Congresswoman Hochul Announces NASA Grant For Ensensors, Inc. In Amherst

Press Release

Congresswoman Kathy Hochul today announced that Esensors Inc., based in Amherst, has been chosen by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as one of 300 small business research and technology projects in negotiation for a grant of nearly $125,000.

"This grant is excellent news for the employees of Esensors, as well as the Western New York business and technology community," said Congresswoman Hochul. "The talented workforce and educational institutions available in Western New York have put our small business community at the forefront of the research industry. This funding will help make advancements in the science and technology community and I applaud NASA for choosing Esensors Inc. for this major research project."

In coordination with the University at Buffalo's Electrical Engineering department, this grant will be used for the "Hot-Electron Nanobolometers Based on Disordered GaN Heterostructures" project, which researches how to make a device that would detect radiation in a certain areas of space. Ensensors Inc. has received small business grants from NASA in the past.

The grant, in negotiations through NASA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project, is a highly competitive program, based on a three-phase award system. Phase I is a feasibility study to evaluate the scientific and technical merit of an idea. Awards are typically for six months for the SBIR contracts, in amounts up to $125,000. Firms successfully completing Phase I are eligible to submit Phase II proposals, expanding on the results of Phase I. Phase III includes commercialization of the results of Phase II, and requires the use of private sector or non-SBIR federal funding as innovations move from the laboratory to the marketplace.

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