Studies find effectiveness of AT¥mixed
The federal Advanced Technology Program (ATP) is set u¥to provide money to companies trying to develo¥high-risk technologies that could have wide economic impact but are too risky to attract private financing. US General Accounting Office researchers surveyed 123 companies that had submitted AT¥proposals. Of those, 89 had received AT¥grants from 1990 to 1993; the remainder had been highly rated but did not receive grants. The report had a mixed review for the ATP, concluding that grants went to some companies that probably wouldn?t have received private financing but also to other companies that probably would have been able to find other sources of capital. By contrast, a survey of AT¥
recipients by the National Institute of Science and Technology was more unanimous in its positive
verdict. Of the 125 AT¥participants surveyed, 70% said there was little chance they would have
pursued private financing if they had been rejected for an AT¥award. Of those who said they would have tried to get private financing, 90% said they would have lowered their technical goals.