SSTI Digest

The Office of Budget and Management published a set of proposed reforms to streamline the federal grant process by consolidating the multiple federal regulations with duplicative requirements into a single, comprehensive uniform policy guide. The office hopes to augment efficiency and effectiveness, strengthen oversight and reduce fraud and waste, which is a growing concern. The proposal includes specific recommendations to reform administrative requirements, cost principles, and audit requirements and is open for comment through May 2, 2013. Read more...

Karen Mills, head of the Small Business Administration since 2009, has announced her departure. She will stay on until her successor is confirmed.

New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan has nominated Jeffrey Rose to be the state's commissioner of Resources and Economic Development.

Carnegie Mellon University has named Subra Suresh as its ninth president, to succeed President Jared Cohon. Suresh currently is director of the National Science Foundation.

Maryann Feldman has been awarded the 2013 Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research.

Cheryl Watkins-Moore has joined the BioGenerator as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence.

After dipping just under 50 percent in 2011, California reclaimed its spot as the site of a majority of U.S. venture capital investment last year, according to the National Venture Capital Association/PricewaterhouseCoopers Moneytree Survey. About 53 percent of all U.S. venture capital dollars were invested in California companies in 2012, the largest share captured by the state since the annual survey began in 1995. The total share of all venture dollars invested in the top five states also reached an all-time high last year, with California, Massachusetts, New York, Texas and Washington capturing 78.5 percent of all U.S. investment.

The fourth installment of SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Tennessee and Texas. Our first three installments were in the Jan. 9, Jan. 16 and Jan. 23 issues of the Digest.

MarylandGov. Martin O'Malley, State of the State Address, Jan. 30, 2013“Creating jobs through innovation is not just the responsibility of the private sector. There are things we can do together ”“ through the common platform of our government ”“ to accelerate innovation and improve the business climate ... expanding our successful job creation tax credits for biotech, and research and development. And, by creating a new cyber security tax credit. ...

Following a year-long policy academy intended to help states prepare new strategies for economic growth by fostering collaboration and shared experiences, eight states have agreed to bring a renewed focus to advanced manufacturing. State leaders concur that the manufacturing sector is too important to lose and is rapidly evolving. With change, however, comes a unique opportunity to capture new leadership roles and address global issues that threaten public health and safety. A report from the National Governors Association (NGA) summarizes the work and findings from the group and provides guidance for other states.

The eight states that participated in the academy especially are relevant because together they represent a large fraction of total U.S. manufacturing GDP (30 percent), one-third of manufacturing jobs and more than 25 percent of U.S. exports of manufactured goods. They include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania.

On January 14, 2013, the National Science Foundation (NSF) instituted several key changes in the NSF's Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide. The new rule changes will affect several areas of the proposal process, especially for those applying online via FastLane, including a revised project summary process and review criteria. The slides and audio from a recent NSF webinar are available here.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory is pushing for state funding of higher education to be based on the success that community colleges and universities have at placing their students in the job market. “I don't want to subsidize (a course) if that's not going to get someone a job ... it's the tech jobs we need right now,” stated McCrory on the nationally syndicated “Morning In America” radio broadcast. North Carolina was recently recognized by the Brookings Institution and The Atlantic for its SuccessNCInitiative that establishes curriculum-based college and career pathways for the state's community college system. The initiative was put in place to support the state's goal of doubling the number of students completing career credentials by 2020.

Are we on the threshold of a new federal acquisitions process? Instead of the traditional Request for Proposal (RFP) process, federal agencies have been turning slowly to crowdsourcing as a model to address some of the most pressing problems for both federal agencies and the nation. Through crowdsourcing, a collaborative method of design, government entities like the Department of Defense's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and NASA hope to create a more innovative, streamlined design-to-production process at a fraction of the cost. Additional agencies have reached out to the crowd through Challenge.gov — a prize platform that cultivates social problem solving through competitions and prizes.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski called for all 50 states to be outfitted with at least one gigabit-speed community by 2015 in an op ed piece run by Forbes earlier this month. Approximately 42 communities in 14 different states already fit the bill and more are joining the effort in what Genachowski termed the “Gigabit City Challenge.”

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded cooperative agreements to organizations in South Dakota and Kentucky to fill absences of the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program. After 10 years, South Dakota will again have an MEP center — the South Dakota Manufacturing and Technology Solutions, housed at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. NIST has provided $400,000 to South Dakota Manufacturing and Technology Solutions for the center. Previously, South Dakota had been served by the North Dakota MEP center. Kentucky's new MEP center will be operated by Advantage Kentucky Alliance, which received nearly $490,000 to start the center at Western Kentucky University. Read more...

Leslie Guice officially was approved by the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors to become the 14th president of Louisiana Tech University. Guice will take office July 1, 2013.

Camille Saltman has joined MD Revolution as president. Saltman was previously president of CONNECT and continues to be a member of CONNECT's board of directors.

Ted Ford has been named president & CEO of Advanced Energy Economy Ohio. Previously, he was the president & CEO of TechColumbus from 2005-2011.

David Karpinski has joined the Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation as vice president of operations. As NorTech vice president and director of its Energy Enterprise initiative, Karpinski has worked closely with LEEDCo since its inception in 2009.

Leslie Guice officially was approved by the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors to become the 14th president of Louisiana Tech University. Guice will take office July 1, 2013.

Camille Saltman has joined MD Revolution as president. Saltman was previously president of CONNECT and continues to be a member of CONNECT's board of directors.

Ted Ford has been named president & CEO of Advanced Energy Economy Ohio. Previously, he was the president & CEO of TechColumbus from 2005-2011.

David Karpinski has joined the Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation as vice president of operations. As NorTech vice president and director of its Energy Enterprise initiative, Karpinski has worked closely with LEEDCo since its inception in 2009.