United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1996-01-24 monographic deposited born digital 38 p. GA 1.13:RCED-96-19 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-19 P0b002ee180380657 f:rc96019 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-19 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-19 RCED-96-19 Technology transfer Research and development contracts Non-profit organizations Conflict of interest Small business assistance Disadvantaged persons Scientific research Technical proposal evaluation Small Business Technology Transfer Pilot Program Small Business Innovation Research Program Chapter Report RCED The nation's research institutions--its universities, federal laboratories, and nonprofit research organizations--account for about a quarter of all the scientists and engineers in the United States. To help move new knowledge from research institutions to industry, Congress authorized the Small Business Technology Transfer Pilot Program for three years, beginning in fiscal year 1994. Federal agencies rated the quality and commercial potential of winning proposals favorably in the program's first year. Technical experts, however, were cautious about the commercial potential, possibly because of the newness of the program. Agencies have taken steps to avoid potential conflicts of interest that might arise because of the close connection between federal agencies and research and development centers. In addition, the Departments of Defense and Energy, which accounted for almost all of the awards involving such centers, have taken steps to prevent the centers from using privileged information in preparing program proposals. Agency officials expressed differing views on the Technology Transfer Program's effect on the Small Business Innovation Research Program and other agency research and development, although none of them suggested any negative effects, such as competition between the two programs for quality proposals. The similarity of the two programs, however, raised questions about the need for a new program. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-19/html/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-19.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-19/pdf/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-19.pdf GAO/RCED-96-19 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-19 Chapter Report GAO/RCED-96-19; Federal Research: Preliminary Information on the Small Business Technology Transfer Program; Technology transfer Research and development contracts Non-profit organizations Conflict of interest Small business assistance Disadvantaged persons Scientific research Technical proposal evaluation Small Business Technology Transfer Pilot Program Small Business Innovation Research Program Public Law 102-564