THIS PROJECT USES CONFIDENTIAL RESTRICTED-ACCESS GOVERNMENT DATABASES TO SPUR RURAL ECONOMIC GROWTH BY PROVIDING RESEARCH-BASED KNOWLEDGE OF, AND SUPPORT FOR, VETREPRENEURS AND VETREPRENEUR PROGRAMS. PUBLICALLY AVAILABLE DATASETS FOR RURAL AREAS PRESENT DATA SUPPRESSION ISSUES THAT LIMIT THE ABILITY TO INVESTIGATE ENTREPRENEURIAL SUBGROUPS LIKE VETERANS, WHICH ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT ONE IN TEN ENTREPRENEURS IN THE UNITED STATES, AND ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY LOCATED IN RURAL AREAS. THUS, NUMEROUS QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THIS INNOVATION FOR RURAL ENTREPRENEURS AND COMMUNITIES PROGRAM AREA PRIORITY EMPHASIS AREA REMAIN UNANSWERED FOR VETREPRENEURS. FOR EXAMPLE, ARE THERE COMMUNITY FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE GROWTH OF RURAL VETREPRENEUR SELF-EMPLOYMENT? WHAT FACTORS LEAD TO DECLINE OR FAILURE OF THESE PROPRIETORSHIPS? ARE THERE UNIQUE CHALLENGES FACED BY WOMEN, AND ETHNIC OR RACIAL MINORITY VETREPRENEURS? IN TURN, CAN WE DEVELOP RESEARCH-BASED POLICIES TO PROMOTE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THESE ESTABLISHMENTS?THE PROJECT PD AND CO-PD WILL EMPLOY THEIR AFFILIATION WITH THE TEXAS FEDERAL STATISTICAL RESEARCH DATA CENTER TO ACCESS MILLIONS OF OBSERVATIONS FROM NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLES. THIS DETAILED MICRODATA ALLOWS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF NUMEROUS FACTORS INCLUDING RACE, AGE, SEX, EDUCATION, PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE, VETERAN STATUS, DISABILITY STATUS, FINANCING SOURCE AND AMOUNT, AND BUSINESS LOCATION, AMONG NUMEROUS OTHERS. FURTHER, THIS PROJECT WILL START AND END WITH VETERAN ENTREPRENUR FOCUS GROUPS TO INFORM AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK BETWEEN OUR RESEARCH AND EXTENSION EFFORTS. THE PROJECT WILL CULMINATE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VETREPRENEUR SUPPORT PROGRAMS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES BASED ON THE RESEARCH AND PILOT IMPLEMENTATION INEXTENSION.