Sbir Program Diversity And Assessment Challenges: Report Of A Symposium Program Diversity And Assessment Challenges Small Business Innovation Research Program Diversity And Assessment Challenges

In response to a Congressional mandate, the National Research Council conducted a review of the Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) at the five federal agencies with SBIR programs with budgets in excess of $100 million (DOD, NIH, NASA, DOE, and NSF). The project was designed to answer questions of program operation and effectiveness, including the quality of the research projects being conducted under the SBIR program, the commercialization of the research, and the program's contribution to accomplishing agency missions. The first in a series to be published in response to the Congressional request, this report summarizes the presentations at a symposium convened at the beginning of the project. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the SBIR program's operations at the five agencies responsible for 96 percent of the program's operations. As The Small Business Innovation Research (sbir) Program Approached Its Twentieth Year Of Operation, The U.s. Congress Asked The National Research Council (nrc) To Carry Out A Comprehensive Study Of How The Sbir Program Has Stimulated Technological Innovation And Used Small Businesses To Meet Federal Research And Development Needs And Make Recommendations On Improvements To The Program. An Initial Conference To Launch This Assessment Was Convened In Washington, D.c. On 24 October 2002. It Provided An Opportunity For Agency Officials From Each Of The Five Departments And Agencies Accounting For 96 Percent Of Sbir Program Funds To Provide An Overview Of Their Goals, Operations, And Challenges. It Also Included Contributions From Other Agencies With Sbir Programs. As The First Comprehensive Perspective On The Sbir Program, The Conference Captured New Information And Understanding Of Its Operation, Challenges, And Potential. It Also Reviewed The Many Measurement Challenges Involved In Assessing The Impact Of This Varied And Complex Program. Finally, The Conference Drew Attention To The Fact That While Sbir Operations And Accomplishments Are Sometimes Discussed In General Terms, The Actual Implementation Of The Program Is Carried Out In Agencies With Quite Distinct Missions And Interests. Charles W. Wessner, Editor ; Committee On Capitalizing On Science, Technology, And Innovation--an Assessment Of The Small Business Innovation Research Program, Policy And Global Affairs Division, National Research Council Of The National Academies. Publication From: National Academies Press Website. Title From Pdf T.p. Includes Bibliographical References. Also Issued In Printing. Mode Of Access: World Wide Web. System Requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Mode Of Access: World Wide Web. In response to a Congressional mandate, the National Research Council conducted a review of the Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) at the five federal agencies with SBIR programs (DOD, NIH, NASA, DOE, and NSF). The first in a series, this report provides an overview of the SBIR program's operations at these agencies.