SBIR Phase I:Netform and Simulation Optimization Training and Analysis Technologyfor Enhancing Entrepreneurial Skills and Activities of American Indian Reservation Communi

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to design a model and algorithmic approach and develop pilot software as a teaching tool for building proficiency in decision-making and analysis relating to economic and environmental impacts of new initiatives to support economic development planning for American Indian Reservation Communities. This work adds innovations in optimizing technologies, yielding capabilities for entrepreneurial education that do not currently exist. The software is anticipated to have widespread application for improving economic performance and quality of life on Native American Reservations. The broader impacts of this research include the potential to: a) improve entrepreneurial education applications for economic development planning; b) support significant social and economic initiatives; c) design a more effective approach using simulation and optimization techniques to economic planning; d) develop and market commercial-grade software that may be applied to other high-risk, highly complex development environments; e) attract downstream funding from sources including private capital firms, non-government agencies, and business alliance partners as it significantly increases economic performance; f) add to the body of knowledge in education applications, economic planning, and decision sciences that may be leveraged to enable additional research and development.