From 1994-1998, the bulk of ATP funding was applied to specific focused program areas--multi-year efforts aimed at achieving specific technology and business goals as defined by industry. These programs, which funded complementary groups of projects, tackled major technology challenges having high payoff potential. The goals often required the parallel development of a suite of interlocking R&D; projects by a critical mass of companies.

So many good ideas for focused program have been developed, that ATP could not fund them all by holding a separate competition for each. Rather than select a handful of focused programs for funding and exclude the rest, ATP revised its competition model in 1999. ATP competitions are open to all areas of technology. Project proposals will be grouped with others in the same technology area in order to provide the best possible management of their impact.

The ATP continues to work with industry, academia, and other research organizations to identify overlaps between industry needs and prioritize our outreach efforts. ATP will also manage groups of interrelated projects together and conduct workshops to share progress among awardees and with the public. The focused programs which have previously held at least one competition are described below. As new projects are funded, they will be clustered in complementary groups for management and information sharing purposes—some will be added to existing focused programs, and other clusters may define new program areas.

For information on new directions, see Chemistry and Life Sciences and Information Technology and Electronics.

Previously Competed Focused Program Areas (1994-1998) Click here for Fact Sheet with Brief Summaries. *
Focused Program	Overview	Full White Paper
Adaptive Learning Systems
Catalysis & Biocatalysis Technologies
Component-Based Software
Digital Data Storage
Digital Video in Information Networks
Information Infrastructure for Healthcare
Manufacturing Composite Structures
Materials Processing for Heavy Manufacturing
Microelectronics Manufacturing Infrastructure
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Technology
Photonics Manufacturing
Premium Power
Selective-Membrane Platforms
Technologies for the Integration of Manufacturing Applications
Tissue Engineering
Tools for DNA Diagnostics
Vapor Compression Refrigeration Technology

*Although focus program competitions have been completed, proposals are accepted in these,
as well as other technical areas, during ATP's open competitions.