ATP Alliance Network Website Launched

The National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Advanced Technology Program (ATP) has launched a new Internet website entitled the ATP Alliance Network. The website is designed to aid organizations interested in applying for an ATP Joint Venture award.

Joint R&D ventures are potentially a powerful tool for attacking difficult research tasks. By collaborating, companies can share the costs and risks associated with long-term, high-risk R&D, and so reduce the burden to each individual firm.

Topics on the ATP Alliance Network include:

• The pros and cons of establishing high-risk R&D alliances;
• Proven "best practices" for ATP joint ventures;
• Data on the benefits of performing collaborative R&D under the ATP from recent economic studies;
• A roadmap of the ATP administrative process, including links to the most important documents required for the creation and management of an ATP cooperative agreement; and,
• Links to other resources for R&D alliance managers.

Since ATP's inception in 1990, ATP and industry have partnered to perform 352 projects with a total investment of more than $2 billion. Of these projects, 119 (34%) have been ATP Joint Ventures representing $1.5 billion (75%) of the total investment.

The ATP Alliance Network can be found on the Internet at www.atp.nist.gov/alliance. General information on the NIST Advanced Technology Program can be found on the ATP website at www.atp.nist.gov.