ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case study in which the data fall into two categories. The first category contains procedures and problems likely to be encountered by all would-be participants in the biomedical innovation process. The second category includes participant observations directly related to the researcher's experiences. The chapter discusses administrators responsible for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program at National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute elicited information describing administrative procedures used in both the SBIR grant and contract application and review processes. The conversations with SBIR Administrators were not conducted as formal interviews but rather as requests for information. This approach was used to evaluate SBIR discussions from the perspective of the investigator trying to obtain assistance in applying for NIH R&D funding. At NIH, a distinction is made between administration of grants and of contracts.
