The US Department of Defense will open application to its Small Business Technology Transfer program Jan. 4. The grant program will award $30 million in 2000 to fund cooperative research and development efforts.

The department, which has awarded more than $120 million to small businesses and research institutions since 1994, will allow potential applicants to question the authors of the grant topics until Feb. 29. The topics are available on the Web at www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir.

The department will accept proposals from March 1 to April 12. To qualify, a company must have fewer than 500 employees, be US-owned and organized for profit.