June 17, 2014 – Today the Obama Administration is upgrading Research.Data.gov to include, for the first time in one place, machine-readable data on over 700 Federal R&D facilities that may be utilized by external entrepreneurs and innovators to research, prototype, and test new technologies. These facilities, operated by agencies like NASA, the Department of Energy (DOE), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), include cutting-edge research tools and together represent billions of dollars of taxpayer investment.
Each facility has its own set of use policies, so a contact person is included in the data wherever possible. For example, some entrepreneurs may be able to access NASA’s National Center for Advanced Manufacturing to produce the high-strength, defect-free joints required for cutting-edge aeronautics, and DOE’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for collaborative projects in additive manufacturing, composites and carbon fiber, and other leading clean energy technologies.
The Obama Administration is issuing a call to action for the developer community and other stakeholders to leverage these open data resources to build tools that will enhance the ability of innovators, entrepreneurs, and manufacturers to better utilize Federal R&D facilities and other resources.
Over time, Research.Data.gov will expand to include more comprehensive data on other important R&D assets, including federally funded intellectual property (IP). Moreover, as part of the President’s Management Agenda and Lab-to-Market initiative, the Administration will continue to accelerate and improve the transfer of new technologies from the laboratory to the commercial marketplace, including by reducing the time, cost, and complexity of licensing Federal IP and utilizing Federal R&D facilities, where appropriate and consistent with agency mission.
In the coming months, we will continue to convene the university and industry communities to work together on lowering the cost of innovation for manufacturing and other capital-intensive industries, accelerating R&D commercialization, and fueling economic growth.
Tell us what you’re building by leaving a note in the comments below, or by tweeting @usdatagov and @WhiteHouseOSTP.
Federal R&D Facilities Data:
