In 1992, Congress for the first time explicitly directed the federal agencies making SBIR grants to use commercial potential as a criterion for granting SBIR awards. In response, the Department of Defense developed the SBIR Fast Track initiative, which provides expedited decision-making for SBIR awards to companies that have commitments from outside vendors. To verify the effectiveness of this initiative, the DoD asked the STEP Board to assess the operation of Fast Track. This volume of original field research includes case studies comparing Fast Track and non-Fast Track firms, a large survey of SBIR awardees, and statistical analyses of the impact of regular SBIR and Fast Track awards. Collectively, the commissioned papers and the findings and recommendations represent a significant contribution to our understanding of the SBIR program. Table of Contents Front Matter I. Preface II. Introduction III. Recommendations and Findings IV. Papers: Fast Track: Is It Speeding Commercialization of Department of Defense Small Business Innovation Research Projects? An Assessment of the Small Business Innovation Research rogram in New England: Fast Track Compared with Non-Fast Track Projects Patterns of Firm Participation in the Small Business Innovation Research Program in Southwestern and Mountain States Does the Small Business Innovation Research Program Foster Entrepeneurial Behavior? Evidence from Indiana An Assessment of the Small Business Innovation Research Fast Track Program in the Southeastern States Evaluation of the Department of Defense Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Fast Track Initiative: A Balanced Approach Role of the Department of Defense in Building Biotech Expertise Estimates of the Social Returns to Small Business Innovation Research Projects Statistical Analysis of the National Academy of Sciences Survey of SBIR Awardees: Analyzing the Influence of the Fast Track Program Evaluating the Small Business Innovation Research Program: A Literature Review Annex A. Research Team Biographies Annex B. Participants Annex C. Case Study Template Annex D. Description of Department of Defense SBIR Fast Track Program Annex E. Bibliography