Company certifications. Awardee firms must certify they are meeting program requirements not only at the time of award, but also at points during the lifecycle of the award. Lifecycle certification was recommended by a working group of Inspector Generals. This does not alter the policy that awardees may complete their SBIR/STTR award even if they no longer meet the definition of an SBC.

Stay tuned. NIH cannot implement the use of these certifications until SBA issues the final eligibility rules, which is expected by January 1, 2013.

Information systems. Agencies must: include on their website, and in each solicitation, a telephone hotline number or web-based method for reporting fraud, waste and abuse; include on the agency's website successful prosecutions of fraud, waste and abuse in the SBIR Program; designate at least one individual to serve as liaison for the SBIR/STTR Program to the Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the agency's Suspension and Debarment Official (SDO); and maintain procedures to enforce accountability (e.g. , creating templates for referrals to the OIG or SDO).

Effective immediately. The 2013 annual SBIR and STTR omnibus grant solicitation, the 2013 annual SBIR contract solicitation (just released in August 2012), and all future Funding Opportunity Announcements will include information about how to report fraud. NIH will also update its website with the required information.