SSTI Digest

Complete descriptions of the position openings described below are available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.



The University of Texas Health Science Center (HSC) at San Antonio is seeking someone to serve assistant vice president for technology transfer. This position reports to the vice president for research and is responsible for oversight, supervision, management, and coordination of activities within the Office of the Vice President for Research related to technology transfer and economic development activities of the HSC. This includes supervision of the Office of Technology Ventures, value creation activities, such as marketing, licensing, new company start-ups, financial valuation, business alliances, internal and external investment in technology development and dealing with highly specialized contract issues regarding sponsored research, collaboration, Bayh-Dole compliance, patent prosecution, materials transfer, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, and internal controls.



The Oregon Economic and Community Development Department (OECDD) is recruiting to fill the position of innovation and economic strategies policy analyst within the department's Innovation & Economic Strategies Division. This position provides policy and research support to assist the Oregon Innovation Council, a governor-appointed policy group created in 2005. In addition to supporting the work of the council, this person will conduct best practices research and collaborate with other agency staff and external partners to develop policies, incentives and programs to promote Oregon's innovation economy. Qualified candidates will have expertise and extensive knowledge of economic development, emerging knowledge-based industries and project management. A bachelor's degree in business or public administration, behavioral or social sciences, finance, or political science - or any degree demonstrating the capacity for the knowledge and skills - and five years of professional-level evaluative, analytical and planning work, is required.

Gov. Ted Kulongoski last month signed Senate Bill 838, creating the Oregon Innovation Council to provide him and the legislature with advice regarding business innovation in order to strengthen competitiveness in global markets. The council will include representatives from industry, education and government.

The Oregon Legislature overwhelmingly passed S.B. 853 last week, creating venture development funds to facilitate technology commercialization for students and faculty at the state's seven public universities.

Commercialized research and Oregon's first signature research center are among those initiatives slated for funding in the governor's 2005-07 proposed biennial budget for the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department (OECDD). Gov. Ted Kulongoski's recommended budget, the "Oregon Principles," is centered around six core principles for targeted investments to deliver a strong return on taxpayer dollars.

Arundeep Pradhan is the new director of the Office of Technology and Research Collaborations at the Oregon Health and Science University. Pradhan was the head of technology transfer for the Colorado State University Research Foundation.

The Oregon Council on Knowledge and Economic Development (OCKED) is set to present its official report to the governor and the 2003 State Legislature. Outlining several key economic development policy and funding recommendations, the council addresses several short-term and long-term strategies for enhancing Oregon’s economic competitiveness in a knowledge-based global economy.

Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) is joining Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) as co-chair of the monthly Congressional Forum on Technology and Innovation.

Economic development in Oregon recently has been given new life, thanks to the approval of $222 million in bills by Governor John Kitzhaber. The legislation, including $72 million for high-tech infrastructure and research over the next two years, is expected to increase public investment in biotechnology, engineering and other research.



On August 8, the Governor signed Senate Bill (SB) 832 to dedicate approximately $32 million per biennium of National Tobacco Settlement funding for the construction of facilities such as research labs, which will take advantage of information generated by Human Genome Project. Gov. Kitzhaber also approved $20 million to improve engineering education and increase the number of engineering graduates and another $20 million for construction of a new building for engineering education, signing SB 5524 and SB 5525 — the appropriations bill for the Oregon University System and the Oregon University System Capital Construction Budget, respectively. Additional bills receiving the Governor's signature are below: