The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs provide federal research and development funding to small businesses. One of the the goals of these programs is to foster and encourage participation by minority and disadvantaged persons in technological innovation. Innovation, Diversity, and Success in the SBIR/STTR Programs is the summary of a workshop convened in February 2013 that focused on the participation of women, minorities, and both older and younger scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs in the SBIR and STTR programs, with the goal of reviewing current efforts to expand the pool of SBIR/STTR-funded researchers and of identifying mechanisms for improving participation rates. This report is a record of the presentation and discussions of the event.

Contents

• THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
• Committee on Capitalizing on Science, Technology, and Innovation: An Assessment of the Small Business Innovation Research Program—Phase II
• Preface
• 1. Introduction
  • THE ROLE OF THE SBIR AND STTR PROGRAMS
  • NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL STUDY OF THE SBIR AND STTR PROGRAMS
  • WORKSHOP ON DIVERSITY IN THE SBIR/STTR PROGRAMS
  • THE WORKSHOP SUMMARY REPORT
  • THE NATIONAL NEED FOR A DIVERSE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING WORKFORCE
  • PARTICIPATION BY WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN THE SBIR AND STTR PROGRAMS
  • THE VALUE OF DIVERSITY IN INNOVATION
• 2. Moving Forward: Finding Solutions
  • EXPANDING THE POOL OF APPLICANTS: INCREASING THE PIPELINE AND IMPROVING OUTREACH
  • ELIMINATING BARRIERS IN AWARD APPLICATIONS AND SELECTION
  • PROVIDING GREATER SUPPORT FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING AND COMMERCIALIZATION EFFORTS
• 3. Opening Remarks: Defining the Issue
  • DISCUSSION
• 4. Women and the SBIR Program
  • DISCUSSION
• 5. Profiles of Scientists and Engineers and an Aging Workforce
  • DISCUSSION
• 6. SBIR/STTR and Support for Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Scientists and Engineers
  • DISCUSSION
• 7. Cases of Successful High-Tech Entrepreneurship
  • DISCUSSION
• 8. Roundtable Discussion
• APPENDIXES
  • Appendix A Agenda
  • Appendix B Participants List
  • Appendix C Data on Woman and Minority Participation in the SBIR Program at the Department of Defense
  • Appendix D Bibliography

Rapporteurs: Sujai J. Shivakumar and David E. Dierksheide.

This activity was supported by Grant No. HQ0034-10-D-0003, DO#1 between the National Academy of Sciences and Department of Defense; Contract/Grant No. NNX07AJ53G between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and Contract/Grant No. DMI-0221736 between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

Suggested citation:

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2015. Innovation, Diversity, and the SBIR/STTR Programs. Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.