At a news conference attended by members of the research, business and investment communities, U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., announced his plans to push for a reauthorization of the Small Business Innovation Research grants program — including a dramatic increase in how much federal money could be targeted for the program. Click here to read a Wisconsin State Journal story on the news conference. Read below for a statement on the SBIR legislation by an informal working group.
Sept. 3, 2008
The following is a statement of general principles issued by a working group convened by the Wisconsin Technology Council.
The best interests of Wisconsin’s entrepreneurial, investor and technology communities would be served by a SBIR reauthorization act that…
- Furthers the historic mission of SBIR, which was created to develop and enable innovative research and development ideas, while simultaneously moving those ideas down the path to creating companies and jobs.
- Creates a “bigger pie” in terms of the overall availability of SBIR grant dollars within participating agencies.
- Recognizes that the size of grants, regardless of phase, must increase to accommodate the trend toward interdisciplinary research as a vehicle for moving the best ideas ahead.
- Facilitates the entry of new companies and technologies into a competitive R&D pipeline while increasing the ability to transition those technologies into valuable products and services.
- Provides equal access to the best innovations from qualified companies that fully meet SBIR small business standards.
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