Research Dollars from Low-Hanging Trees

It is hard to imagine a member of the New York State Optics, Photonics and Imaging industry that could not tailor a proposal for an SBIR grant. The SBIR Program amounts to free money for research and development. Even if you do not think that an R&D project is important for your internal needs, collaborating on one with a customer could develop a Phase One SBIR grant into a long-term business opportunity for you and your company.

Example: ASE Optics's SBIR Grant (Phase One) currently in process.

Transmitted Wavefront Metrology of Multiple-Layer Dome Optics Using a Scanning Low-Coherence Dual Interferometer (SLCDI)
Abstract:
We propose a scanning low-coherence dual interferometery system that can accurately measure the optical thickness of hemispheric optical domes used as missile windows. The system has the unique capability to measure the optical thicknesses of individual layers within domes composed of multiple materials. The optical thickness map created during the scanning process is directly related to the wavefront transmission properties of the dome.

Example: Pixel Physics (now Geospatial Systems) SBIR Grant (Phase One complete)

A MEMS-Based Multi-object Spectrometer
Abstract:
A MOS is an imaging spectrometer that can select multiple regions of the image field for simultaneous spectral analysis. A micromirror array is used to select regions of the field in the image, and to divert them to a spectral analysis subsystem. The micromirror array used in the prototype was the Texas Instruments’ Digital Micromirror Device (DMD), and the instrument is referred to as DMDMOS.

Opportunity knocks:

The DoD SBIR 2006.2 solicitation has been pre-released here. It invites small businesses to propose research and development efforts in response to topics in the solicitation. During the pre-release period, which ends on June 13, you may contact the topic authors directly (contact information is listed with the topic) to ask technical questions about specific solicitation topics. The DoD will begin accepting proposals on June 14, 2006 and will close to proposals on July 14, 2006 at 6am EST.

Plan ahead and submit your proposal early to avoid the risk of website inaccessibility due to heavy usage on the final day.

People who will help you with your SBIR application:

Women In Defense (WID): A National Security Organization, and Charter Members of the Proposed Upstate New York Chapter, Presents

Susan Warshaw Ebner
Vice President, WID National
"Learn about the benefits of joining WID"
and
Lt. Col. Tim (Elmer) Lunderman
Fighter Pilot from the 174th
Fighter Wing(and IPT Lead at Lockheed Martin)
"Learn about the Mission of the 174th, Local Training, Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom"

Thursday June 8, 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Lockheed Martin (Exit 37 off the Thruway)
397 Electronics Parkway, Building 6
Conference Center
Liverpool, NY
Bring your lunch, your questions, and your interest
(we’ll provide dessert!)

To Attend, Please Contact:
Leslie Smith: 315-456-4166 / leslie.i.smith@lmco.com or
Bree Frank: 315-456-3008 / bree.d.frank@lmco.com

Visit http://wid.ndia.org and http://www.ndia.org
for further information on WID and NDIA.

New York Photonics, RRPC and our members are members of NDIA. When you call, be sure to let them know that you are a member of the New York Photonics Industry Association.

Submitted by Aric Shorey, QED Technologies:

The 11th DoD Electromagnetic Windows Symposium (EMWS) was held 1-4 May 2006 in San Diego, California. The meeting is held every other year in the off year when the windows and dome section is not included in the SPIE Defense and Security meeting. EMWS is attended by several prime contractors, large and small businesses and universities to discuss technical developments related to electromagnetic windows.
The first day consisted of a one day short course discussing Radome and IR Window technology, presented by Dr. Kelly Frazer (Johns Hopkins University) and Dr. Daniel Harris (NAVAIR). The rest of the week consisted of a number of technical presentations, and small booth and poster sessions for companies to showcase their technology. A highlight of the week was the tour of a General Atomics facility where Predator unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are assembled. Several UAVs at various stages of assembly were seen.

The talks covered a wide range of topics important for windows used in the infrared, multi-spectral windows and domes, and for radomes. This includes transparent conductive coatings, transparent armor, research in damage testing and survivability for windows and domes and development in fabrication techniques, among others. USAF Chief Scientist Dr. Mark Lewis gave the keynote address, where he discussed the relevance of electromagnetic windows for current and future DoD systems such as sensors in near space and high speed and high temperature materials. Other invited talks were Dr. Alan Harker from Rockwell Scientific discussing advances in TransCon conductive optical coatings and Dr. Stephen Jacobs of the University of Rochester, whose talk discussed manipulating mechanics and chemistry in precision optics finishing.

Materials for IR and Radome window applications represented a large portion of the technical discussions. These included historical development and fabrication issues for zinc sulphide and zinc selenide, and especially developments in hard ceramics such as AlON, spinel, sapphire and polycrystalline alumina (PCA). In addition to materials issues, the discussion covered topics such as modeling and testing of the ability of these materials to withstand mechanical defects/stress, thermal loading and environmental effects such as damage caused by raindrops. Several talks discussed design, material and fabrication issues for radomes, the multi-spectral Joint Common Missile, and next generation IR conformal windows. In addition to Professor Jacobs’ invited talk, a number of Rochester area companies were represented at the meeting with booths and several presentations from Optimax, OptiPro and QED Technologies.

Annual Tournament Benefits Golisano Children's Hospital

Think for a minute: How do you suppose benefit golf tournaments grow bigger every year?

Volunteers and people like you ask their colleagues to field a foursome!

The date for the 6th Annual WNY Optics / Photonics Golf Tournament has been announced: Thursday July 20th.

Sponsorships and Registration can be found here.

Take a few minutes right now to send the information to people you do business with. Someone who doesn't know about the event. It doesn't matter if it is a small company, a banker (definitely ask your banker to field a team!), or a program officer in a military agency or at a prime contractor. Send them the information and ask them to field a foursome!

A list of sponsors from last year's tournament can be found here. Help make the list longer this year!

You can help make the event an even greater success. This is a tournament for a very worthwhile cause, and there is no reason we can't covene enough supporters to take over both Shadow Lakes and Shadow Pines golf courses this year. But we can only do that with your help.

How Do You Want Your Training Grant Delivered?

To upgrade worker skills would your company prefer:

Although no timeline has been announced, it appears that USDOL will be releasing a competitive grant opportunity in the near future around advanced manufacturing.  There may be something to learn from the dynamic set of tools referenced in the ETA press release.  Either way, knowing that in previous competitions the turn around time was brief, members may want to be prepared for another rapid response. See the set of tools referenced here.

June 19-20th, Albany Marriott

Registration Details:
Registration: $450.00
On-site registration $495.00
Register here

Event Details:
This event unites emerging technology-related companies from across New York with investors and professional service providers from New England to Northern Virginia.

Two days of networking and company presentations will promote and enhance the success of new ventures, emerging businesses and the growth of entrepreneurship in the Northeast. Participants include entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors, commercial and investment bankers, private lenders, pension fund managers, business brokers, analysts, attorneys, accountants, media and other service providers. Attendees have an opportunity to meet the people, see the products and learn about technologies that will shape the future.

Reviewed by Jennifer Sertl,
Small Giants
by Bo Burlingham
Published by Penguin Group, 2005

So many of us have read In Search of Excellence and Good to Great. The challenge is that most of us are running smaller privately held businesses. We don’t have the luxury of golden parachutes or parent companies to bail us out in an emergency. What we do have are many sleepless nights and a burning fire in our entrepreneurial bellies. Small Giants has taken Wall Street to Main Street and is a book small business owners can relate to.

Bo Burlingham editor at large for Inc. Magazine took a focused sample of 14 privately held business who seemed to be thriving to explore what made these companies extraordinary. The main thing he discovered was that the owners of each of the companies had very distinct choice points where they choose to be great instead of big.

In a “super-size” society, there seems to be a perception that bigger is better. Sometimes when companies are in growth mode they forget for focus on “the net” as well as the vision they had when they took that original risk. In the fire of the day-to-day, many people loose their passion, the goal becomes survival and the human element is commoditized. These 14 companies grew with “mojo” at the epicenter and relationship and design creating the framework. “I was reminded of the feeling I had in the past when I’d come in contact with hot companies just hitting their stride. They had a buzz. That happens when people find themselves totally in sync with their market, with their world around them and with each other. Everything just seems to click.”
Sometimes the larger the company, the harder it is to keep that “buzz”

Here are other aspects of Small Giants that the book illuminates:

An example of the types of scenarios Burlington brings to life is when Clif Bar’s Gary Erikson was preparing to sell his $39-million-a-year for $120 million. Power Bar and Balance Bar had recently been sold to Nestle and Kraft. He wasn’t sure he could compete with such giant conglomerates. However, when it came to the deal signing, he just couldn’t put the ink down. He could have walked away with a net of $60million. Not bad for a destitute distance cyclist, rock-climber, and musician. Even though he would have been set for life, he had a different vision for Clif Bar.

Small Giants are responsible for more that 50% of nonfarm private gross domestic product (GDP). Our economic backbone is strengthened by choices made by small business owners who are resilient, responsive, and reflective.

Jennifer Sertl is a business strategist and executive coach and can be reached at www.jennifersertl.com or 585.704.5202

The Rochester Regional Photonics Cluster is an active and growing collaborative organization. Efforts are under way on joint training events, workforce development, collaborative advertising opportunities, promoting the commericalization of I.P., and development of our website to further facillitate business development.

Join us! There are advantages to working together, and we are interested in working with you. Send an email to us at membership@rrpc-ny.org.

To subscribe, to unsubscribe, to submit a news item or upcoming event, to suggest a feature or column, or to offer feedback, contact Tom Battley, at 585-329-4029.

Click here to download a PDF version of this, or any of our previous Newsletters.