September 6, 2024 | Claire Hall

Professor Folta to Co-Lead National Academy of Sciences Committee

“This appointment is not only important recognition of Tim’s stature in the academic community, but also a visible sign of our institutional strength as a School of Business,’’ said professor Greg Reilly, who heads the Boucher Management & Entrepreneurship Department.

Professor Timothy B. Folta (Nathan Oldham / UConn School of Business)

Timothy B. Folta, professor of management and entrepreneurship, is leading a National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee investigating the success and impact of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs at the U.S. Department of Energy.

“This appointment is not only important recognition of Tim’s stature in the academic community, but also a visible sign of our institutional strength as a School of Business,’’ said professor Greg Reilly, who heads the Boucher Management & Entrepreneurship Department.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is one of the largest federal agencies, and is tasked with advancing energy, environmental, and nuclear security of the United States, promoting scientific and technological innovation, sponsoring research in physical sciences, and ensuring environmental cleanup of nuclear weapons complexes.

The report is part of a Congressional mandate to regularly assess the effectiveness of the DOE’s implementation of the SBIR and STTR programs and its compliance with the economic and non-economic program goals. Among their tasks is evaluating the success in fostering innovation, assessing the fair allocation of financial resources, increasing private-sector commercialization of innovation, and providing business opportunities for women and underserved groups. They will produce a detailed report of their findings by December 2025.

Connections to Benefit UConn Students

In addition to contributing to insight on national policy implementation, Folta said he believes the expanded network of experts he meets will enrich UConn’s educational mission. He hopes to connect members of the network to assist Ph.D.-student research and to serve as guest speakers in a seminar series he leads on entrepreneurship and innovation policy. The role and approach of government in facilitating the development of new business is of particular interest to graduate students, he said.

Folta will co-chair the committee with Syracuse University professor David Popp, of the Department of Public Administration and International Affairs. Their work is supported by 18 practitioners, faculty, and policy makers.

Folta is the Thomas John and Bette Wolff Family Chair in Strategic Entrepreneurship at UConn. His research and teaching examine entrepreneurship, innovation, and corporate strategy. He is the recipient of a numerous research and teaching awards, including several best paper awards. He is a visiting professor at Madrid’s Instituto de Empresa and has been a Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study at University of Strasbourg in France.