Economic Stimulus and Innovation Capacity at the Department of Energy

这项研究解决了一个根本性的重要问题--即联邦政府如何加快能源创新的进展速度。在过去的25年里，联邦政府在支持私营部门方面的作用显著扩大了？新的民用和两用技术的商业化。 作为贡献者，？科学政策学？尽管研究人员指出，研究界尚未制定一套有效的衡量标准，甚至概念工具，以跟踪不同举措和供资战略的相对有效性。 其结果是，仍然有很多工作要做，在确定？最佳实践？分配联邦研发资金。两个关键问题的解决，以促进理解？最佳实践？ 第一个问题是，各机构需要哪些类型的资源和能力来提高其在推动技术大规模部署方面的效力？ 第二个是如何做代理？的网络合作模式的转变，以应对科学投资？第二个问题的答案尤其重要，因为技术突破和持续的行业发展都依赖于复杂的协作网络的建设，这些网络将政府官员与企业以及大学和联邦实验室的技术人员联系起来。该公司提出了三种不同的技术：光化学、先进电池和通过杉木生产纤维素乙醇。 该数据库将包括该机构提供的数据以及与该机构和私营部门官员的访谈。 由此产生的三个丰富的案例研究将为更广泛地了解实施期间的成功和失败提供信息。 这些案例研究对于更好地理解政府机构所采取的各种战略至关重要，它们还阐明了私营部门、大学和联邦实验室中复杂的合作者网络。更广泛的影响：加强对公私技术伙伴关系如何运作的理解可能会导致更有效的伙伴关系，更好地促进技术商业化。对能源部资金大幅增加的及时和“实地”分析都产生了对我们了解联邦政府在支持创新中的作用这一更大问题具有重要意义的知识，但也为能源部本身带来了直接利益--提供了一个在接近真实的时间内仔细反思和分析的机会。

The research addresses a fundamentally important question -- namely how the federal government can accelerate the rate of progress in energy innovation. Over the last twenty-five years, the Federal Government has significantly expanded its role in supporting the private sector?s commercialization of new civilian and dual use technologies. However, as contributors to the ?science of science policy? have noted, the research community has not yet developed a set of effective metrics or even conceptual tools to track the relative effectiveness of different initiatives and funding strategies. The consequence is that there is still much work to be in done in identifying the ?best practices? for allocating Federal R&D dollars.Two key questions are addressed in order to advance the understanding of ?best practices?. The first is what types of resources and what types of capacities do agencies need to improve their effectiveness in moving technologies towards large scale deployment? The second is how do the agency?s patterns of network collaboration shift in response to the science investments? The answer to the second question is particularly important given that both technological breakthroughs and continuing industry development rely on the construction of complex collaborative networks that link government officials with businesses and with technologists in universities and federal laboratoriesThe PI develops a comprehensive database on all of the agency?s initiatives for three distinct technologies: photovoltaics, advanced batteries, and cellulosic ethanol through the fir. The database will consist of data provided by the agency as well as interviews with agency and private sector officials. The resulting three rich case studies will inform a broader understanding of both success and failures during the implementation period. Such case studies are critical to developing a better understanding of the varieties of strategies pursued by government agencies and they also illuminate the complex web of collaborators in the private sector, in universities, and in federal laboratories.Broader Impact: The enhanced understanding of how public-private technology partnerships work is likely to lead to more effective partnerships that better promote technology commercialization. The timely and the "on the ground" analysis of the very substantial increase in funding for the DOE both generate knowledge of significant importance to our knowledge of the larger question of the role of the federal government in supporting innovation but yields immediate benefits for the DOE itself -- providing an opportunity for careful reflection and analysis in close to real time.