Reports

11.15.2024

United States Patent and Trademark Office FY 2024 Financial Statements [See pages 114-117 of FY 2024 Agency Financial Report]

The USPTO’s Agency Financial Report (AFR) provides the agency’s financial and summary performance information for FY 2024. The report has three major sections including a financial section with the independent auditors’ report.

Report Number OIG-25-003-A

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO)

10.31.2024

Semiannual Report to Congress, September 2024

This report summarizes work we initiated or completed for the 6 months ending September 30, 2024.

Office of the Secretary

Audits / Evaluations, Semiannual Reports to Congress

10.24.2024

USPTO Should Address Risks to Its Pendency Reduction Efforts for Trademark Applications

Our audit found that despite some progress in reducing pendency from its highest levels, USPTO still needs to improve oversight of trademark application pendency.

Report Number OIG-25-002-A

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO)

Audits / Evaluations

10.17.2024

Top Management and Performance Challenges Facing the Department of Commerce in FY 2025

This report describes the most serious management and performance challenges facing the Department and its bureaus in FY 2025, categorizing them under three overarching topic areas: Modernizing Technology and Systems, Providing Core Services and Data, and Managing Spending.

Report Number OIG-25-001

Top Management Challenges

10.04.2024

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Letter for FY24

In accordance with 15 U.S.C. § 638b(c), this letter transmits OIG’s report of data and information regarding cases related to the Small Business Innovation Research program for FY 2024.

Investigations

10.03.2024

Audit of the First Responder Network Authority's Oversight of User Eligibility for the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network

This announcement memo initiates an audit to assess FirstNet Authority's oversight for ensuring that only eligible users have access to the network.

First Responder Network Authority, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)

Audits Initiated

09.25.2024

NIST Overstated MEP's Economic Impacts to Congress and Other Stakeholders

Our evaluation found that NIST’s inadequate oversight of the FY 2022 economic impact reporting process for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) resulted in unreliable economic impacts. Please see final report OIG-24-037-I.

Our supplemental report provides additional results identified during our evaluation of MEP economic impact reporting. Please see final report OIG-25-011-I.

Report Number OIG-24-037-I

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Audits / Evaluations

09.23.2024

BIS' Export License Approval Process Reduces Risk of Threats from China's Military-Civilian Fusion Strategy, but BIS Should Take Additional Steps to Mitigate Risks of Unauthorized Technology Release to China's Military

Our audit found that the BIS export license approval process was adequate in reducing the risk of controlled items being inappropriately approved for export to China, but we also found that BIS has not minimized the risk of unauthorized release of controlled technologies and software to China.

Report Number OIG-24-036-A

Bureau of Industry and Security

Audits / Evaluations

09.19.2024

Audit of NTIA's Allocation of BEAD funds

This announcement memo initiates an audit to determine whether NTIA properly allocated federal funds provided for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)

Audits Initiated

09.19.2024

Biennial Audit of the Department's Compliance with Geospatial Data Act Requirements

Our audit found that the Department was complying with 12 of the 13 Geospatial Data Act requirements, but our testing revealed that the Department’s geospatial metadata is sometimes incomplete.

Report Number OIG-24-035-A

U.S. Census Bureau (Census), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of the Secretary

Audits / Evaluations

09.12.2024

Research Foundation Pays $313,574 To Resolve Claims That University Research Scientist Failed To Disclose Foreign Support

This press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York announces a settlement resolving civil allegations related to federal research grants provided by NASA and NOAA to a research scientist at the State University of University at Albany.

Investigations