Stacy L ChinFounder, KeepYourEquity · I get the government to write you checks

Biosketches are a critical part of your SBIR application SHORT

9 Feb 2023 · 1 min

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In this short guidance video, the speaker emphasizes that biosketches are mandatory, high‑impact documents in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) proposals. Reviewers use them to assess whether the principal investigator (PI) and senior personnel possess the expertise needed to execute the project. The speaker advises applicants to invest significant effort in making each team member’s biosketch stand out, ensuring it includes education, a concise one‑paragraph biography, work history, and highlights of awards, patents, and publications. Additionally, the speaker warns that each funding agency may require a distinct biosketch format, so applicants must carefully read the solicitation and follow the specific formatting rules.

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Biosketches are such an important part of your SBIR application. Typically, these are mandatory documents that you have to include in your application that highlights the background and key expertise of the principal investigator, or PI, along with each of the senior key personnel on your team. And for that reason, you want to spend a lot of time making sure that you and each of your team members can shine on paper. And that's because reviewers are looking at your biosketches and making an evaluation as to whether you and your team are the right people to carry out the proposal. For example, to prepare an NIH application, you want each —of the biosketches to include the person's education, a one-paragraph bio, their work and history and employment. And you want to highlight any awards, patents, or publications they have in the past as well. And each agency will require a different biosketch format, so you want to make sure you read the solicitation carefully and follow those requirements.