ABSTRACT
At National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Small Business Innovation Research Program was merged into the legislated peer review process. Each application is subjected to a peer review process involving two sequential steps. The first step is performed by a peer review group composed of non-federal scientists selected for their competence in particular scientific fields. The task of the peer review group is to evaluate the application for scientific and technical merit. The second level of review is made by the national advisory board of the awarding component to which the application is assigned. At NIH, proposals are subjected to the same review process; be they basic research or evaluative research. The peer review system also appeared to act as a barrier to the commercialization process, in that peer reviewers seemed to experience difficulty dealing with proprietary and commercialization issues. The chapter also presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book.
