§ 270.8 - Review and evaluation.

(a) When an invention disclosure is accompanied by the signed Memorandum of Understanding specified in § 270.3(a)(6), such disclosure shall receive a preliminary review to determine whether it is complete and sufficient and describes an invention which may be a potentially beneficial source of energy subject to utilization technologies.

(b) After completion of a preliminary review, the Office may undertake or have undertaken an evaluation of the invention in an invention disclosure which shall include:

(1) An assessment of the validity of the technical assumptions and statements which are made in the invention disclosure concerning the invention;

(2) An assessment of the potential of the invention for energy conservation, utilization, and production;

(3) An assessment of the potential of the commercial utilization of the invention; and

(4) A recommendation on whether ERDA should support the invention.

(c) Invention disclosures submitted to the Office normally shall be evaluated in the order in which they are received except in those cases where the Chief of the Office determines that the advancement of an invention disclosure would improve the effectiveness of the program established by section 14 of the Act.

(d) When a preliminary review and/or evaluation of an invention requires a capability which is not available at NIST, the Office may enter into a contract for the performance of such review and/or evaluation with a qualified individual or firm in the private sector or into an agreement with another Federal Government department or agency for the same purpose.