Robert L. Norwood, Director for Commercial Technology, Office of Aerospace Technology

Dr. Robert L. Norwood currently serves as Director for Commercial Technology in the Office of Aerospace Technology. He is responsible for the overall strategy and management of NASA's Commercial Technology program and the strategic leadership of the NASA SBIR/STTR programs. He previously served as Deputy Director for Space Technology in the Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology, where he assisted the Director in the overall direction, advocacy, and budgeting for NASA's Space Research and Technology Program. Norwood holds a Ph.D. in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from the University of Illinois, and his professional activities have included the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the National Space Club, Board of Directors, and the Board of Technical Advisors for the National Technical Association.

NASA Tech Briefs: What are the goals of NASA's Commercial Technology program?

Robert Norwood: Our goals are to fully utilize NASA's technological resources to strengthen the U.S. economy and improve the quality of life through the creation of commercial technology partnerships with U.S. industry.

NTB: How is the program important to NASA's future?

Norwood: One of NASA's missions is to research, develop, and transfer advanced aeronautics, space, and related technologies to U.S. industry. Technology commercialization will continue to serve as an avenue for applying the benefits of NASA technology to the public good.

NTB: How much of NASA's research and development is performed under contract with private industry?

Norwood: NASA contracts out about 80 percent of its R&D to the private sector.

NTB: If a company is interested in forming a partnership with NASA, what is the best way to proceed?

Norwood: Any firm interested in forming a partnership with NASA should, as much as is practical, define partnership objectives, delineate the resources to be provided by each party to achieve a successful partnership, identify key and committed personnel, and provide a realistic schedule for achieving a successful outcome. With this information, timely and effective partnerships can be accomplished.

NTB: What is the relationship between NASA's Commercial Technology program and the Agency's SBIR/STTR programs?

Norwood: NASA's SBIR/STTR programs are managed within the Commercial Technology program. The primary focus of SBIR/STTR is to develop innovative technologies for enhancing NASA missions, with a strong secondary purpose to assist small businesses in commercializing that technology.

NTB: What is NASA's FY2000 funding for the Commercial Technology program, and is it expected to increase next year?

Norwood: The commercial technology program is funded at approximately $30 million -- not including the SBIR/STTR programs, which are funded at $100 million. The President's requested funding for FY2001 is essentially the same.

NTB: What have been some of the most important developments to emerge from the Commercial Technology program?

Norwood: There have been many commercial successes over the years -- well over a thousand of them have been documented in Spinoff magazine alone. I would say that some of the most important NASA contributions have been in the medical field, where we continue to make significant contributions. Many of them are described on our web site at www.nctn.hq.nasa.gov.

NTB: What have you found most rewarding in your work with the program?

Norwood: The most rewarding part of my work is to learn of a new product or service that is successful in part because of the use of NASA technology, or the knowledge that someone's life has been made better or easier through the use of NASA technology.

Dr. Norwood can be reached at rnorwood@mail.hq.nasa.gov.

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