Syracuse Sun

David Popp, professor of public administration and international affairs and Caroline Rapking Faculty Scholar in Public Administration and Policy, is co-chairing a National Academy of Sciences committee to study the role and impacts of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs at the U.S. Department of Energy.

The ad hoc committee will examine how the SBIR and STTR programs stimulate innovation and engage with small businesses. They will evaluate the Department of Energy’s outreach to potential SBIR/STTR applicants, aiming to better understand the applicant pool and challenges faced by women-owned and minority-owned businesses. The committee will also consider barriers to and opportunities for collaboration among small businesses and research institutions.

Popp co-chairs the committee alongside Timothy B. Folta, a professor at the University of Connecticut. The group recently held a two-day meeting with guest speakers in Washington, D.C., where they began their work towards producing a consensus report with findings and recommendations.

“Professor Popp’s selection to co-chair this committee is an honor that speaks highly of his expertise and leadership,” said Shana Kushner Gadarian, associate dean for research and Merle Goldberg Fabian Professor of Excellence in Citizenship and Critical Thinking. “His contributions will not only support the National Academy of Sciences’ work but will also bring benefits back to Maxwell as he will be able to share this important policy conversation with students and colleagues.”

Popp is also a senior research associate for the Center for Policy Research and the Center for Environmental Policy and Administration. He holds positions as a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and as a research network member in CESifo's Energy and Climate Economics Research Group.

His research focuses on environmental policy, particularly on how it influences technological change. He examines links between environmental policy, innovation, energy policies, development of new technologies relevant to combating climate change.

Popp's work has received funding from organizations such as the National Science Foundation, Sloan Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy. His studies have been published in various journals including American Economic Review, Journal of Environmental Economics Management, Nature Energy, Research Policy, Journal of Policy Analysis Management.