FEDERALhearing transcript

Hearing on Improving Small Business Innovation and Technology Programs

Original title: IMPROVING THE SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH AND SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROGRAMS

January 1, 2017

small business innovation technology transfer federal research grants SBA GAO

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

The Frame

What this does

The hearing examines how federal research and development funding is distributed to small businesses, which directly impacts the availability of government grants for technology startups and research-focused companies.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Small business owners

These businesses are the primary applicants and recipients of federal research funding through the SBIR and STTR programs.

Small Business Administration

The agency is responsible for the oversight and administration of the programs discussed.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2017.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This document is the official record of a joint congressional hearing held on May 4, 2017, to discuss the effectiveness and potential improvements for the Small Business Innovation Research () and Small Business Technology Transfer () programs. The hearing featured testimony from officials at the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Government Accountability Office ().

Key Facts

The hearing was held on May 4, 2017, by the 115th Congress.
The session was a joint hearing between the House Committee on Small Business and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
The primary focus was the oversight and improvement of the SBIR and STTR programs.
Testimony was provided by representatives from the SBA and the GAO.
The hearing is documented as Small Business Committee Document Number 115-019 and Science, Space, and Technology Committee Document Number 115-013.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the SBIR and STTR programs?

These are federal programs designed to encourage small businesses to engage in federal research and development with the potential for commercialization.

What was the purpose of this hearing?

To review the performance and administration of these programs and discuss potential legislative or operational improvements.

Why It Matters

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

cross reference90% confidence

Joint Committee Oversight

The hearing demonstrates a collaborative oversight approach between the Small Business and Science committees regarding federal R&D funding.

House Committee on Small Business House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

Connected Entities

personSteve Knight“Chairman of the Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce”Map →

organizationSmall Business Administration“Federal agency overseeing small business programs”Map →

personJoe Shepard“Associate Administrator, Office of Investment and Innovation, SBA”Map →

personBarbara Comstock“Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Research and Technology”Map →

personJohn Neumann“Director, Natural Resources and Environment, GAO”Map →

organizationGovernment Accountability Office“Federal auditing and investigative agency”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance40
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy10
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz10
Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools