Over the last two years the NIH has implemented new guidelines and procedures to “enhance peer review”. For instance, reviewer comments and scores for each of 5 criteria are indicated on the summary sheet. The research proposal section has also been restructured, to more closely match the criteria by which the reviewers critique a proposal.
For those submitting SBIR/STTR applications to the NIH, April 5th is the first time the restructured proposal will be in effect. This is daunting for both first time and returning SBIR/STTR applicants.
The NIH has been inundated with questions and comments concerning these new processes. In an effort to address these questions they are holding a webinar (through GoToMeeting). This will be an opportunity for NIH staff to discuss the restructuring of the Research Plan, new page limits, new scoring, and other changes resulting from Enhancing Peer Review and to provide a forum for you to ask questions.
ATDC company, Zooz Mobile, was featured on CNN’s Edge of Discovery program last week. Titled “The Hot New Musical Instrument: Your Smartphone”, the article highlights the growing trend of using smartphones to make music and engage music fans.
The application, Zoozbeat, was created at Georgia Tech and uses the iPhone’s accelerometer to create different sounds based on how the user moves the phone. A recent release of the app allows for more social sharing of musical creations. The video features interviews with founder, Gil Weinberg, lead engineer, Mark Godfrey, and rapper, Street Lotto, all here at ATDC in Midtown.
Atlanta, GA (Oct. 8, 2009) – Scribbos™, the leading provider of secure business communications and data exchange solutions, today announced a partnership with GlobalCrypto, a provider of cryptographic security. Through this partnership Scribbos and GlobalCrypto will develop Scribbos:Intellicrypt, an intuitive desktop encryption solution that provides users with an easy-to-use identity management and strong authentication capability using RealMe™.
Scribbos:Intellicrypt will provide Scribbos with a cryptographic key pair in a digital image to exchange confidential and proprietary information among users through steganography. This process enables PKI-level security with strong bi-directional authentication, providing an additional layer of security whether data is at rest or in motion.
Jon Gatrell, Vice President of Product Management for Scribbos, said, “The addition of Scribbos:Intellicrypt on the desktop will provide our customers with the ability to encrypt files at rest and limit distribution of encrypted data using RealMe capabilities. Our strategic global partnership with Global Crypto positions Scribbos to be the only product in the industry to support self-service key and user management.”
Users simply select an image or photo, which is used to establish their unique cryptographic identity. Messages are encrypted when sent and safely stored until the user retrieves it. The sender is automatically notified when the message is retrieved by a “return receipt” message.
Todd Merrill, Founder and CEO of GlobalCrypto, said, “The partnership and development of Scribbos:Intellicrypt for ad-hoc Managed File Transfer and secure communications represents a key initiative for GlobalCrypto, as Scribbos provides a proven SaaS infrastructure and on-premise software solution for healthcare, financial and professional services organizations.”
To learn more about Scribbos or Scribbos:Intellicrypt, please visit www.scribbos.com or contact us at 678-366-7887 ext. 290. For information on GlobalCrypto’s technology, please visit: www.globalcrypto.com or call: 678-855-6116.
SoloHealth, a leader in self-service health screening, has partnered with Schnucks Markets, Inc., a regional grocery and pharmacy retailer, to bring EyeSite vision screening kiosks to 30 stores in the St. Louis area.
The interactive kiosks are free to use and provide consumers with a quick, accurate assessment of their near and distance vision. They also asses risk, provide relevant eye health information and encourage consumers to schedule a comprehensive eye exam with their eye care professional or select an eye doctor from a list of local providers.
The EyeSite kiosks are not a replacement for a regular eye exam. Rather, consumers answer a series of lifestyle questions on a touchscreen and are presented with various sized letters to determine near and distance acuity. They then receive a customized report of their results which they can share directly with their eye care professional.
According to Prevent Blindness America, a national non-profit organization, half of all blindness is preventable if eye problems are detected and treated early. For adults, data shows that the number of Americans with age-related eye disease, such as glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic eye disease, is expected to double by the year 2030.
“Too often, people don’t realize that their vision may deteriorate so slowly that it may be imperceptible,” said Bart Foster, CEO of SoloHealth. “They may think they have 20/20 vision, but in reality, eye disease may be forming. In fact, of the 175,000 people tested in our home base of Atlanta, 25 percent had never had an eye exam despite, in many cases, having risk factors such as family history of eye disease.”
Added Foster, “By partnering with Schnucks, we hope to encourage those in the St. Louis area to take a brief moment to stop by our free kiosks and make their vision health a priority. By taking care of our eyes today, we can help to preserve the gift of sight for years to come.”
“Schnucks has always been dedicated to bringing its shoppers solutions for the health and wellness of their families,” said Mike Jurgensmeyer, vice president for pharmacy and fuel. “Providing our customers with access to free vision screenings from SoloHealth’s EyeSite kiosks is big step in helping them take an active role in their overall health.”
Band Metrics announces today that it has received an investment from the Georgia Tech Edison Fund, an early-stage technology fund managed by ATDC.
“We’re thrilled about the investment and grateful to the ATDC, as the investment will assist us in completing our initial product offering for our public beta release later this year, and continued development in 2010,” stated Duncan Freeman, Founder and President of Band Metrics. “Additionally, we could not have asked for a better investment partner, as the ATDC, one of the nation’s leading university-based technology accelerators is committed to Atltlanta’s thriving technology community, and helping startups become successful companies.”
Savannah ATDC member company Balaya announced today that it will launch its flagship product, Tick-it, with The Savannah Morning News. The Savannah Morning News licensed Tick-it to expand their online brand and provide their customers with a way to link local news and information from SavannahNow directly to computer desktops. The deal will enable Balaya to gain exposure to the more than 400,000 unique visitors access the newspaper’s digital network.
Tick-it is a personalized communications hub that organizes web content and group conversations into private, secure information channels delivered directly to computer desktops. Tick-it is a persistent communications application that enables publishers and media outlets reach readers first with content and information. Running like a news ticker across the desktop or accessed via mobile phone, Tick-it blends the best elements of social networking, email, and RSS technology to deliver stronger brand engagement and create new revenue streams.
Congratulations to Balaya on finding a great partner like The Savannah Morning News to launch Tick-it.
If you recall, last month we announced that the incubator model in Atlanta (and Georgia) was changing. The SBIR Assistance Program for Georgia was merged into the newly expanded ATDC (Advanced Technology Development Center). This new relationship has enabled (and will continue to enable) more Georgia companies and researchers to learn about SBIR and STTR as well as expose those seeking SBIR/STTR funding to additional resources/assistance outside of SBIR/STTR.
In a move that will help foster the awareness of the full range of services ATDC offers, the SBIRGA.com blog will be incorporated with ATDC’s existing blog and portal. You do not need to do anything differently on your part if you don’t want to. You will still be able to to read the SBIR/STTR posts by going to SBIRGA.com or you can go directly to the ATDC section dedicated to SBIR (http://www.atdc.org/sbir). We hope, though, you WILL stop and take a look at all the services and opportunities provided at ATDC as there might be additional services which could help your business.
ATDC member PlayOn! Sports and the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) and announced the launch of the GHSA Digital Sports Network, a partnership providing multi-platform distribution of Georgia high school sports content, beginning in Fall 2009. Postseason coverage of all, yes all GHSA sports, will be made available to fans in a variety of live and on-demand formats across television, broadband, DVD, and download-to-own.
The initial content will contain archived prior-year playoff and championship events in football, basketball, volleyball, and wrestling. Inaugural events for the 2009 season are four football games from the Corky Kell Classic, on Saturday, August 22 at the Georgia Dome. Full game, on-demand access for these premier matchups (Starr’s Mill vs. Etowah; Brookwood vs. McEachern; Camden County vs. Grayson; Walton vs. Norcross) will be available on GHSA.tv immediately following the conclusion of play. Additional fall events will include postseason play in football, volleyball and softball.
Congrats to PlayOn! as they continue their drive to provide the tools necessary for media companies, academic institutions, and sport associations to produce high quality video coverage of live events that don’t get TV exposure.
There is more to being a successful SBIR company than just receiving the funding award. Understanding how to run and grow your business is critical. Learning about and making connections through networking can put your company (and technology) in front of just the right people that will make a difference when it comes time to commercialize your innovation or integrate your technology into another’s product.
The nationally recognized Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) helps Georgia technology entrepreneurs launch and build successful companies. Founded in 1980, ATDC has helped create millions of dollars in tax revenues by graduating more than 120 companies, which together have raised more than a billion dollars in outside financing. Since SBIRGA is now a service of ATDC, you, as Georgia entrepreneurs, can take advantage of the assistance ATDC provides.
This Thursday, ATDC will be hosting an Open Forum where you can come hear what ATDC has to offer and ask questions about all their services. Click here to learn more and to register.
This is a cross post from Stephen Fleming’s personal blog Academic VC. Stephen is a Vice Provost at Georgia Tech and the acting director of ATDC.
So by now you’ve seen the press release about reorganizing ATDC, VentureLab, and the SBIR Assistance Program under the single banner of ATDC. And that we’re throwing open the doors of ATDC to all technology entrepreneurs in Georgia.
This is different.
ATDC is almost thirty years old. (We’re going to have a thirty-year birthday bash next year; be sure to come!) And, throughout most of ATDC’s history, it’s been a very exclusive club. We usually get a couple of hundred applications a year, and usually accept about a dozen into membership.