SBIR@Connect: Technology Transfer at NIWC Pacific
Office of Research and Technology Applications, Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific (NIWC Pacific)
Hosted by

Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, NAVWAR
Through a partnership with the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, NIWC Pac, SBIR@Connect hopes to promote economic growth in our region by fostering connections between government, industry, and academia.
SBIR@Connect is excited to start the 2023 year by highlighting NIWC Pacific’s Technology Transfer (T2) Office.
NIWC Pacific’s Office of Research and Technology Applications (ORTA) (more commonly known as the Technology Transfer (T2) Office) coordinates, directs, and manages domestic T2 activities at NIWC Pacific. This includes facilitating various partnership agreements with external entities, engaging the regional ecosystem, combining T2 tools in creative ways, assessing and marketing NIWC Pacific technology and facilities, and supporting the spin-in of external technologies. The goal of these activities is to improve the value of innovation and creative work accomplished at NIWC Pacific, and benefit the U.S. economy.
NIWC Pacific is a Navy research and engineering command primarily focused on providing technical solutions for the Navy in a wide variety of areas running the gamut from basic research, engineering, development, to life-cycle support. For more information, please click here or watch our Navy Overview tutorial video below.
Tuesday, January 31st, 2023
1pm – 2pm PST

Workshop Agenda:
Learning Objectives:
Technology Transfer – Is my technology the right fit for NIWC PAC?
Meet the Speakers

Paul Herbert
Technology Transfer Director, Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific (NIWC Pacific)
Paul Herbert is the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific (NIWC Pacific) Technology Transfer Director. NIWC Pacific is a Navy research and engineering command primarily focused on providing technical solutions for the Navy in a wide variety of areas (command and control, communications, computer technology, intelligence, surveillance, cyberspace, unmanned control systems, ocean engineering, antenna design) running the gamut from basic research, engineering, development, to life-cycle support.
Paul retired from the Navy after 20yrs, having started his naval career as a Submarine Officer and finished as an Engineering Duty Officer. He transitioned to SSC Pacific in 2008, where he started work in the networks division, and then as Deputy for Operations for the S&T Department before becoming the T2 Director in 2016. Paul received his BS in Computer Science from the US Naval Academy (’89), and his MS in Applied Physics from the Naval Postgraduate School (’98).

Stephen Crutchfield
Technology Transfer (T2) professional in the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific T2 Office
Stephen Crutchfield is a Technology Transfer (T2) professional in the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific T2 Office. Crutchfield’s T2 career began in 2009 developing marketing materials and videos to promote NIWC Pacific technologies available for commercialization. Crutchfield currently facilitates T2 agreements, including Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, License Agreements, Education Partnership Agreements, and Partnership Intermediary Agreements. He has facilitated over 125 T2 agreements covering a broad range of topics. The Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer Far West Region named Crutchfield the T2 Professional of the Year in 2019. Crutchfield holds a double Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Religion from Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, Calif., and a Master of Arts in Television, Film, and New Media Production from San Diego State University.

Shadi Azoum
NAVWAR SBIR/STTR Program Manager
Mr. Shadi Azoum is the current Program Manager for the NAVWAR Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR), and Rapid Innovation Fund (RIF) Program Management Offices. He has served in this position since June 2016. Prior to this position, Mr. Azoum led the Science and Technology (S&T) portfolio for PEO C4I, PMW 130 (Information Assurance and Cyber Security Program Office) as the Assistant Program Manager (APM) for Science and Technology (S&T) since May 2011. Mr. Azoum has a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Computer Science and a Master of Science (MS) in Information Security from Florida State University.

Gretel von Son
Connect SBIR/STTR Director
Gretel von Son is the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Director at Connect, a position created to support the SBIR/STTR Program by helping make connections between government, industry and academia, more accessible. Gretel previously supported the NAVWAR SBIR/STTR Program Office, and has experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. She has published work in Advanced Materials, ACS Nano and Nature Communications. Gretel has earned a Bachelor’s in Chemistry, and a Master’s in Business Administration.

SBIR@Connect aims to drive innovation through collaboration with government agencies.
In partnership with the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific (NIWC Pac), SBIR@Connect hopes to promote economic growth in our region by fostering connections between government, industry, and academia.
The Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Program aims to bring non-dilutive funding to eligible companies to help address government research and development needs, while striving for innovation and the commercialization of products/efforts. Although there are multiple agencies that participate in the SBIR/STTR Program, the DoD makes up a large percentage of participation. SBIR@Connect’s partnership focuses on the Navy, specifically, the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, NAVWAR.
To boost interactions and promote collaboration — SBIR@Connect is developing a set of workshops introducing the various programs and opportunities to work with the Navy.
For more information, please visit the SBIR@Connect page or contact us below.