An Assessment of the SBIR Program at the Department of Defense (2009) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Pages 12-22
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 13... ...
of the National Academies conduct 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.2 Mandated as a part of SBIR's renewal in December 2000, the NRC study has assessed the SBIR program as administered at the five federal agencies that together make up 96 percent of SBIR program expenditures. The agencies are, in decreasing order of program size: the Department of Defense (DOD)
|
From page 14... ...
Since the SBIR program's inception at DoD, all SBIR awards have been contracts awarded on a competitive basis. As conceived in the 1982 Act, SBIR's grant-making process is structured in three phases: Phase I grants essentially fund feasibility studies in which award winners undertake a limited amount of research aimed at establishing an idea's scientific and commercial promise.
|
From page 15... ...
at $525 million. The DoD SBIR program, is made up of 10 participating components: (see Figure 1)
|
From page 16... ...
It called for a two-phase assessment by the National Research Council of the broader impacts of the program.11 The goals of the SBIR program, as set out in the 1982 legislation, are: "(1) to stimulate technological innovation; (2)
|
From page 17... ...
At DoD, the program is spread across the three services and seven agencies involving widely different missions, ranging from missile defense to Navy submarines to Army support for special forces to the special needs of DARPA. This flexibility is a positive attribute in that it permits each agency to adapt its SBIR program to the agency's particular mission, scale, and working culture.
|
From page 18... ...
This non-linearity, illustrated in Figure 1-2, underscores the challenge of assessing the impact of the SBIR program's individual awards. Inputs do not match up with outputs according to a simple function.15 FIGURE 1-2 A Feedback Model of Innovation.
|
From page 19... ...
The task of measuring outcomes is also made harder because companies that have garnered SBIR awards can also merge, fail, or change their name before a product reaches the market. In addition, principal investigators or other key individuals can change firms, carrying their knowledge of an SBIR project with them.
|
From page 20... ...
" This raises the issue concerning the standard by which SBIR programs should be evaluated. An assessment of SBIR must take into account the expected distribution of successes and failures in early-stage finance.
|
From page 21... ...
The Committee found that the SBIR program at DoD is, in general, meeting the legislative and mission-related objectives of the program. The program is contributing directly to enhanced capabilities for the Department of Defense and the needs of those charged with defending the country.
|
From page 22... ...
Chapter 6 describes the diversity of management structures as well as current practices and recent reforms found among the different services and agencies that fund SBIR programs at DoD. Together, this report provides the most detailed and comprehensive picture to date of the SBIR program at the Department of Defense.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.