Tibbetts Award
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The Tibbetts Award ("Tibbie") is a national award made annually to those small firms, projects, organizations, and individuals judged to exemplify the very best in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) achievement. The award was established in 1995 and the first awards were made in 1996.[1] The award was named after Roland Tibbetts of the National Science Foundation.[1]
Tibbetts Awards recognize accomplishments where, in the judgement of those closely involved and often most immediately affected, the stimulus of SBIR funding has made an important and definable difference.
In selection for Tibbetts Awards, the focus is primarily on:
- Economic impact of technological innovation
- Business achievement and effective collaborations
- Demonstrated state and regional impact and proven support
Tibbetts "Hall of Fame" awards were first presented in 2011, to recognize small businesses that "exemplify notable lifetime achievement in innovation research and that have achieved extraordinary success as a result of the SBIR program."[2]
Hiatus and return
In 2007 the Tibbetts award went on hiatus and was not awarded for the years 2008, 2009, and 2010. In 2011, forty-four companies and eight individuals were selected to receive the award. Tibbets Awards were awarded to businesses ranging from medical device companies such as MedShape Solutions, to electronics manufacturers such as Qualcomm, Inc, and to nanobiotechnology companies such as ANP Technologies.[3] Following 2016, the award again went on hiatus and was not awarded for the years 2017, 2018, and 2019. It returned in 2020 when 38 companies received the Tibbetts award as well as 14 individuals.[4]
