The USDA has announced nearly $1.4 million in research-and-development investment in 14 projects at 11 different California companies. The grant program is for research related to food security, natural resources, and agricultural issues. California’s portion is part of a nationwide pledge of $7.4 million in R&D grants. The grants are made through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, a competitive funding source that is coordinated by the Small Business Administration and administered by 11 federal agencies, including USDA, to encourage domestic small businesses to engage in high-growth research and development that has the potential for commercialization and could lead to significant public benefit.
The projects in California include:
- Algae production for aquaculture feed – Global Algae Innovations Inc., El Cajon
- Portable automation technology for rapid detection of foodborne pathogens – HJ Science & Technology Inc., Santa Clara
- Deployable low-cost device for monitoring nitrate levels in water – Intelligent Optical Systems Inc., Torrance
- Biologically-based material and method for control of invasive fire ants – Foresight Science and Technology Inc., Comptche (Mendocino County)
Since 1983 the SBIR program has awarded more than 2,000 research and development grants to American-owned, independently operated, for-profit businesses with 500 employees or fewer. Past examples of successful USDA-funded SBIR projects include Eldertide LLC’s research to cultivate elderberry varieties with high antioxidant levels that are now harvested and marketed for their anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties. Another business, Micronic Technologies, has developed a sustainable water desalination and purification technology. Its water treatment system, MicroDesal, is capable of taking water from any source and cleaning it to potable water standards.