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In a recent report, the National Research Council called for a coherent strategy to take advantage of the nation's scientific and technical capabilities (C&EN, July 22, page 30). To maximize industrial efforts, NRC recommends the government address four issues: antitrust exemptions, indemnification from legal risks, commercial value for counterterrorism technologies, and government procurement and acquisition.
The government is the largest potential customer, but its purchasing rules and regulations are a disincentive, the NRC report notes. Procedures are time-consuming and the bureaucracy daunting, it adds, including a grant awarding process that "particularly discourages researchers in dynamic fields like biotechnology."
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