Congress should direct NSF to establish stronger university entrepreneurship metrics and use them to provide stronger incentives for commercializing research.

To Do: Direct NSF to Establish Stronger University Entrepreneurship Metrics

The National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program focuses on high-growth startups and commercializing federally funded research and development (R&D). Other federal agencies should consider emulating this model.

Becoming America’s Seed Fund: Why NSF’s SBIR Program Should Be a Model for the Rest of Government

Becoming America's Seed Fund: Why NSF's SBIR Program Should Be a Model for the Rest of Government

Congress should allocate a share of federal research funding to promote technology transfer and commercialization, such as through a “Spurring Commercialization of Our Nation’s Research” program.

Partly Done: Allocate a Share of Federal Research Funding to Tech Transfer and Commercialization

Congress should focus the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) programs on the highest-impact opportunities with the greatest potential to be commercialized.

To Do: Focus the SBIR and STTR Programs on the Highest-Impact Opportunities

While the U.S. government should expand federal support for scientific research, it also should improve the efficiency with which federally funded knowledge creation leads to innovation and jobs.

Comments to the National Institute of Standards and Technology Regarding Federal Technology Transfer Authorities and Processes

Congress should fund a pilot program supporting experimental approaches to technology transfer and commercialization, and the administration should require labs to collect metrics, identify barriers, and hold labs accountable. 

To Do: Support Experimental Approaches to Tech Transfer and Commercialization

Congress should allow a greater share of SBIR and STTR grant awards to be used for commercialization activities ranging from intellectual-property development and prosecution to marketing and staff recruitment.

To Do: Allow More SBIR and STTR Awards to Be Used for Commercialization

The Energy Department should expand its Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program (LEEP) across all the national laboratories it oversees.

To Do: Expand DOE’s LEEP Program

To Do: Expand DOE's LEEP Program

In testimony before the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, Stephen Ezell highlighted the successes of federal small business programs directed toward innovation research and technology transfer and argued there is much more to be done to promote technology transfer and commercialization.

To Do: Expand NSF’s I-Corps Program

Recommendation

Details

Editors’ Recommendations

Transition Memo to President Trump: How to Spur Innovation, Productivity, and Competitiveness

Related

To Do: Direct NSF to Establish Stronger University Entrepreneurship Metrics

Becoming America’s Seed Fund: Why NSF’s SBIR Program Should Be a Model for the Rest of Government

Partly Done: Allocate a Share of Federal Research Funding to Tech Transfer and Commercialization