More of Maura in 2024

I recently completed a 15-month Fellowship, sponsored by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), where I served as a key member of the newly created Ecosystem Development Division within the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Office of Investment and Innovation (OII). In this role, I had the unique opportunity to oversee the redesign and implementation of the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC), a national initiative aimed at building innovation ecosystems by supporting Entrepreneurial Support Organizations (ESOs). The GAFC aligns with the broader goals of the Biden administration’s place-based industrial policy, part of the economic strategy known as Bidenomics, which seeks to target federal investments toward fostering inclusive economic development in underserved regions across the U.S.

Throughout the fellowship, I led the transformation of the GAFC into a two-stage competition, distributing $7 million in funding to 35 ESOs. My work included designing the program’s logic model, setting metrics for measuring success, conducting reviews of over 350 Stage One applications, and managing the complex process of selecting winners. This effort was instrumental in increasing engagement with the SBA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, specifically targeting underrepresented groups such as women and socially or economically disadvantaged individuals (SEDI).

In addition to program management, I co-chaired the creation of a Community of Practice for ecosystem builders across federal agencies, fostering collaboration aimed at strengthening innovation networks nationwide. I also authored several critical documents, including a white paper on GAFC’s role in advancing place-based economic development and a comprehensive “How to GAFC” handbook to ensure the sustainability of the program. My participation in national conferences and policy discussions allowed me to advocate for the critical role of inclusion and equity in federal science and economic policy, ensuring that federal resources reach traditionally marginalized entrepreneurs and regions.

The fellowship allowed me to gain first-hand experience in policy implementation at the federal level, particularly as it relates to modern industrial policy under the Biden administration’s Bidenomics framework. The focus of GAFC—driving inclusive innovation through targeted federal funding—directly informs my dissertation research, which investigates the efficacy of place-based industrial strategies in addressing the disparities in access to federal funding for minority and women entrepreneurs. My dissertation uses GAFC as a case study to explore whether these place-based economic development policies are achieving their intended outcomes and how they align with broader federal goals of promoting equitable growth.

This work, situated at the intersection of research, policy, and economic development, has provided me with the empirical foundation to analyze the successes and challenges of modern R&D industrial policies. My role in shaping the GAFC, combined with my academic focus on the barriers to economic participation, uniquely positions me to contribute to discussions on how federal policies can better serve underrepresented communities and stimulate inclusive growth in the U.S. innovation ecosystem.