NSF/RANN Small Business Conference Held at Burlingame, California on September 20, 1976

摘要

The report evaluates a conference designed to acquaint small businesses having strong research and technology capability with the Research Applied to National Needs (RANN) program of the National Science Foundation (NSF). The report details an extensive pre-conference effort to identify and contact companies which the RANN program could benefit. Thirteen thousand letters, flyers, and other mailings were sent to small business leaders, and carefully selected groups were contacted to encourage wide attendance. Appendices with sample letters together with a table of mailings are included. Conference attendance was taken and tabulated first by state, then by individuals and companies. Also tabulated were the number of interviews held with NSF personnel and other Federal agencies. The conference was judged a success partly on the basis of attendance (325 individuals representing 285 companies), on the number of attendees who had never before attended a Federal agency procurement conference concerned with research and development companies, on the attendees response to a conference evaluation questionnaire, and on the generally favorable disposition of respondents to seek RANN support.