SBIR & STTR Topics for Education Technology Companies in Illinois

There are 15 open federal SBIR/STTR topics right now that match Education Technology capabilities, across DOD, NIH, NSF, DOE, NASA, USDA, and 5 other agencies. Below: the current open topic list, recent Education Technology winners headquartered in Illinois, the Illinois SBDC SBIR contact, and how TopicScout compares to SBIR.gov / Grants.gov / HigherGov / Instrumentl for finding the next topic to apply to.

Open Education Technology topics (15)

1. Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) (K12 Clinical Trial Optional) — National Institutes of Health · closes 2026-05-28
   The NIH Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) and participating NIH Institutes and Centers invite institutional career development award applications for Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH)…
2. Regional Alliances and Multistakeholder Partnerships to Stimulate (RAMPS) Cybersecurity Education and Workforce Development — National Institute of Standards and Technology · closes 2026-05-28
   The NIST NICE program is seeking applications from eligible applicants for activities to establish community-based partnerships to develop cybersecurity career pathways that address local workforce needs. Effective multistakeholder workforc…
3. Mill Creek Natural Resource Training and Education — Walla Walla District · closes 2026-05-28
   The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is seeking organizations to enter into a cooperative agreement for outdoor education and training, flood control infrastructure maintenance, effective environmental and recreational resource manageme…
4. Dworshak Natural Resource Training and Education — Walla Walla District · closes 2026-05-30
   The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is seeking organizations to enter into a cooperative agreement for outdoor education and training, flood control infrastructure maintenance, effective environmental and recreational resource manageme…
5. 2026 Marine Mammal Co-Management Grant Program — DOC NOAA - ERA Production · closes 2026-05-31
   The National Marine Fisheries Service (hereinafter, "NMFS") recognizes the unique importance of marine mammals to Alaska Native Organizations (hereinafter, "ANOs") and values ongoing efforts by Alaska Native Organization…
6. Tribal Colleges and Universities Program — U.S. National Science Foundation · closes 2026-06-01
   The Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) provides awards to federally recognized1 Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native-serving institutions, and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions to promote high quality science (inc…
7. NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program — U.S. National Science Foundation · closes 2026-06-01
   The NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program (EGFP) provides an opportunity for applicants who received the distinction of GRFP Honorable Mention no more than three years before the proposal due date to be named NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellows an…
8. Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program — National Institute of Food and Agriculture-eRA · closes 2026-06-01
   The purpose of the Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program (SLSNCGP), Assistance Listing 10.511, is to support innovative, education-based approaches to address disaster preparedness and potential responses to natural, human-ma…
9. USGS Cooperative Landslide Hazard Mapping and Assessment Program Announcement for Fiscal Year 2026 — Geological Survey · closes 2026-06-08
   The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Landslide Hazards Program announces a funding opportunity under the Cooperative Landslide Hazard Mapping and Assessment Program, established by the National Landslide Preparedness Act (Public Law 116-323). …
10. Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program — National Institute of Food and Agriculture · closes 2026-06-08
    The FRTEP seeks to continue the Land-grant mission of providing education and research-based knowledge to those who might not otherwise receive it. The program provides funding for Extension programs that address the unique needs of Tribal …
11. NEI Institutional Mentored Physician Scientist Award (K12 Clinical Trial Optional) — National Institutes of Health · closes 2026-06-09
    The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to encourage institutions to propose creative and innovative institutional research career development programs which will prepare clinically trained vision scientists for independ…
12. Understanding and Promoting Resources and Opportunities for People with Autism and Fragile X and their Families Across the Lifespan — Centers for Disease Control - NCBDDD · closes 2026-06-15
    The goal of this NOFO is to gather unique information not collected by other federal programs to gain a better understanding of the resources (e.g., services, supports) and opportunities (e.g., education, employment, housing, social partici…
13. Resident Instruction Grants for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas Agriculture and Food Science Facilities and Equipment Program for Insular Areas — National Institute of Food and Agriculture · closes 2026-06-15
    The purpose of the RIIA and AGFEI programs, under Assistance Listing number 10.308, is to promote and strengthen the ability of eligible institutions in the Insular Areas to carry out education and research, respectively, within the food an…
14. Distance Education Grants Program for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas — National Institute of Food and Agriculture · closes 2026-06-15
    The purpose of the DEG program, under assistance listing number 10.322, is to strengthen the capacity of institutions of higher education in insular areas to carry out resident instruction, curriculum, and teaching programs in the food and …
15. Alaska Native-Serving and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Education Competitive Grants Program — National Institute of Food and Agriculture · closes 2026-06-16
    The purpose of this program, under Assistance Listing Number 10.228, is to promote and strengthen the ability of Alaska Native-serving Institutions and Native Hawaiian-serving Institutions to carry out education, applied research, and relat…

Recent Education Technology SBIR winners in Illinois

1. BRITESEED, LLC (Chicago, Illinois) — Department of Health and Human Services Phase II 2023, $497,923
   Custom Sensor Manufacturing and Regulatory Preparation Assistance for Novel Intraoperative Ureter Detection Device
2. SAROS THERAPEUTICS INC (Riverwoods, Illinois) — Department of Health and Human Services Phase II 2023, $1,196,731
   Process Development and Preclinical Advancement of a Novel Nanoparticle Formulation for Immune Activation
3. MIDWEST BIOPROCESSING CENTER LLC (Peoria, Illinois) — Department of Health and Human Services Phase II 2023, $930,179
   Production of Natural Deoxysugars for Use in Chemical Synthesis of Glycosides
4. HUMAN CELL CO (Naperville, Illinois) — Department of Health and Human Services Phase II 2023, $981,060
   Optimizing NGF for Topical Treatment of Glaucoma
5. GLUCOSENTIENT INC (Champaign, Illinois) — Department of Health and Human Services Phase I 2023, $269,000
   A point-of-care salivary cytokine test for early detection of oral cancer
6. SYNAPTICURE INC (Kenilworth, Illinois) — Department of Health and Human Services Phase I 2023, $499,999
   Mature brain organoid platform for therapeutic screening for ALS/FTD
7. GROVE BIOPHARMA, INC. (Chicago, Illinois) — Department of Health and Human Services Phase I 2023, $246,702
   Selective Activators of Nrf2 for Neurodegenerative Disease
8. RIPTIDE THERAPEUTICS LLC (EVANSTON, Illinois) — Department of Health and Human Services Phase I 2023, $400,000
   SBIR TOPIC #446 PHASE I -DEVELOPMENT OF SENOTHERAPEUTIC AGENTS FOR CANCER TREATMENT

How to find SBIR topics: TopicScout vs alternatives

SBIR.gov is the canonical source — every SBIR/STTR topic posts there first. TopicScout's value isn't access; it's the cap-statement scoring + weekly digest so you stop scanning portals by hand. Try the free matcher against your statement — takes a paragraph, no signup.

FAQ

How do I find open SBIR topics for a Education Technology company in Illinois?

The canonical source is SBIR.gov, which lists every open SBIR/STTR topic across all 11 federal agencies. To filter to Education Technology-relevant topics that match your specific tech, paste your capability statement into TopicScout's free matcher — it scores all open topics against your cap statement in ~60 seconds. Illinois SBIR firms also get help from the Illinois SBDC and state matching-fund programs.

What's the best SBIR matching tool for Education Technology startups?

For solo founders: TopicScout's $29/mo plan covers all 11 agencies with weekly AI-scored digests. For consulting firms supporting multiple clients: TopicScout institutional plan ($500–2k/mo flat) or HigherGov ($500–5k/yr). For nonprofits (not SBIR-eligible): Instrumentl. SBIR.gov itself is free but requires manual scanning.

Which agencies fund the most Education Technology SBIR/STTR work?

Based on the current open topic list, the top agencies for Education Technology are visible in the topic list above. Historically: DARPA + AFWERX + Navy SBIR for defense-adjacent Education Technology, NIH + CDC for health-adjacent, NSF + DOE for foundational R&D.