The National Science Foundation (NSF) SBIR/STTR programs focus on transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial potential and/or societal benefit. The NSF funds high-risk, high-payoff projects across the spectrum of science, technology, engineering, and manufacturing. Minnesota firms with a formal NSF invitation are automatically accepted in the Minnesota SBIR/STTR Accelerator.

Download a searchable PDF of the full list of technology topic areas that also includes descriptions of the subtopics.

NSF broad technology topic areas include:

• Advanced Analytics
• Advanced Manufacturing
• Advanced Materials
• Artificial Intelligence
• Augmented and Virtual Reality
• Biological Technologies
• Biomedical Technologies
• Chemical Technologies
• Cloud and High-Performance Computing
• Cybersecurity and Authentication
• Digital Health
• Distributed Ledger
• Energy Technologies
• Environmental Technologies
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Instrumentation and Hardware Systems
• Internet of Things
• Learning and Cognition Technologies
• Medical Devices
• Mobility
• Nanotechnology
• Other Topics
• Pharmaceutical Technologies
• Photonics
• Power Management
• Quantum Information Technologies
• Robotics
• Semiconductors
• Space
• Wireless Technologies