SBIR at the Department of Defense, The Small Business Innovations Research (SBIR) program is one of the largest examples of U.S. public private partnerships. By involving qualified small businesses in the nation's R&D effort, SBIR grants stimulate the development of innovative technologies that help federal agencies meet their specific R&D needs in many areas, including health, the environment, and national defense. Congress requested the National Research Council (NRC) to undertake a "comprehensive study of have the SBIR program has stimulated technological innovation and used small businesses to meet federal research and development needs" and to recommend further improvement to the program. A first-round study, completed in 2009, reviewed the SBIR programs at the Department of Defense (DoD), the National institutes of Health, NASA, the Department of Energy, and the National Science Foundation, which collectively account for 96 percent of the SBIR program's operations. SBIR at the Department of Defense presents a second round NRC review of the DoD SBIR program. Building on the outcomes from the first round, this report examines topics of general policy interest that emerged during the first round as well as topics of specific interest to the DoD. This report includes committee consensus findings and recommendations with respect to DoD SBIR program operations and potential improvement to the program. Related Work from the Step Board, The Flexible Electronics Opportunity in 21st Century Manufacturing, Electronic devices that can be bent, folded, stretched, or conformed represent an emerging technology field with new applications and significant market potential. As a General Purpose Technology, flexible electronics have the potential to significantly enhance productivity and encourage the creation and growth of entrepreneurial firms. While U.S.-based firms and research centers possess important advantages the United States faces major challenges in establishing a strong manufacturing base in this emerging field, including significant foreign competition in developing the industry. As a part of its study of Best Practice in National Innovation Programs for Flexible Electronics, a committee examined the role of research consortia around the world to advance the development and manufacture of flexible electronics technologies. It compared their structure, focus, funding, and likely impact, in order to determine what appropriate steps are needed to develop a vibrant and competitive industry in the United States. This report sets out the committee's consensus findings and recommendations on the potential of the U.S. flexible electronics industry, the possible contributions of public-private partnerships to facilitate applied research and manufacturing and other measures to support the development of the flexible electronics industry in the United States.