SBIR Grants are supposed to finance "moon shot" projects. Unfortunately the way they are granted is very "opaque" to put it mildly and without going into more detail.
What do you mean? SBIR grants are intended to support early stage innovation projects. They should be able to be commercialized, but too high risk for normal investors. That's not really the same thing as a moon shot program. And individual federal agencies that participate in the program can decide what they are interested in researching.
> That's not really the same thing as a moon shot program.
Matthew Weinberg, former Special Advisor to the SBA's Office of Investment and Innovation, disagrees with you. With respect to the SBIR program, he said:
"It’s fundamentally astounding that the federal government—not private venture capital firms or banks—is the entity backing these moonshot investments that end up changing the world[1]."
He also wrote an article about the SBIC and SBIR programs entitled, "Your federal government drives innovation by investing in moonshots[2]".
"but too high risk for normal investors." what brings it pretty close to "moon shot", doesn't it?
"And individual federal agencies that participate in the program can decide what they are interested in researching."
This is true, I never said something different. I just know from people two who got SBIR I and II who discouraged me to apply since they know how the selections process works.
SBIR grants are more for pursuit of regular technology expansions in foreseeable topic areas as seen by various gov't agencies. SBIR funding stages aren't really setup for moon shot funding, more like lighting kindling hoping something catches fire.
The are more fundamental gov't programs for "moon shots" within NASA and DARPA.
Honestly most govt PMs use SBIR to fund small projects that nobody else would take, or big contracts failed to deliver on. They are often laughably specific.
There are many lovely reasons to apply (or ignore) SBIRs: http://seliger.com/Should-your-startup-seek-Small-Business-I..., but the review process is not particularly opaque. It is true that most agencies receive far more applications than there are awards available, so even "fundable" applications may not be funded.
You are wrong. Unfortunately I know how opaque it is and can not use another word, which I would prefer, to describe the process. I can not, will not, must not give more information to protect myself and others.
Trust me, the mathematical chance of approximately 10% has nothing to do with your real chances which could be much lower, or much higher.
What/where is the best list of moon shots being currently worked on and backed?