94-01432 Geisler This project is the first phase of a comprehensive national study of federal laboratories which will identify the main variables that influence the actual transfer of technology from the laboratories to industrial companies. Specifically, the study focuses organizational and managerial factors, in combination with factors related to technical capabilities and attitudes and orientation of researchers and managers in federal laboratories. These factors will be classified as "barriers" or "facilitators" to the transfer process, and their level of importance in influencing the successful transfer will be established the research significance is in the study's approach which combines organizational factors with attitudinal and technical characteristics of researchers considered key factors in the successful transfer of technology to industrial companies. The practical significance is in the incorporation of the findings from this study into the decision making process of the laboratories and industrial companies, as well as other federal agencies involved with technology and federal laboratories. The methodology includes the selection of a sample of researchers and managers from federal laboratories. In phase 1 questionnaire will be mailed to the sample and the results analyzed. In phase two a sample of industrial companies will be selected and interviews conducted with corporate R & D executives to assess the level of success of transfer of technology from the federal laboratories to their companies.
