The National Science Foundation wants more university scientists to get into the technology transfer act. But a new program to do just that seeks only one tenth its originally planned funding. It also offers little assurance that the program will be around long enough to generate any commercial products. In addition, NSF officials have questioned whether the foundation, given its mission to support basic research, should fund any projects beyond the first phase of an expected three-phase program.
Supporters say they are happy that the program even made it into the budget request.
Yet with such a small amount, there's no telling whether the program will survive the budgetary gauntlet. Under SBIR, proposals come from the participating companies, and the principal investigators have to be employed primarily at those companies. This requirement has sometimes forced faculty to leave their institutions to start their own companies, or take time off so they could pursue their ideas. To solve that problem, the CUIR would allow universities and their faculty to apply directly for funding. These grants would support six-month pilot projects designed to demonstrate the potential of the research.