The Small Business Technology Council (SBTC) and National Small Business Association (NSBA) honored contributors who aided in reauthorizing the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program at an awards ceremony on February 2, 2012, in Washington DC. As a board member on the SBTC, Dr. Greg Zacharias, President of Charles River, assisted in honoring award recipients.
The SBIR program was last authorized in 2002 and was supported for many years by stopgap legislation and temporary extensions. Starting in 2008, a three-year period of negotiations led to several congressional resolutions and a final reauthorization by the Senate as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). President Obama signed the bill in December 2011 that approved the SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs for six years. The award ceremony held on February 2, 2012 honored the efforts of small business owners and congressional policymakers who understand the importance of SBIR/STTR programs in bringing advanced technology into the government/commercial sector through the efforts of small businesses and academic institutions across the US.
Individuals recognized at the ceremony include Congress members Senator Scott Brown, Senator Olympia Snowe, Senator Mary Landrieu, Representative Niki Tsongas, Representative Ed Markey, and Representative Buck McKeon; Congressional Staffers Chris Averill, Kevin Wheeler, Sarah Christopherson, and William Spring; and SBTC leaders Jere Glover and Alec Orban, as well as many others.
Charles River also received an award at the ceremony for its efforts in helping to reauthorize the SBIR program. Shown to the left is Greg Zacharias receiving the award on behalf of Charles River.
