Working with the Rhode Island Small Business Development Center at Johnson & Wales University, Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) has announced an opportunity for Rhode Island’s small business community to learn about a Small Business Administration (SBA) initiative that funds innovative research and development projects. Hosted by Langevin, the Rhode Island Innovation Forum will provide an overview of resources available through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program with featured speaker Sean Greene, the Associate Administrator for Investment and Special Advisor for Innovation, who runs SBIR nationally.
The event, scheduled for Monday, June 25, 2012, from 10:30am-Noon at Johnson & Wales University’s Culinary Arts Museum, will also include presentations by Mark Hayward, Rhode Island’s SBA District Director, and Christine Smith, Director of the Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council. A question and answer session will follow.
The event is open to the public, but an RSVP is required. To sign up or request more information, email RISBIR.Forum@mail.house.gov or call 401-732-9400. RSVPs will be accepted through the wekeend.
SBIR funding is directed to research and development by small businesses working on scientific and technological advances. Currently, there are eleven federal agencies, including the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation, that have SBIR programs. Over the past 4 years, Ocean State companies have received more than 50 SBIR awards worth approximately $20 million.
DETAILS
WHO: Congressman Jim Langevin; Sean Greene, SBA Associate Administrator for Investment and Special Advisor for Innovation; Mark Hayward, Rhode Island’s SBA District Director; Christine Smith, Director of the Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council; Rhode Island Small Business Development Center at Johnson & Wales University
WHAT: Rhode Island Innovation Forum on opportunities available for Rhode Island small businesses through the SBA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program
WHERE: Johnson & Wales University Harborside Campus, Culinary Arts Museum, 315 Harborside Blvd, Providence, RI 02905
WHEN: Monday, June 25, 2012 from 10:30am – Noon
