Understanding Keywords Part 1.
If you’ve ever submitted a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) proposal, you’re already aware of the intricate balance between creating a compelling, technically sound proposal and meeting the program’s requirements. A less obvious, but equally important challenge is ensuring your proposal includes relevant keywords without diluting the essence of your innovation. Effective use of keywords can help your proposal stand out to reviewers, showing that you understand both the technical landscape and the SBIR program’s goals. Here’s how to skillfully integrate keywords into your SBIR proposal without compromising its underlying idea.
At the end, I include one more bonus suggestion you can try using the SBIR Research Portal.
1. Understand the Importance of Keywords
Keywords are not just filler words to increase searchability or match solicitation requirements. They serve two primary purposes:
Targeting specific areas of interest: Including relevant keywords helps align your proposal with the specific technical areas the agency is looking to fund. If your project addresses cybersecurity in healthcare, for example, including terms like "data security," "encryption," or "HIPAA compliance" will immediately signal to reviewers that your work fits within that space.
Facilitating clear communication: Keywords make it easier for reviewers, who may not be experts in every field, to quickly grasp your project's relevance. Using industry-specific terms ensures they understand what you’re proposing and how it fits into current trends or needs.
2. Start by Analyzing the Solicitation Language
Every SBIR solicitation is carefully crafted with specific language that points toward the agency’s interests. Review the solicitation and extract phrases or technical terms that are frequently mentioned. For example, if the solicitation emphasizes the need for "cost-effective solutions for renewable energy," terms like "energy efficiency," "cost reduction," and "scalable solutions" should be central in your narrative.
Action step: Highlight or make a list of 10-15 key terms or phrases from the solicitation that align with your project. These should represent both the problem the agency seeks to solve and potential solutions.
3. Naturally Embed Keywords Into the Problem Statement
Once you have your list of terms, strategically place them in your problem statement and research objectives. Instead of forcing a keyword into a sentence, think about how that term fits within the larger context of your idea. For instance, if the keyword is "machine learning" and you’re proposing an AI-based solution, discuss how your approach leverages machine learning to tackle the specific problem outlined in the solicitation.
Example:
Original: “Our project aims to improve healthcare diagnostics.”
With Keyword: “Our project aims to improve healthcare diagnostics by leveraging advanced machine learning algorithms to enhance prediction accuracy and patient outcomes.”
4. Balance Technical Depth with Accessibility
While it’s important to include technical keywords, your SBIR proposal should still be readable and accessible to a broader audience, including reviewers with different levels of expertise. Avoid stuffing your proposal with jargon or using technical terms for their own sake. Instead, focus on clear communication that conveys the importance and impact of your work.
Use a mix of high-level and detailed terms to cover all aspects of your proposal. For instance, if you’re working on a new biopharmaceutical compound, you can balance technical specifics like "targeted peptide therapy" with broader terms like "innovative drug development."
ACTION: After drafting a section, review it to ensure that every keyword serves a purpose. If a word feels out of place or overly technical without contributing to the narrative, consider revising or removing it.
5. Use Keywords in Your Commercialization Plan
The commercialization plan is where you’ll discuss the broader market impact of your innovation. This is a prime area to incorporate business-related keywords such as "market adoption," "scalability," "return on investment," and "competitive advantage." These terms help position your project as not just a technical solution, but a viable business opportunity.
Example:
Original: “We expect strong market interest in our product.”
With Keyword: “We expect strong market adoption of our product due to its scalability and ability to deliver a competitive advantage in the healthcare diagnostics market.”
BONUS:
Step 1: Go to the SBIR Research Portal
Step 2: Search for the terms that are most relevant to your proposal topic.
If your proposal involves Hypersonics, there are a handful of companies with clear success in this field.
Step 3: Select the “info” button for several companies and review their abstracts to get a feel for their top keywords.
Select the Keyword View for an enhanced visual.
You can now see at a glance what words CFD uses in their proposals