2. ATP Project Selection Criteria and Process

This section provides ATP's published criteria-which apply to all participating companies regardless of country of ownership-for selecting proposed technology development projects. This information is intended to serve as background and context for a discussion of additional eligibility requirements that apply only to foreign-owned companies. ATP bases its selection of project proposals on how well each addresses the two main selection criteria established in the ATP Rule. 3

Proposals are evaluated against published selection criteria via a gated selection process. ATP selection decisions are based on how well each proposal addresses two main selection criteria4:

1. scientific and technological merit (Gate 1), and
2. potential for broad-based economic benefits to the United States (Gate 2).

Scientific and technological merit is determined by assessing innovations in the technical development; technical risk of the project and evidence of scientific feasibility; and the quality of the detailed technical plan.

Potential to deliver broad-based economic benefits to the United States is assessed based on the project's potential to deliver national economic benefits; the need for ATP funding; and the pathway to economic benefits. ATP-funded projects are expected to generate net economic benefits for the United States. Although companies are not forbidden from carrying out research and other activities in other countries, proposals with substantial research conducted in non-U.S. sites will tend to receive low scores and may be judged as noncompetitive in the selection process. This point holds equally for all projects-whether proposed by U.S.-owned companies with foreign subsidiaries or affiliates, or by foreign-owned, U.S.-incorporated or U.S.-organized companies with a parent company incorporated in another country.

Project proposals submitted to ATP are evaluated against these two selection criteria in a gated process. Proposals judged to have sufficient merit with regard to both criteria pass gates 1 and 2, and are designated "semifinalist proposals." Semifinalists are invited to ATP for an oral review of their proposals (Gate 3) . After the oral review process, proposals determined to have high merit, based on all information received, are considered "finalists" and are recommended to the Selecting Official for funding. From the list of finalists, the Selecting Official selects funding recipients based on availability of funds, adherence to ATP selection criteria, and appropriate distribution of funds among technologies and their applications. Proposals selected by the Selecting Official proceed to Gate 4 for final award processing and issuance of the ATP award.

Regardless of the country of ownership of the participating companies, projects must score high against the two selection criteria to receive an ATP award.

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3.  The ATP Rule guides the agency's implementation of the ATP Statute, its authorizing legislation. See Appendix B.

4.  Additional details on the selection criteria can be found in the ATP Proposal Preparation Kit (February 2004) on the ATP website (www.atp.nist.gov); and in the ATP Rule under Sec. 295.6, Criteria for Selection, which can be found in Appendix B of this report. In addition, for each announced competition, ATP holds conferences with prospective applicants around the country to present the selection criteria and application procedures.

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Date created:  January 1998
Last updated: August 3, 2005

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