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National Science Foundation seeks feedback on the development of an AI plan

The National Science Foundation, on behalf of the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP), is providing the opportunity for public input toward the development of a national Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan, as directed by President Trump’s Executive Order 14179. The Request for Information (RFI) is extremely broad. It states only that responses, to be submitted by March 15, may address any relevant AI policy topic, including but not limited to:

Useful Stats: Which businesses are potentially impacted by the NIH F&A rate change?

The Feb. 7, 2025, memo from the NIH Office of the Director (NOT-OD-25-068), now on hold because of two federal judge actions, announced the implementation of a flat 15% Facilities and Administrative fee (F&A) “across all NIH grants.” While the historic average F&A, or indirect cost rate, paid for by NIH is between 27 and 28%, the memo stated, the agency has previously allowed private small businesses without a negotiated F&A rate to charge up to 40% on their SBIR/STTR awards without further justification, drastically lowering their administrative burdens. Thus, a flat 15% fee on F&A if ever implemented would likely lead to some hardship for the small businesses.

Strategies for developing an annual report—Part I

NOTE: The nation’s community of technology-based economic development organizations has entered annual report season, and already we've seen several released from SSTI members. All document the impact TBED can have for advancing research, moving it to market, and helping businesses improve their profitability and competitiveness.

White House calls for establishment of a U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund

In a recent executive order, The White House is calling for the federal government to establish a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) that will "promote fiscal sustainability, lessen the burden of taxes on American families and small businesses, establish economic security for future generations, and promote United States economic and strategic leadership internationally.”

SBIR caught in fallout as NIH announces indirect cost rate of 15%

A Feb. 7 memo from the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NOT-OD-25-068) announced the decision to implement a flat 15% Facilities and Administrative fee (F&A), also known as an indirect cost rate, ”across all NIH grants.” Public statements from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), Association of American Universities (AAU), American Council on Education, (ACE) and Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), among others, outlined their objections to the move, highlighting the impact it would have on medical research.

SSTI starts fact-gathering effort—virtual meeting on Wednesday, Feb 12, 3:00 p.m. (EST)

Answering the question of what impact a flat 15% F&A reimbursement rate would have on the nation’s SBIR startups requires real data. The data doesn’t currently exist that we are aware of. As a result, SSTI invites all SBA FAST recipients, state SBIR matching grant programs, life science-based innovation and commercialization offices, and other interested TBED initiatives to join us for a virtual meeting as we launch a ‘citizen-science based’ online record gathering initiative to help inform state and federal policymakers.  Register here.

Commerce nominee clears Senate committee

President Trump’s nominee to become Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, cleared the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Feb. 4 by a vote of 16 to 12. A floor vote is expected soon, possibly still this week. Among the agencies within the Commerce Department are two agencies that support core elements of regional innovation and technology-based economic development more broadly. The National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) oversees the Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the Economic Development Administration, which is one of the largest federally supported of core TBED and economic development efforts around the country. Lutnick’s support of the CHIPS Act and sustaining the current structure of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) remain unclear, according to Roll Call. Lutnick is currently CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, a Wall Street financial services firm.