE. CURRENT LIDAR TECHNOLOGIES FACE CHALLENGES SUCH AS HIGH COSTS AND LARGE SIZES, LIMITING WIDESPREAD ADOPTION. THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES THESE BARRIERS BY DEVELOPING A COMPACT AND CHIPS-BASED TECHNOLOGY THAT LEVERAGES INNOVATIVE SOUND AND LIGHT PRINCIPLES. THIS TECHNOLOGY HAS THE POTENTIAL ACCELERATE ADOPTION IN MARKETS LIKE OUTDOOR ROBOTICS AND SMART CITY APPLICATIONS, WITH BROADER FUTURE IMPACTS IN OTHER HIGH-PERFORMANCE SECTORS. BY OFFERING A COST-EFFECTIVE, SCALABLE SOLUTION, THIS PROJECT WILL ENHANCE SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF INTEGRATED SYSTEMS AND ESTABLISH A DURABLE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN THE LIDAR MARKET. THE INNOVATION WILL MAKE LIDAR SYSTEMS MORE ACCESSIBLE THUS CONTRIBUTING TO NATIONAL SECURITY, PROSPERITY AND WELFARE. THIS SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PHASE I PROJECT FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING AN ACOUSTO-OPTIC BEAM STEERING (AOBS) TECHNOLOGY FOR LIDAR SYSTEMS. THE CURRENT CHALLENGE LIES IN CREATING A BEAM STEERING MECHANISM THAT IS COMPACT, FULLY SOLID-STATE, AND COST-EFFECTIVE WHILE MAINTAINING HIGH PERFORMANCE. THE PROPOSED WORK WILL INTEGRATE ACOUSTO-OPTIC MATERIALS WITH PRECISE FIELD PROGRAMMABLE GATE ARRAY (FPGA) CONTROLLED BEAM STEERING ALGORITHMS. THE PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE METHODS TO ENHANCE BEAM STEERING PRECISION, IMPROVE NEAR-INFRARED INTEGRATION FOR TIME-OF-FLIGHT LIDAR, AND DEVELOP ADVANCED PACKAGING FOR SCALABLE MANUFACTURING. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES INCLUDE OPTIMIZING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE AOBS CHIP, DEMONSTRATING ITS SEAMLESS INTEGRATION WITH EXISTING LIDAR PLATFORMS, AND VALIDATING ITS MANUFACTURABILITY AT SCALE. THE ANTICIPATED TECHNICAL RESULTS INCLUDE A WORKING PROTOTYPE OF THE AOBS-BASED LIDAR SYSTEM WITH PERFORMANCE METRICS THAT MEET OR EXCEED THOSE OF CURRENT SYSTEMS AT A FRACTION OF THE COST. IF SUCCESSFUL, THIS INNOVATION WILL LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT AND COMMERCIALIZATION, PROVIDING A TRANSFORMATIVE SOLUTION TO THE CHALLENGES FACED BY TRADITIONAL LIDAR SYSTEMS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

PURPOSE: TO PROMOTE ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THROUGH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AWARDS TO BUILD THE CAPACITY OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS (CDFIS) AND EMERGING CDFIS. PLANNED ACTIVITIES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE MUST BE USED FOR THE FOLLOWING ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES SUBJECT TO THE APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF THE UNIFORM REQUIREMENTS COMPENSATION PERSONAL SERVICES, COMPENSATION FRINGE BENEFITS, PROFESSIONAL SERVICE COSTS, TRAVEL COSTS, TRAINING AND EDUCATION COSTS, EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES, AND INCORPORATION COSTS (SPONSORING ENTITIES ONLY). END GOALS: THE GOAL OF THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IS TO BUILD CERTIFIED AND EMERGING CDFI’S ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY TO SERVE ELIGIBLE MARKETS AND/OR THEIR TARGET MARKETS, IN ORDER TO SERVE LOW INCOME PEOPLE, AND COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NATION THAT LACK ADEQUATE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE FINANCIAL PRODUCTS AND FINANCIAL SERVICES. BENEFICIARIES: PROFIT ORGANIZATION, PRIVATE NONPROFIT INSTITUTION/ORGANIZATION, OTHER PRIVATE INSTITUTION/ORGANIZATION INVESTMENT AREAS AND TARGETED POPULATIONS, AS DEFINED IN 12 C.F.R. 1805. SUBRECIPIENTS: THERE ARE NO SUBRECIPIENTS FOR THIS PROGRAM. BROADBAND: NOT APPLICABLE. REASON/PURPOSE OF MODIFICATION: NOT APPLICABLE.

PURPOSE: TO PROMOTE ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THROUGH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AWARDS TO BUILD THE CAPACITY OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS (CDFIS) AND EMERGING CDFIS. PLANNED ACTIVITIES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE MUST BE USED FOR THE FOLLOWING ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES SUBJECT TO THE APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF THE UNIFORM REQUIREMENTS COMPENSATION PERSONAL SERVICES, COMPENSATION FRINGE BENEFITS, PROFESSIONAL SERVICE COSTS, TRAVEL COSTS, TRAINING AND EDUCATION COSTS, EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES, AND INCORPORATION COSTS (SPONSORING ENTITIES ONLY). END GOALS: THE GOAL OF THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IS TO BUILD CERTIFIED AND EMERGING CDFI’S ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY TO SERVE ELIGIBLE MARKETS AND/OR THEIR TARGET MARKETS, IN ORDER TO SERVE LOW INCOME PEOPLE, AND COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NATION THAT LACK ADEQUATE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE FINANCIAL PRODUCTS AND FINANCIAL SERVICES. BENEFICIARIES: PROFIT ORGANIZATION, PRIVATE NONPROFIT INSTITUTION/ORGANIZATION, OTHER PRIVATE INSTITUTION/ORGANIZATION INVESTMENT AREAS AND TARGETED POPULATIONS, AS DEFINED IN 12 C.F.R. 1805. SUBRECIPIENTS: THERE ARE NO SUBRECIPIENTS FOR THIS PROGRAM. BROADBAND: NOT APPLICABLE. REASON/PURPOSE OF MODIFICATION: NOT APPLICABLE.

STTR PHASE I: HIGH-SENSITIVITY FLEXIBLE QUANTUM DOTS/GRAPHENE X-RAY DETECTORS AND IMAGING SYSTEMS -THE BROADER IMPACT/COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL OF THIS SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PHASE I PROJECT IS A NOVEL SENSITIVE X-RAY IMAGING PLATFORM BASED ON A QUANTUM APPROACH TO PHOTO-DETECTION. THIS PROJECT WILL LEVERAGE RECENT ADVANCEMENTS IN QUANTUM DOTS/GRAPHENE TECHNOLOGY TO DEMONSTRATE ITS SUITABILITY AND SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE FOR X-RAY-BASED IMAGING MEDICAL CAPITAL EQUIPMENT. THIS NOVEL TECHNOLOGICAL APPROACH AIMS TO PROVIDE AN X-RAY DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING PLATFORM WITH SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE AND LOWER POTENTIAL PRICE POINTS THAN SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTOR PARADIGMS. THE COMMERCIAL IMPACT IS A NOVEL DETECTOR ARRAY PLATFORM FOR THE $16 BILLION ANNUAL X-RAY IMAGING MARKET, FOCUSING ON THE $6.9 ANNUAL COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (CT) SCANNER SUBSET OF THE MARKET. THIS SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PHASE I PROJECT AIMS TO DEVELOP A FUNCTIONAL PROTOTYPE FOR A NOVEL QUANTUM DOTS (QD)/GRAPHENE NANOHYBRID X-RAY ARRAY DETECTION PLATFORM FOR USE IN MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC CAPITAL EQUIPMENT. THIS INITIATIVE AIMS TO DESIGN AND QUANTIFY THE CRITICAL ATTRIBUTES OF A NOVEL QUANTUM SENSOR PLATFORM FOR X-RAY CAPTURE, DOWN-CONVERSION, AND DETECTION OF DOWN-CONVERTED LOW-ENERGY PHOTONS. DURING THIS FIRST PHASE, EXPERIMENTAL TESTS WILL BE COMPLETED. THE RESULTS WILL BE USED TO DESIGN AND DEVELOP A PROTOTYPE DETECTOR ARRAY WITH A QD-LAYER DESIGN ONTO RIGID AND FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATES FOR SCALABILITY ONTO LARGE X-RAY IMAGING SYSTEMS. THE COMPLETED PROTOTYPE SYSTEM WILL THEN BE TESTED AND VALIDATED FOR PERFORMANCE VERSUS EXISTING PLATFORMS. THIS PHASE 1 PROJECT WILL QUANTITATIVELY BENCHMARK SEVERAL CRITICAL ATTRIBUTES (COST, SENSITIVITY, EFFICIENCY, PRELIMINARY SAFETY) FOR A NOVEL X-RAY IMAGING NANOHYBRID PLATFORM VERSUS CURRENT HYBRIDS FOR FUTURE COMMERCIAL INTEGRATION. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

SBIR PHASE I: ENERGY EFFICIENT SUPERCONDUCTING NEUROMORPHIC COMPUTING CIRCUITS -THE BROADER IMPACT OF THIS SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PHASE I PROJECT IS POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF SUPERCONDUCTING NEUROMORPHIC COMPUTING (NC) CIRCUITS WITH THE ABILITY TO ENABLE TRUE BIOLOGICAL BRAIN-INSPIRED DEEP NEURAL NETWORK CIRCUIT ALGORITHMS AND TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY, SPEED, AND SCALABILITY OF NC BY ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE. THE KNOWLEDGE AND APPROACHES DEVELOPED THROUGH THIS EFFORT MAY HELP ADVANCE THE FOUNDATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF NEXT GENERATION COMPUTING HARDWARE, HELPING NC CONTINUE ITS ADVANCE TOWARD BROAD MARKET ADOPTION, AND HELPING THE US MAINTAIN ITS POSITION AS A LEADER IN PROCESSOR DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION. ADDITIONALLY, THE INTEGRATED SYNTHESIS-CHARACTERIZATION-APPLICATION APPROACH CAN BE EXTENDED TO A RANGE OF APPLICATIONS, INCLUDING SENSORS, METAMATERIALS, CATALYSIS, AND RENEWABLES, WHICH REQUIRE ATOMIC-SCALE CONTROL OF MATERIALS AND INTERFACES. FINALLY, THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS, THE PROJECT WILL FACILITATE UNIVERSITY TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND WILL SERVE TO EDUCATE THE NEXT GENERATION OF MATERIALS AND ADVANCED ELECTRONICS SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS. THE ATOMIC-TO-NANOSCALE DESIGN, FABRICATION, CHARACTERIZATION, AND APPLICATION EXPERIENCE WILL NOT ONLY ASSIST IN RECRUITING TOP-QUALITY STUDENTS AND PROVIDE THEM OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP. THIS SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PHASE I PROJECT SEEKS TO DEVELOP NOVEL SUPERCONDUCTING NEUROMORPHIC COMPUTING (NC) CIRCUITS CONSISTING OF ATOMICALLY TUNABLE MEMRISTORS (SYNAPSES) WITH SUPERCONDUCTOR INTERCONNECTS AND SUPERCONDUCTING QUANTUM INTERFERENCE DEVICES (SQUIDS, NEURONS). THIS SUPERCONDUCTING NC CIRCUIT AIMS TO ENABLE TRUE BIOLOGICAL BRAIN-INSPIRED DEEP NETWORK CIRCUIT ALGORITHMS AND TO ACHIEVE CURRENTLY UNATTAINABLE LEVELS OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY, SWITCHING SPEED, AND SCALABILITY IN NC. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL DESIGN, FABRICATE, AND CHARACTERIZE SUPERCONDUCTING MEMRISTOR-SQUID NC CIRCUIT HARDWARE INCLUDING DEVELOPMENT OF THE CORRESPONDING ALGORITHMS FOR PATTERN RECOGNITION, WITH MACHINE LEARNING CAPABILITIES, USING THE MODIFIED NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY DATABASE TO PROVE VIABILITY. THE INTELLECTUAL MERIT OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH IS ILLUSTRATED IN: (1) NOVEL, ATOMICALLY-TUNABLE MEMRISTORS WITH 3-4 ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE DYNAMIC RANGE IN THE ON/OFF RATIO AND SWITCHING FREQUENCY THAT CAN ENABLE SPIKES OF DIFFERENT AMPLITUDES AND FREQUENCIES AS DEMANDED FOR EMERGING DEEP CIRCUITS, (2) SQUID NEURONS WITH VERY HIGH SENSITIVITY AND LOW NOISE, AND (3) NEURONS AND INTERCONNECTS THAT CAN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE POWER CONSUMPTION BY ELIMINATING THE PARASITIC WIRE RESISTANCE THAT, IN CURRENT NC CIRCUITS, INCREASES SUBSTANTIALLY WITH CIRCUIT SCALE. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

SBIR PHASE I: LOW-COST DOMESTIC ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING FOR SILICON SOLAR CELLS -THE BROADER IMPACT/COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL OF THE SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PHASE I PROJECT IS TO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF PRODUCING HIGH-EFFICIENCY, LOW-COST, CRYSTALLINE SILICON PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR CELLS WITHOUT USING SILICON WAFERS. FOR THE FIRST TIME, ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES WILL BE APPLIED TO SILICON IN ORDER TO PRODUCE EQUIVALENT PERFORMANCE TO SILICON WAFERS WITHOUT THE WASTEFUL PROCESSES USED IN CURRENT MANUFACTURING. IF SUCCESSFUL, THIS ADDITIVE APPROACH CAN LINK THE PARTS OF THE SOLAR SUPPLY CHAIN THAT STILL EXIST IN THE UNITED STATES?SILICON REFINING AND SOLAR MODULE ASSEMBLY, ESTABLISHING A FULL DOMESTIC SUPPLY CHAIN FOR THIS CRITICAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY. THIS SUPPLY CHAIN CAN: (A) BE BUILT WITH OFF-THE-SHELF EQUIPMENT AT A THIRD THE COST OF BUILDING TRADITIONAL SILICON WAFER AND CELL FACTORIES, (B) CUT THE COST OF PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR CELL MANUFACTURING IN HALF COMPARED TO IMPORTED SILICON WAFER-BASED SOLAR CELLS, AND (C) REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN SOLAR CELL MANUFACTURING BY 70% AND REDUCE WATER CONSUMPTION BY 90%. THIS COMBINATION OF LOW FACTORY AND PRODUCTION COSTS CAN DRIVE THE GROWTH NEEDED IN THE SOLAR INDUSTRY TO SUPPORT THE NATION?S DECARBONIZATION GOALS WHILE CREATING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOMESTIC JOBS. THIS SBIR PHASE I PROJECT SEEKS TO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF A NOVEL ARCHITECTURE AND ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING PROCESS FOR CRYSTALLINE SILICON PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR CELLS THAT PROVIDE EQUIVALENT PERFORMANCE TO TRADITIONAL SILICON WAFER-BASED SOLAR CELLS AT LOWER COST WITH A LOCAL SUPPLY CHAIN. THE STEPS IN THE PROCESS FLOW ARE ADAPTED FROM TRADITIONAL SOLAR CELL PROCESSING OR ADJACENT INDUSTRIES LIKE MICROELECTRONICS, BUT THEY ARE BEING COMBINED IN NEW WAY TO REALIZE THIS SOLAR CELL DESIGN. THESE STEPS WILL BE CO-OPTIMIZED TO PRODUCE HIGH-EFFICIENCY CELLS USING A SERIES OF DESIGNED EXPERIMENTS. THESE PROCESSES TYPICALLY FALL INTO THREE CATEGORIES: (1) CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION, (2) SOLUTION-BASED COATING, AND (3) THERMAL ANNEALING, WITH THEIR OWN RELEVANT PROCESS VARIABLES: (A) TIME, TEMPERATURE, PRESSURE, GAS FLOW RATES, AND MAGNETIC POWER; (B) SOLVENT, SOLUTION CONCENTRATION, COATING GAP, AND COATING SPEED; (C) TEMPERATURE VS. TIME. THESE PROCESS VARIABLES FOR EACH STEP WILL BE CORRELATED TO PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THE LAYERS IN THE CELL STACK SUCH AS THICKNESS, STOICHIOMETRY, AND PERFORMANCE OF THE FINISHED CELLS TO PRODUCE A PROTOTYPE WITH PERFORMANCE THAT IS COMPELLING TO INVESTORS, PARTNERS, AND CUSTOMERS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

SBIR PHASE I: HACKING EYE MOVEMENTS TO IMPROVE ATTENTION

PCSK9-LDLR INHIBITORS FROM FRAGMENT-BASED DESIGN

TRANSILIENCEHD: A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL PLATFORM FOR THE ELIMINATION OF PROSTATE CANCER DISPARITIES

TO PROMOTE AND PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS IN MAURITANIA THROUGH SECURING THE HUMAN RIGHTS TO LIFE AND EDUCATION

REAP IRA RES GRANT UNRESTRICTED (FY 25)

AN OPEN SOURCE PROACTIVE ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (PEMS) FOR INTEGRATED CONTROL OF ENERGY STORAGE AND SOLAR POWERED BUILDINGS

PURPOSE: TO PROMOTE ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THROUGH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AWARDS TO BUILD THE CAPACITY OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS (CDFIS) AND EMERGING CDFIS. PLANNED ACTIVITIES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE MUST BE USED FOR THE FOLLOWING ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES SUBJECT TO THE APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF THE UNIFORM REQUIREMENTS COMPENSATION PERSONAL SERVICES, COMPENSATION FRINGE BENEFITS, PROFESSIONAL SERVICE COSTS, TRAVEL COSTS, TRAINING AND EDUCATION COSTS, EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES, AND INCORPORATION COSTS (SPONSORING ENTITIES ONLY). END GOALS: THE GOAL OF THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IS TO BUILD CERTIFIED AND EMERGING CDFI’S ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY TO SERVE ELIGIBLE MARKETS AND/OR THEIR TARGET MARKETS, IN ORDER TO SERVE LOW INCOME PEOPLE, AND COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NATION THAT LACK ADEQUATE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE FINANCIAL PRODUCTS AND FINANCIAL SERVICES. BENEFICIARIES: PROFIT ORGANIZATION, PRIVATE NONPROFIT INSTITUTION/ORGANIZATION, OTHER PRIVATE INSTITUTION/ORGANIZATION INVESTMENT AREAS AND TARGETED POPULATIONS, AS DEFINED IN 12 C.F.R. 1805. SUBRECIPIENTS: THERE ARE NO SUBRECIPIENTS FOR THIS PROGRAM. BROADBAND: NOT APPLICABLE. REASON/PURPOSE OF MODIFICATION: NOT APPLICABLE.

PURPOSE: TO PROMOTE ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THROUGH INVESTMENT IN AND ASSISTANCE TO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS (CDFIS) AND EMERGING CDFIS. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE MUST BE USED FOR THE FOLLOWING ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES SUBJECT TO THE APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF THE UNIFORM REQUIREMENTS: COMPENSATION ? PERSONAL SERVICES, COMPENSATION ? FRINGE BENEFITS, PROFESSIONAL SERVICE COSTS, TRAVEL COSTS, TRAINING AND EDUCATION COSTS, EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES, AND INCORPORATION COSTS (SPONSORING ENTITIES ONLY). END GOAL/EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THE GOAL OF THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IS TO BUILD CERTIFIED AND EMERGING CDFI?S ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY TO SERVE ELIGIBLE MARKETS AND/OR THEIR TARGET MARKETS, IN ORDER TO SERVE RURAL AND URBAN LOW-INCOME PEOPLE, AND COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NATION THAT LACK ADEQUATE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE FINANCIAL PRODUCTS AND FINANCIAL SERVICES. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: PROFIT ORGANIZATION, PRIVATE NONPROFIT INSTITUTION/ORGANIZATION, OTHER PRIVATE INSTITUTION/ORGANIZATION INVESTMENT AREAS AND TARGETED POPULATIONS, AS DEFINED IN 12 C.F.R. 1805. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: ONLY IN THE CASE WHERE A CDFI DEPOSITORY INSTITUTION HOLDING COMPANY APPLICANT INTENDS TO CARRY OUT THE ACTIVITIES OF AN AWARD THROUGH ITS SUBSIDIARY CDFI INSURED DEPOSITORY INSTITUTION, AS IDENTIFIED IN ITS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT WITH THE CDFI FUND.

LEAPTRAN WILL DEVELOP AN INNOVATIVE SOLAR RENEWABLE ENERGY FORECASTING SOFTWARE SOLUTION TO AGGREGATE MULTIPLE SOLAR SITES LOCATED IN RURAL AND REMOTE AREAS. THE PROJECT AIMS TO ADDRESS TECHNOLOGIES AND SERVICES THAT PROTECT OR ENHANCE THE ENVIRONMENT AND ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE WHILE PROMOTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. BY PROVIDING REAL-TIME OR NEAR-REAL SOLAR FORECASTING TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES OF MULTIPLE OR NUMEROUS SMALL AND SCATTERED SOLAR PLANTS IN A REMOTE REGION, LEAPTRAN'S SOLUTION CAN AGGREGATE EACH SOLAR SITE TO HELP RURAL COMMUNITIES MAKE PREDICTIVE DECISIONS AT LOW COSTS. OUR TECHNOLOGY FOSTERS A GROWTH IN SOLAR ADOPTION AND DEPLOYMENT IN AMERICA'S RURAL AREA AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.

ORGANIZE AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND BUILDING COMMUNITY NETWORKS AT THE YOUTH COMMUNITY CENTER IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF CAIR IN SKOPJE.

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AND SKILLS ACQUISITON PROGRAM (ENGAGING ISLAM)

ENGAGE A COHORT OF 25 JAPANESE YOUTH (AGE 18-25) TO EXPLORE GLOBAL AND LOCAL ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE TO THEM AND THEIR COMMUNITIES- INCLUDING WOMEN'S ECONOMIC INCLUSION; CLIMATE CHANGE; MINORITY COMMUNITY ISSUES AND RIGHTS; AND DIVERSITY AND EQUITY.

COMMUNITY FACILITIES SECD GRANTS

EXPERT PANEL ON COMPOSITE HOSPITAL SAFETY SCORES

RBDG RURAL BUSINESS COOP RURAL ENTERPRISE GRANT

MINDLEAPS IS PARTNERING WITH SOS PAIRS EDUCATEURS TO LAUNCH LEARN-CHANGE-LEAP, DESIGNED TO DECREASE YOUTH VULNERABILITIES TO EXTREMIST APPEALS.

DANCING TOGETHER TO SUCCESS WILL INTEGRATE AN INCLUSION TRACK INTO MINDLEAPS WORK IN THE REFUGEE CAMPS.

FARM TO SCHOOL GRANT PROGRAM

TO ENGAGE JAPANESE YOUTH THROUGH A PROGRAM FOCUSED ON ISSUES OF GLOBAL LEADERSHIP, EQUITY, INCLUSION, ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPORTANCE AND VALUE OF STUDYING IN THE US.

THE UBUMUNTU PROJECT IS DEEPLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT ALLOWS PARTNER WITH INCREDIBLE AMERICAN DANCERS WHO SHARE THE SAME VALUES AND GOALS IN LEVERAGING HOW THE ARTS CAN CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF CHILDRENS LIVES.

IMPROVING LIVE CONDITIONS AND REINSERTIONS OF 30 REFUGEES AND RETURNEES YOUTH IN GUINEA THROUGH CAPACITY BUILDING TRAINING AND FUNDING OF INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES.

IMPROVE LIFE SKILLS AND PSYCHOSOCIAL HEALTH OF RETURNEES, REFUGEES, AND GUINEAN YOUTH THROUGH THE USE OF DIGITAL PLATFORMS.

TO IMPROVE POSITIVE DECISION-MAKING SKILLS AND DECREASE UNDESIRABLE BEHAVIORS AMONG OUT-OF-SCHOOL REFUGEE YOUTH WITH DANCE-BASED INTERVENTIONS.

MINDLEAPS WILL BE ABLE TO EXTEND ITS PROGRAMMING TO THE SAME YOUTH POPULATION THAT IS NOW ACCESSING MINDLEAPS DIGITAL LEARNING CENTER TO PROVIDE THEM WITH ENGLISH LANGUAGE LESSONS.

MINDLEAPS WILL HOST A HIGH-PROFILE TOUR FROM A PREMIERE AMERICAN DANCER AND YOUTH ACTIVIST WITH THE INTENDED IMPACT OF CREATING A LONG-TERM, SUSTAINABLE CULTURAL EXCHANGE BETWEEN DANCE EDUCATORS AND YOUTH IN THE TWO COUNTRIES, U.S. AND GUINEA.

THE PROGRAM EMPOWERS SOUTHERN STATE CHAPTERS OF YALI NETWORK NIGERIA TO IMPLEMENT IMPACTFUL OUTREACH PROJECTS, PROVIDING MEMBERS WITH TOOLS AND RESOURCES TO DRIVE POSITIVE LOCAL CHANGE AND FOSTER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

SEC 9007 REAP-RENEW ENERGY SYSTEMS GRANTS, $20,000 OR LESS (MAN)

TO ADDRESS THE NEED FOR SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL RESILIENCY, MULTI-ETHNIC LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, BUSINESS, AND LIFE-SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AMONG YOUTH AGES 14-20.

TO CREATE TRUST AND INCREASE PARTICIPATION BY CIRCULATING PUBLIC HEALTH INFORMATION IN SIX SCHOOLS THROUGH DANCE PERFORMANCES AND YOUTH-LED DIALOGUE. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO REACH OUT 10000 VULNERABLES WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THE MOST ACUTE EFFECTS OF COVID19.

REAP RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEM (RES) GRANT $20K AND LESS

CREATING OPPORTUNITY FROM LANGUAGE IS TO BUILD THE CAPACITY OF YOUNG GUINEAN TEACHERS WORKING WITH UNEMPLOYED WOMEN AND IN-SCHOOL/OUT-OF-SCHOOL CHILDREN TO TEACH BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS.

TO DRAW HIGHER-LEVEL AMERICAN DANCERS INTO A CULTURAL EXCHANGE WITH THEIR GUINEAN COUNTERPARTS BY MAKING THEIR DANCE STUDIO SUITABLE FOR BALLET

TO PROMOTE THE POSITIVE CHANGE OF UNDERSERVED GUINEAN YOUTH. ARTS WILL BE ONE OF THE VECTORS TO DEVELOP THEIR EMOTIONAL STABILITY.

THE USG EXCHANGE ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS IN SOUTHERN NIGERIA WOULD BE GIVEN SUBAWARDS FOR NEW ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS TAKEOFF, CONFERENCES AND TO IMPLEMENT PROJECTS IN THE PRIORITY AREAS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP, TECH, INNOVATION, EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.

TO SUPPORT COLLABORATORY, A CROSS-DISCIPLINARY ARTIST RESIDENCY AND MENTORSHIP PROGRAM FOR EMERGING ARTISTS.

TO SUPPORT "COLLABORATORY," A CROSS-DISCIPLINARY PROGRAM CULMINATING IN A SERIES OF PERFORMANCES.

TO SUPPORT COLLABORATORY, A CROSS-DISCIPLINARY ARTIST RESIDENCY AND MENTORSHIP PROGRAM FOR EMERGING ARTISTS.

2018 LAUNCH OF MINDLEAPS GIRLS LEAD A SELECT GROUP OF 15 GIRLS WHO PERFORM AT CULTURAL EVENTS.

THROUGH MINDLEAPS AMERICAN CHOREOGRAPHERS WILL TRAVEL RWANDA TO WORK WITH THE RWANDAN YOUTH DURING UBUMUNTU FESTIVAL.

2019 UBUMUNTU ARTS FESTIVAL WITH A THEME WHEN WALLS COME DOWN.

ENABLE ROYCE TO TRAVEL RWANDA TO DEVELOP AN ORIGINAL WORK AND CARRY OUT A SERIES OF CULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN THE COMMUNITY & AT UBUMUNTU ARTS FESTIVAL.

SPEAK TODAY: SUCCEED TOMORROW (ENGLISH LANGUAGE FOR DISADVANTAGED YOUTH AT SCHOOL & IN THE COMMUNITY)

TO EMPOWER RURAL YOUTH IN NORTH MACEDONIA THROUGH CREATIVE ARTS AND CRITICAL-THINKING WORKSHOPS.

TO FOSTER CLEANTECH ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN CYPRUS

CSP BASED ON ACTIVE MICROFLUIDIC MIRROR ARRAYS