In this introductory module of the KeepYourEquities.co masterclass, Stacy Chin explains the National Science Foundation (NSF) – its origins, mission, and the pivotal role it plays in funding a quarter of all U.S. basic research and driving innovations such as the barcode, internet, and touchscreens. She then details the NSF’s SBIR and STTR programs, describing how they provide up to $2 million in non‑dilutive funding to help high‑risk, high‑reward startups transform ideas into marketable products. The video outlines the course’s goal: to teach founders how to align their innovations with NSF’s objectives, craft a compelling project pitch, and navigate the Phase I and Phase II application process. Chin also previews the masterclass curriculum – covering key application prompts, narrative structuring, fit assessment, submission steps, and post‑submission expectations – and invites viewers to access free module content on YouTube and enroll via the KeepYourEquities website.
Chapters
Welcome to the first module of KeepYourEquities.co's Mastering the Project Pitch, where you founders get a chance to secure up to $2 million of non-diluted funding from the National Science Foundation SBIR and STTR program, also known as America's Seed Fund. But first, let's chat about what is the National Science Foundation, or NSF, and why are they giving away this money? The NSF is an independent federal agency established by Congress in the 1950s, focused on advancing science and engineering through research and educational initiatives. Fun fact: the NSF actually funds a quarter of all federally funded basic research through U.S. universities and colleges. But their mission also extends beyond the basic research funding, since they also play a critical role in the national security, economic enhancement, and improving the overall quality of life. And the NSF supports a wide range of scientific disciplines from astrology to physics making substantial impacts on technology and society. Another fun fact: innovations like the barcode, internet, and touchscreens were all nurtured by NSF funding in their initial stages. Now, regarding the SBIR or STTR program, NSF's role is pivotal. It wants to empower high-risk and high-reward ideas from small businesses and startups by aiding in the transformation of promising concepts into marketable services and products. So understanding the NSF's ethos and missions and focus areas will be vital for you founders if you want to get your project pitch approved so that you get an opportunity to pursue a Phase I application and then eventually a Phase II. My goal in this course is to help you better understand how to best position your innovation, your startup, and your idea to ensure that your project pitch and then eventually SBIR application is best aligned to the NSF's mission and objectives in order to improve your chances of securing non-diluted funding. So with that, let's Let's now do a deep dive on the NSF SBIR/STTR program and how it could impact your startup and your innovative ideas. Come join me in the next section. Hey guys, thank you so much for checking out that small segment of our first module of KeepYourEquity.co's first ever online masterclass, Gateway to the NSF SBIR/STTR Program: America's Seed Fund. Whether you're a first-time entrepreneur or a seasoned founder, my goal for this masterclass is to empower you founders with all the necessary skill sets and knowledge that you'll need to put together a project pitch application so you can get invited to secure up to $2 million of non-dilutive funding through the SBIR and STTR program. And I've jam-packed over a decade of my experience as an SBIR consultant and reviewer for hundreds of startups on this straightforward 40-minute masterclass so you won't have to miss out. Here we'll hash out everything you need to know about the NSF Project Pitch application, including what are the key prompts you'll need to respond to within your application, how to best structure your narratives to those responses, strategies to determine whether or not your innovation is a good fit for the program. And then I'll walk you through how to submit your project pitch. You'll learn what to expect after you hit the submit button, and then I'm going to share my tips and tricks to help you prepare for your full Phase 1 SBIR or STTR application. Here's a summary of our course outline where I'll walk you through step by step through each aspect of the process to help you prepare a very competitive project pitch. And as a small bonus, we've released all the sections of Module 1 of our masterclass for free on our YouTube channel. So make sure to go to cheaperequity.co, check those out. So if you want to raise non-diluted funding for your startup, make sure to check out our website at keepyourfb.co and click on the course tab where we can try to tackle your project pitch together. And as always, thank you so much for joining me today, and I'll see you in a video very soon.
