An Assessment of the SBIR Program at the Department of Defense

The SBIR program allocates 2.5 percent of 11 federal agencies' extramural R&D budgets to fund R&D projects by small businesses, providing approximately $2 billion annually in competitive awards. At the request of Congress, the National Academies conducted a comprehensive study of how the SBIR program has stimulated technological innovation and used small businesses to meet federal research and development needs. Drawing substantially on new data collection, this book examines the SBIR program at the Department of Defense and makes recommendations for improvements. Separate reports will assess the SBIR program at NSF, NIH, DOE, and NASA, respectively, along with a comprehensive report on the entire program.Table of ContentsFront MatterSummary1 Introduction2 Findings and Recommendations3 SBIR Awards at DoD4 Outcomes5 Phase III Challenges and Opportunities6 Program ManagementAppendixesAppendix A: DoD Data BookAppendix B: NRC Phase II and Firm SurveysAppendix C: NRC Phase I SurveyAppendix D: Case StudiesAppendix E: Bibliography