The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology Feb. 10 announced awards totaling $3.19 million to eight small businesses in seven states under the Small Business Innovation Research program.
The winning projects were competitively selected in September 2025 following a call for innovative proposals that address technical needs related to NIST’s research areas, the agency said in a press release.
These categories align with NIST’s Strategy for American Technology Leadership, focusing on driving new critical and emerging technologies in the U.S. These include AI, biotechnology and semiconductors, among others.
NIST explained that these Phase II SBIR awards fund research and development prototyping of innovative technologies proposed during Phase I. Phase II projects cover a 24-month period from the date of the grant. After Phase II is complete, selected grantees will move to Phase III, which involves funding by non-SBIR sources.
Phase II grantees included:
AMAG Consulting
$400,000
Based in Schenectady, New York, AMAG Consulting’s grant will be used to validate and improve its scanning electron microscope simulation. SimuSEM, a software package that simulates how the electron beams in electron microscopes interact with materials, will be enhanced with the ability to model charging effects and magnetic interactions, resulting in more accurate and useful images.
Applied Imaging Solutions
$400,000
This Quincy, Massachusetts-based company will develop a new imaging system that uses short-wave infrared hyperspectral imaging and AI machine learning to monitor cell cultures used in the production of biopharmaceuticals. The technology will enable more precise control of bioreactors.
Calimetrix
$399,998
Calimetrix, based in Madison, Wisconsin, will design and develop imaging test objects, called phantoms, that mimic human anatomy and are used to enhance the accuracy of medical imaging tests like MRI and CT scans. These phantoms, which mimic the characteristics of fatty liver tissue, will help medical professionals meaningfully compare scans taken at different times using different vendor platforms, which in turn will facilitate research and improve patient care.
HighRI Optics
$399,859
Oakland, California-based HighRI Optics will develop a commercial imaging system equipped with a calibration standard and specialized data reconstruction software. The goal is to improve the resolution of almost any imaging system used in healthcare, scientific research, manufacturing, defense and other industries.
Icarus Quantum
$400,000
This project will create a photon source based on semiconductor quantum dots technology. Boulder, Colorado-based Icarus Quantum’s platform can house multiple high-efficiency photon sources on a single chip. This will help researchers and developers integrate quantum interconnects into their systems, accelerating the development of quantum technologies.
MyExposome
$395,814
MyExposome, based in Philadelphia, will use its award to create silicone wristbands that record a person’s exposure to environmental chemicals, including certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. This project proposes using wristbands combined with novel, solvent-free extraction methods to expand the spectrum of detectable PFAS and provide a “cost-effective” tool for personal exposure monitoring.
ObjectSecurity
$399,909
ObjectSecurity’s newly developed tool evaluates and scores the cybersecurity practices of hardware and software manufacturers to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions. The San Diego company’s tool uses authoritative, publicly available data sources like the National Vulnerability Database.
Universal Schedule and Booking
$400,000
This Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia-based company’s project will help homeowners save energy by developing a system that estimates energy consumption in homes without hardware-based energy sensors. This will accelerate the adoption of new technologies, enabling a more efficient and resilient electricity grid that benefits U.S. manufacturers, businesses and homeowners.
