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Discusses industry's dissatisfaction over the performance of cooperative research and development agreements (CRADA). Objective behind their formation by Congress in the 1980s; Failure of implementations at the National Institutes of Health; Department of Energy; National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Success of application at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

The article reports that the U.S. Congress raised 2012 federal funding for two science entrepreneurship grants programs, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, by increasing set-aside contributions from other federal agencies.

Comments on a proposal to punish research universities by taxing successful technology transfer programs that lead to profitable phamaceuticals in the United States. Impact of royalty payments to universities on the prices of pharmaceuticals in the U.S.; Benefits of encouraging market competition between drug manufacturers.

The article focuses on the collaboration of the U.S. Congressional Democrats and the Republicans with conviction to block a plan of considering small businesses in federal research. The House of Representatives come up with a bill that reauthorizes two research programs that fund peer-reviewed proposals from start-up companies through a tax on 11 science agencies. Science lobbyist is concerned to language raising the share for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and technology transfer research (STTR) programs. It notes that a larger SBIR program will not harm for a large agency with rising budget but can do immeasurable harm to the research.

This article reports that U.S. and Indian officials gathered in New Delhi, India last week to start delicate negotiations over how India will separate its vast nuclear establishment into military and civilian components. In July, the allies agreed to share nuclear technology and expertise, an accord that promises to make India, which has refused to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, a fullblown member of the atomic club. Although some facilities, such as the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai, would likely stay secret, there will be a tug of war over others, including the fast breeder facility in Kalpakkam. Under the new agreement, facilities declared civilian would come under international safeguards and enable scientists to collaborate. Finalizing the much-touted nuclear deal itself will require a series of changes to U.S. law and international rules, which the United States and India hope to see happen by early next year.

This article reports that the United States has signed a climate technology-sharing pact with China, India, and Australia. The agreement, which seeks to "complement the Kyoto Protocol," brings together for the first time major carbon emitters with top developing nations to share research from coal technology to geothermal energy. The agreement will promote technologies to provide "clean, affordable, and secure" energy. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change chair Rajendra K. Pachauri welcomed the news.

The article reports that calling India "a responsible state with advanced nuclear technology," the U.S. Administration this week agreed to share U.S. civil nuclear technology with its ally despite India's refusal to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. A Washington visit by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also produced a protocol on the contentious issue of intellectual property rights for joint research projects. Export controls between the nations will also be scaled back, agricultural projects boosted, and joint space projects tackled.

The article reports on the 1980 Bayh-Dole Act (B-D), which has had a profound impact on science in the U.S. and, indirectly, in other nations as well. Under B-D, the U.S. government renounced intellectual property claims on research supported by federal funds in universities or other nongovernment institutions. The argument in its favor went this way: because few patents were being issued on government-funded work, scientists and their institutions needed an incentive to patent their discoveries and then license the new technology for development into useful products. To those who had worried about technology transfer, it's a huge success.

Two Russian-American nuclear nonproliferation projects are in trouble. A 5-year-old deal governing the disposal of 34 tons of Russian weapons-grade plutonium expired last week. Supporters of these projects worry that the Nuclear Cities Initiative, which has spent $87 million since 1998 helping Russian weapons scientists find civilian work, could collapse next month. Negotiations to renew both agreements stalled after Russian officials refused a U.S. request to rewrite legal liability clauses so that they would match those included in other U.S.-Russian threat-reduction deals.

Reports on the National Science Foundation's (NSF) participation in Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) program. NSF's plan to launch similar program; Proposals from small businesses in STTR; Focus on analytical chemical instrumentation; Schedule of solicitation for proposals; Amounts of funding.

Reports on the reactions of the National Science Foundation (NSF) on the enactment of the Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) program. $100,000 award for commercialization of discoveries by academic researchers; Five federal research agencies authorized under the program.

Discusses the role of science and technology in enhancing the United States' competitiveness in the global market. Role of private enterprise; President Clinton's plans to accelerate transfer of technology from laboratories to industry; Future roles of research universities.