Intellectual Property: Federal agency efforts in transferring and reporting new technology
The federal government is a primary sponsor of research conducted in the United States, expending during fiscal year 2001 $19.4 billion for research performed by federal employees and $62.2 billion for research conducted under contracts and grants. Some of this research leads to the development of technology that can be patented, licensed, and made available to the public through the introduction of new products and processes. In the past, however, there have been concerns that new technologies developed under federal research projects were not being properly translated into practical use. In response, the Congress has made attempts through legislation over the past 2 decades to ensure that federally sponsored inventions were being transferred to the private sector where they could be commercialized.
