The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs provide federal research and development funding to small businesses. One of the the goals of these programs is to foster and encourage participation by minority and disadvantaged persons in technological innovation. Innovation, Diversity, and Success in the SBIR/STTR Programs is the summary of a workshop convened in February 2013 that focused on the participation of women, minorities, and both older and younger scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs in the SBIR and STTR programs, with the goal of reviewing current efforts to expand the pool of SBIR/STTR-funded researchers and of identifying mechanisms for improving participation rates. This report is a record of the presentation and discussions of the event. Table of Contents Front Matter 1 Introduction 2 Moving Forward: Finding Solutions 3 Opening Remarks: Defining the Issue 4 Women and the SBIR Program 5 Profiles of Scientists and Engineers and an Aging Workforce 6 SBIR/STTR and Support for Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Scientists and Engineers 7--Cases of Successful High-Tech Entrepreneurship 8 Roundtable Discussion Appendix A-- Agenda Appendix B-- Participants List Appendix C-- Data on Woman and Minority Participation in the SBIR Program at the Department of Defense Appendix D-- Bibliography

Flexible Electronics for Security, Manufacturing, and Growth in the United States is the summary of a workshop convened in September 2010 by Policy and Global Affairs' Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy to review challenges, plans, and opportunities for growing a robust flexible electronics industry in the United States. Business leaders, academic experts, and senior government officials met to review the role of research consortia around the world to advance flexible electronics technology. Presenters and participants sought to understand their structure, focus, funding, and likely impact, and to determine what appropriate steps the United States might consider to develop a robust flexible electronics industry. Flexible electronics refers to technologies that enable flexibility in the manufacturing process as well as flexibility as a characteristic of the final product. Features such as unconventional forms and ease of manufacturability provide important advantages for flexible electronics over conventional electronics built on rigid substrates. Today, examples of flexible electronics technologies are found in flexible flat-panel displays, medical image sensors, photovoltaic sheets, and electronic paper. Some industry experts predict that the market for global flexible electronics will experience a double digit growth rate, reaching $250 billion by 2025, but most experts believe that the United States is not currently poised to capitalize on this opportunity. Flexible Electronics for Security, Manufacturing, and Growth in the United States examines and compares selected innovation programs, both foreign and domestic, and their potential to advance the production of flexible electronics technology. Table of Contents Front Matter I OVERVIEW Overview II PROCEEDINGS Welcome Introduction Panel I: The Flexible Electronics Opportunity and Industry Challenges: Perspectives from Industry Panel II: The U.S. Interest: Security, Manufacturing, and Growth Panel III: What Is the Rest of the World Doing? Panel IV: What Is Needed? Opportunities for Collaborative Activity Panel V: Roundtable - Key Issues and Steps Forward III APPENDIXES Appendix A: Agenda Appendix B: Participants List Appendix C: Bibliography