Technology Development and Small Business Program Office of Technology Commercialization Technology Services National Institute of Standards and Technology • Technology Administration • U.S. Department of Commerce NIST is actively engaged in research in a wide range of technologies. The resulting technical expertise is a valuable resource to U.S. industry. NIST encourages businesses to use its expertise or to engage in collaborative research with its staff. Drawing upon these resources, a firm can reduce its product development time or leverage its internal technical resources. The Technology Development and Small Business Program provides several ways to access NIST's technologies, facilities, and technical capabilities. Industry can: • Access NIST's patents and other intellectual properties. The Technology Development Program operates as the node for all NIST patents and other intellectual properties. NIST has more than 120 intellectual properties in a variety of technologies available for licensing. • Collaborate with NIST on R&D efforts. NIST has worked with industry for decades and continues to seek R&D collaborations. NIST recognizes that person-to-person contact is often the most effective means to transfer and develop technology. Approximately 200 industrial R&D staff, termed Research Associates, from more than 80 firms are working with NIST staff each year. Most R&D collaborations are bilateral agreements; however, consortia are becoming an important part of NIST's activity. NIST has four active consortia and another five in development. An important benefit in collaborating with NIST is that the industrial partner may obtain exclusive rights in the jointly developed technology. For further information, ask for the booklet, Cooperative Research Opportunities at NIST. • Use unique NIST facilities for proprietary research measurements. NIST has a number of very high quality, unique measurement and technical facilities. Many of these facilities are prohibitively expensive for a firm to own and staff. Industry and NIST may use designated facilities as part of a joint venture, or industry may use them for proprietary research, reimbursing NIST for costs. For further information, ask for the booklet, Facilities, National Institute of Standards and Technology. • Perform independent research at NIST. NIST makes its facilities available, for limited dura- tions, to qualified non-NIST R&D staff to pursue individual scientific projects. To work independently at NIST, a guest researcher's technical objectives must be compatible with NIST's objectives. • Apply for Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) opportunities. The SBIR program sets aside a percentage of NIST's extramural budget for small business. NIST provides $35,000 in Phase I, which proves feasibility of the technol- ogy, and $200,000 in Phase II, which develops the technology. The Department of Commerce's SBIR program solicitations are released in mid-October with proposals being due in mid-January. • Support technology transfer internships. During FY92, NIST will offer five to ten internships to graduate student business- technical teams to evaluate and help commer- cialize NIST-developed technologies. A company can support a team to evaluate technologies of interest. NIST may also provide support. for further information about these, ac- tivities, contact 'Dr. 'Bruce T.. Odattson, Chief, Tecfmotyy 'Development and Smatt 'Business Trogram, 9{ationa£ Institute of Standards and TechnoCogy, 5\343 'Physics