Clean Automotive Technology... Innovation that Works SEFft United States Environmental Protection Agency The National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL) Technology Transfer Program and CRADAs What is a CRADA? "CRADA" stands for Cooperative Research and Development Agreement. CRADAs are agreements authorized under 15 U.S.C. § 3710a, governing joint research and development efforts between the U.S. government and industry. Since 1980, as part of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act, and later in the Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986, Congress encouraged government agencies and laboratories to work cooperatively with U.S. industry partners in CRADAs, to stimulate commercialization and use of technologies invented or studied in government laboratories. How does NVFEL use CRADAs to catalyze environmental technology transfer? CRADAs may be initiated either by NVFEL or by a private party for technology areas of interest that are within the mission and objectives of NVFEL. For environmentally-friendly technologies developed by NVFEL that have potential commercial value, NVFEL joins with industry partners to advance the technology and share the cost of the technology development. In return, the industry partner gains valuable laboratory insight and know-how about the technology, and incentives to put the beneficial technologies into commercial use. Everyone wins in the CRADA process: 0 Taxpayers win through the cost-effective use and leverage of government resources used to research and evaluate environmentally-friendly technologies. 0 Industry wins with accelerated development of new technologies with commercial value, giving CRADA partners a competitive edge in a highly competitive global market. 0 Consumers win with available environmentally-friendly products and services. 0 The environment and the public win, with cleaner air for us to breathe. www.epa.gov/otaq/technology May 2004 EPA420-F-04-035 ------- |