The Small Business Innovation Research Program

In 1992, Congress for the first time explicitly directed the federal agencies making SBIR grants to use commercial potential as a criterion for granting SBIR awards. In response, the Department of Defense developed the SBIR Fast Track initiative, which provides expedited decision-making for SBIR awards to companies that have commitments from outside vendors. To verify the effectiveness of this initiative, the DoD asked the STEP Board to assess the operation of Fast Track. This volume of original field research includes case studies comparing Fast Track and non-Fast Track firms, a large survey of SBIR awardees, and statistical analyses of the impact of regular SBIR and Fast Track awards. Collectively, the commissioned papers and the findings and recommendations represent a significant contribution to our understanding of the SBIR program.Table of ContentsFront MatterI. PrefaceII. IntroductionIII. Recommendations and FindingsIV. Papers: Fast Track: Is It Speeding Commercialization ofDepartment of Defense Small Business Innovation Research Projects?An Assessment of the Small Business Innovation Research rogram inNew England: Fast Track Compared with Non-Fast Track ProjectsPatterns of Firm Participation in the Small Business InnovationResearch Program in Southwestern and Mountain StatesDoes the Small Business Innovation Research Program FosterEntrepeneurial Behavior? Evidence from IndianaAn Assessment of the Small Business Innovation Research Fast TrackProgram in the Southeastern StatesEvaluation of the Department of Defense Small Business InnovationResearch Program and the Fast Track Initiative: A Balanced ApproachRole of the Department of Defense in Building Biotech ExpertiseEstimates of the Social Returns to Small Business InnovationResearch ProjectsStatistical Analysis of the National Academy of Sciences Survey ofSBIR Awardees: Analyzing the Influence of the Fast Track ProgramEvaluating the Small Business Innovation Research Program: ALiterature ReviewAnnex A. Research Team BiographiesAnnex B. ParticipantsAnnex C. Case Study TemplateAnnex D. Description of Department of Defense SBIR Fast TrackProgramAnnex E. Bibliography