To complement and further illuminate the core issues identified in the Methodology Report, the Committee has identified several special topics of interest. Such special topics may include:

• Aligning SBIR cycle time and research cycle time

  • Can SBIR cycle time and research time be better aligned?

    • For example, the SBIR cycle time may not suit electronics research, because of its short cycle time, but may be more compatible with biotech research.

    • For example, NIH stated that they need longer periods for their SBIR Programs--and, in fact, are using them.

  • How can the SBIR program cycles be better structured to facilitate electronics and software research?

  • What degree of flexibility on cycle time is available and how it is provided?

    • What are the advantages of this flexibility?

    • Could we suggest legislative changes to provide it?

• Facilitating transition between Phase I and II and Phase II and III

  • What incentives can be created to encourage the Phase II to Phase III transition?

    • For example, a commonly identified weakness in the SBIR is the transition from Phase II to "Phase III," i.e., the picking up of the project after it has been successfully demonstrated.

  • How can we get the program people involved in the Phase III effort

  • How are similar transitions handled between DARPA and the Service’s programs?

• The role of state governments

  • How can we study the impact state government perspectives and contributions?

  • What associations validly represent the states' interest in this type of activity and what are their views?

  • What similarities can we make among states’ that are particularly active in SBIR, e.g., Massachusetts, Maryland?

• The role of intellectual property and patent rights

• The effect of coupling SBIR with STTR

• The effect of Joint ventures and teaming

  • What benefits can be realized from "teaming" on SBIR Programs?

  • What if any anti-trust concerns that have to be considered in this light?

• The effect of other legislation on SBIR

  • What other legislative acts inter-relate with the SBIR Program?

  • Do these interrelationships have a positive or negative impact?

    • For example, the Bayh-Dole Act.

• The SBIR “mills” phenomenon

  • How prevalent is this phenomenon

  • Types/motivators of mills

  • How concentrated are they by agency?

  • What is the nature of the awards?

  • What are characteristics of mills that deal with one agency vs. those that deal with multiple agencies?

• The University Connection

  • How tightly are firms that are participating in SBIR linked to universities?

• Administrative best practices in SBIR

• The SBIR role in overcoming barriers to finance

  • Does SBIR crowd out private investment?

  • Does SBIR work as a signal to markets?