SSTI Digest

In separate announcements this week, the Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) and the Economic Development Administration (EDA) revealed funding opportunities that can assist efforts to transform American innovations and support the growth of new companies. Department of Defense OEA released a notice of funding opportunity for the new Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program. Funded projects must come from regional consortia, include connections to Defense manufacturing institutes and work to strengthen technological or manufacturing supply chains, but are able to conduct a broad range of activities within these requirements. Proposals from consortia are due July 12, and OEA will then designate Defense Manufacturing Communities and invite the best-scoring proposals to compete for awards up to $5 million. Potential applicants are encouraged to attend a pre-proposal webinar on June 18.  Economic Development Administration Earlier this week, EDA officials participated in an SSTI webinar to discuss funding opportunities in the CARES Act. The bulk of the appropriated $1.5 billion has been allocated to EDA’…

With the nation in the midst of a recession following 128 months of economic expansion, many are asking how we will find our way out. Turning to a long-time strength for the nation and relying on our manufacturing industry is one way. Manufacturing leaders presented some policy solutions and historical context for the outlook during a National Conference of State Legislatures webinar yesterday in conjunction with representatives of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership. Although not all manufacturing jobs returned after the Great Recession, manufacturing is still one of the most significant roles in states’ economies, said Scott Paul, the president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing. It represents about 12 to 13 percent of GDP, but has an outsize punch for its impact, he said. For instance, manufacturing jobs boast higher wages, generate more economic activity and produce synergies with universities. The manufacturing sector has started to recover, Paul said, but the recovery has been uneven. Paul maintains that a strong manufacturing recovery will mean better outcomes for the economy as jobs…

The U.S. bioscience industry is helping to meet the challenges presented by the pandemic through two, key characteristics: its innovative capacity to address global challenges, and its role as a consistent economic stalwart, with a track record of generating high-quality jobs and growth that has acted as a key buffer during prior economic recessions. Those are among the findings of the ninth biennial report on the economic footprint of the industry, The Bioscience Economy: Propelling Life-Saving Treatments, Supporting State & Local Communities, produced by TEConomy and the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). While the report as usual covers the state of the bioscience industry and its associated innovation ecosystem at the national, state, and metropolitan levels, this year it also analyzes the role of small- and medium-sized biopharmaceutical companies within the innovation pipeline of new treatments in response to the pandemic, saying that it is “mobilizing in an unprecedented manner to address the pandemic.” The report found that since 2016, the industry has grown its employment base by 7.2 percent, which was measured prior to the…

Despite a school year disrupted by the pandemic, teams of students from across the nation submitted a host of ideas in the latest Biomimicry Institute’s Youth Design Challenge (YDC). The YDC brings the process of nature-inspired design into the classroom of middle and high school students, who collaborate in teams to solve sustainability problems using nature as a guide. Winning teams this year included a concept for a building material that would condense water from nighttime air and collect it on the surface as an evaporative cooling system for buildings, termed the “Moist Brick”; an alternative to concrete barriers to protect cyclists and pedestrians from vehicles, called “A Concrete Solution”; the “Dome Home” that incorporates inspiration from multiple organisms to design a home that could withstand extreme weather in the Caribbean; and more. In its third year, the YDC utilizes math, engineering, physics, architecture and design through a project-based learning program that reached 6,000 students across the U.S., with 60 projects submitted to the competition.

The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings has measured 768 universities around the world against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Combining research and activity metrics, the 2020 rankings place institutions from New Zealand and Australia in the top four spots, with U.S. universities holding 14 places within the top 200. In addition to overall performance, the report also ranks institutions within each of the 17 SDGs. The Times Higher Education’s research metrics are based primarily on data from Elsevier, examining publications within a 5-year timespan between 2014 and 2018. Metrics measuring a university’s policies and initiatives require the institution “to provide the evidence to support their claims.” Times Higher Education notes that “in these cases, we give credit for the evidence and for the evidence being public.” The United Nations’ SDGs, originally introduced in 2015, consist of 17 objectives that together form a roadmap towards a more sustainable future. Arizona State University, the top ranked U.S. institution, received an overall rating of 96.3 with its greatest success found in working towards goals…

The U.S. has long been the global leader in science and engineering (S&E), but that position is being increasingly challenged with China likely surpassing the U.S. in total Research and Development (R&D) investment in 2019. Accounting for this changing landscape, the National Science Board (NSB) recently released its Vision 2030 report. It identifies the primary challenges facing the S&E enterprise in the United States, the essential elements of leadership, and a roadmap for implementing these recommendations and maintaining U.S. leadership in S&E for the next decade.

A new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) indicates that the U.S. economy through 2030 will have $8 trillion (as measured in 2019 dollars) less in economic activity than the CBO projected just five months ago.  Combined with SSTI’s recent examination of economic recovery that found it took 20 states at least four years for their economy to recover back to Great Recession levels, the impact on state budgets can be expected to be long lasting. In fact, a new examination by SSTI finds that through FY 2018, 15 states’ general revenue funds had not recovered to FY 2008 levels (as measured in 2018 dollars) based on data collected by the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO). For an additional 16 states, it took seven to 10 years to reach FY 2008 levels.

A trio of recent reports reflect the pernicious effects the pandemic is having on small businesses. Last month, a survey from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that 52 percent of small businesses expected to be out of business within six months. SHRM President and CEO Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., called it “the most alarming findings to date.” The Census Bureau has also developed a new survey intended to measure the effect of the pandemic on small businesses, which is running from April 26 to June 27. Its results are being published weekly and it, too, has revealed large to moderate negative effects of COVID-19 on small businesses, but noted that “the majority expect to return to usual level of operations within the next six months.” And a new report from Facebook and the Small Business Roundtable reflects which businesses are still operational and which are not. The Census Bureau’s Small Business Pulse Survey (SBPS) was designed to be useful to governmental and agency stakeholders, and the businesses and policymakers they serve, while also being short and simple to accommodate businesses and encourage a robust response rate. The content of the…

The House and Senate have both passed a bill that would alter the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program. Businesses will now have up to 24 weeks to use forgivable funds, instead of the original eight weeks. The portion of the costs that must be spent on payroll has been reduced from 75 percent to 60 percent. The bill also changes many of the original legislation’s hard deadlines from the end of June to Dec. 31. The legislation needs to be signed by the president before going into effect, and the SBA will need to write new guidance to clarify the impact of the changes on eligible costs and forgiveness. A survey by the National Federation of Independent Business reported earlier this week that 7 percent of businesses would have reached the 8-week limit by Monday, and nearly two-thirds of businesses would have reached it by the end of the month. The survey did not find much additional appetite for PPP loans, but with $511 billion approved through June 3, the SBA has more than $135 billion in loan volume still available to small businesses.

The pandemic’s negative impact on enrollment at institutions of higher education is getting even more complicated. New figures show that the number of students that have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), a figure that serves as an indicator for postsecondary enrollment, has decreased. And a new proclamation from the president that restricts entry to the U.S. by graduate students and researchers from China may also affect higher education enrollment figures. According to The Hechinger Report, if international student enrollment decreases, the economic fallout will be severe, as it nationally accounts for about $2.5 billion in tuition and fees. Since schools closed in mid-March, FAFSA application completion by high school seniors has decreased by 3.3 percent, and the same is happening with those already enrolled in college, with overall renewals decreasing by five percent, according to the National College Attainment Network. According to The 74, with schools being shutdown, school counselors who normally play a large role in assisting students with the application process are struggling to provide that same support from afar, severely…

The Small Business Administration (SBA) recently rolled out a new website for the SBIR/STTR program which SBA administers. Reorganized and including new landing pages for entrepreneurs, support organizations, and federal agencies, the new page provides quicker and easier access to the right information. For entrepreneurs interested in the SBIR/STTR program, the new landing page provides information on how to confirm eligibility, register and edit company information, and apply for funding. There are also links for video tutorials, contacts for local assistance, a schedule of events, and several success stories. The new website provides support organizations with a landing page that shows local awards, allows organizations to view training activities and submit their own events. The landing page also provides links to the Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program and the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) pages. The new landing page for federal agencies now provides swifter access to information on how to procure technologies, share success stories, and access additional agency and program data. Additionally, the new page is…

Join us for a special SSTI webinar on June 9th, when U.S. Economic Development Administration representatives will share information regarding $1.5 billion in economic development grants available for coronavirus response and recovery efforts at the local, state and regional levels. The EDA team also will discuss the pending innovation and entrepreneurship challenge component of the funding. Join us to learn more about qualifying for grants, which types of project support/assistance will be funded, how to apply, and more. There will be time for Q&A at the end of the presentation. Date and time: June 9 at 2 p.m. EDT Speakers: Dana Gartzke, Performing the Delegated Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration Joel Frushone Director, Office of External Affairs and Communications, U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration Craig Buerstatte, Director, Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration Register today!