Len Yabloko wrote:
> Ron, thanks for advice
>
>
>> Given all of Ed's advice and suggestions, I can only add that you
>> probably will have more success partnering with an established company
>> for your first contract.
>>
>
> Can you suggest a scenario (or better yet- example) when established company
>would give someone "first contract"? The only contract I can think of is
>contract under which all your work becomes property of this company.
>
Established companies frequently have contract vehicles with government
clients that have needs. They need people who know how to address these
needs. (01)
You will be in a much better position if you bring the client to the
established company. That is, you have found the government's notice and
have got a proposition that matches the government's criteria. (02)
The client will own the work. What work do you need to retain ownership
of? Your knowledge and experience is yours to keep and you got paid for
the work.
If there is something that you want to retain a piece of, you can
negotiate that with the prime contractor.
>
>> After you have been the main researcher on a project, you will have a
>> better chance.
>>
>
> Again - I can't imagine main researcher on a project leave this position to
>start his company hoping to get smallish government grant as "first contract".
>
>
When you finish the project, your company may get asked to stay on (as a
subsidiary or a partner ) if another client has a project that you can do.
You have changed the scenario. If you are a company in collaboration
with another company, you are not an employee of the prime contractor.
>> The established company may also give you a good grounding on how to get
>> and to manage a government project.
>>
>
> What you are saying makes sense only if you remove "first contract". Then
>government grant can be an additional client and sales channel. First contract
>is usually a "catch 22".
>
>
I thought that we were talking about getting a first government contract
for research. You need to have some sort of track record or academic
qualification that would lead a larger company think that you can do the
work.
>> Ron
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
>> Ed Barkmeyer wrote:
>>
>>> Len Yabloko wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> My experience is similar to what you described. However, I believe
>>>> that very much depends on the agency.
>>>>
>>>>
>>> I'm sure it does. NIST is a small agency, and we don't have a lot of
>>> SBIR grant money (as Chris implied) and we pride ourselves on being
>>> conscientious about this stuff. Other agencies have much more money,
>>> and get orders of magnitude more SBIR proposals, and don't have a
>>> proportionate evaluation staff. So you get the very quick 3-pile
>>> system: Yes, Maybe, No, and the No's get the 3-sentence review.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> I think "some knowledge... and new idea" is an understatement.
>>>> My impression is that reviewers are looking for solid (certifiable)
>>>> expertise and prove record of accomplishment in the field.
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Yes.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> Do you
>>>> really think that some smart person with good idea can get
>>>> government money just for interesting thoughts about solving
>>>> particular problem at hand?
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Yes. But that person has to have some track record. It is the
>>> Catch-22: you can't get a contract if you have never had a contract.
>>> (And that is why NSF has first-timer grant programs.) If you were the
>>> lead PI on a project at Raytheon or sold your software product to NASA
>>> Ames, or whatever, that may be enough.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> If so, how can reviewer be sure that she is not wasting tax money?
>>>>
>>>>
>>> She can't be sure, ever. And it is probably fair to say that 9 out of
>>> every 10 such grants are a waste of taxpayer money with respect to the
>>> objective at hand. But they are somebody's first grant, or they kept
>>> some smart person actively engaged in the area and working with and
>>> educating the agency, or they demonstrated the fruitlessness of a blind
>>> alley, etc., all of which may bear fruit later.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> Are newcommers ever welcome?
>>>>
>>>>
>>> If you mean "wet behind the ears", no. But new small businesses created
>>> by experienced people, or people with a clear idea and the knowledge of
>>> where the market for that idea is, yes.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> What about "high risk" requirements of SBIR?
>>>>
>>>>
>>> That just means that you can't propose something they have already done
>>> or can buy off-the-shelf, or something that is a simple matter of
>>> engineering using a well-known approach, i.e. something they could do in
>>> a week or so themselves. Much of the "high risk" requirement is just
>>> nominal justification for public venture capitalism. ;-)
>>>
>>> -Ed
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> _________________________________________________________________
>> Message Archives: http://ontolog.cim3.net/forum/ontolog-forum/
>> Config Subscr: http://ontolog.cim3.net/mailman/listinfo/ontolog-forum/
>> Unsubscribe: mailto:ontolog-forum-leave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Shared Files: http://ontolog.cim3.net/file/
>> Community Wiki: http://ontolog.cim3.net/wiki/
>> To join: http://ontolog.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?WikiHomePage#nid1J
>> To Post: mailto:ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Message Archives: http://ontolog.cim3.net/forum/ontolog-forum/
> Config Subscr: http://ontolog.cim3.net/mailman/listinfo/ontolog-forum/
> Unsubscribe: mailto:ontolog-forum-leave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Shared Files: http://ontolog.cim3.net/file/
> Community Wiki: http://ontolog.cim3.net/wiki/
> To join: http://ontolog.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?WikiHomePage#nid1J
> To Post: mailto:ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
> (03)
_________________________________________________________________
Message Archives: http://ontolog.cim3.net/forum/ontolog-forum/
Config Subscr: http://ontolog.cim3.net/mailman/listinfo/ontolog-forum/
Unsubscribe: mailto:ontolog-forum-leave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Shared Files: http://ontolog.cim3.net/file/
Community Wiki: http://ontolog.cim3.net/wiki/
To join: http://ontolog.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?WikiHomePage#nid1J
To Post: mailto:ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (04)
|