The purpose of the proposed study is to extend a data base that was initially developed to examine the extent to which technological innovations in various industries have been dependent on recent academic research. The extended data base would identify the academic groups and institutions which were responsible for research that led to major industrial advances, determine sources of financial support at various stages of the research as well as the sources of ideas for these projects. Data would be obtained on about 50 to 100 innovations identif- ied by 40 or 50 firms as leading to new products or processes that would not have been developed without academic research. The results of this study should provide valuable information to science policy makers. New information will be available on the types of research groups and kinds of universities that have been relatively successful in promoting significant industrial innovation and whether they have been the most highly rated in the relevant discipline. Given the current emphasis on the role of science and technology in promoting economic growth and the competitiveness of American industry, it should be helpful to know whether certain funding agencies, foundation, or firms have supported a disproportion- ate share of research leading to industrial innovation. The results will also address the extent to which targeted or un- targeted research is more productive of findings important for innovation.
