The special category of SBIR Pioneers was established to give the appropriate recognition to those very few individuals whose role in, and contribution to, SBIR has been particularly noteworthy -- whose commitment to, and achievement in, this important federal program transends any state line or region.

These awards are not considered part of the regular nomination and review process and are not a factor in the judging process. Primarily drawn from those who were early involved in the establishment of the (then) highly controversial federal program in the late seventies and early eighties, these are people without whom, there is little question, there probably would not be an SBIR Program at all, or certainly not a program in the form and to the extent it now operates.

In the first year of the Tibbetts Awards - 1996 - FOUR such nominations were forthcoming (one joint). In 1997, FIVE more of these awards were made (one joint).

• Milton D. and Joan Stewart, Small Business
  High Technology Institute, Phoenix, AZ (1996)
  
  
• Roland Tibbetts, NSF SBIR Program Mgr (Retired),
  Great Falls, VA (1996)
  
  

  ---

• Ritchie Coryell, SBIR Program Manager,
  National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA (1997)
  
  
• Robert Dean, Jr., Synergy Research
  Corporation, Hanover, NH (1996)
  
  
• Dr. Orrie Friedman, The Grenfell Development
  Corporation, Cambridge, MA (1997)
  
  
• Dr. Gary Hendrix, Founder and First President,
  Symantec, Austin, TX (1996)
  
  
• Lee W. Mercer, NASBIC, National Association of Small
  Business Investment Corporations, Washington, DC (1997)
  
  
• Gary Morgenthaler, Morgenthaler Ventures,
  Menlo Park, CA (1997)
  
  
• Drs. Arthur and Judith Obermayer., Moleculon
  Research Corporation, Newton, MA (1997)