SSTI Digest

Nearly $300 Million Tagged for TBED
It took moving into a special session and negotiating a late deal between lawmakers and Gov. Brad Henry last week for the Oklahoma legislature to pass several bills related to the state's budget for fiscal year 2007, which begins this weekend. The final product includes several of the governor's top priorities for the state's portfolio of technology-based economic development initiatives, including $150 million for the new EDGE Research Endowment to support research, $95 million for research infrastructure improvements at the state's universities, and a 75 percent increase for the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST). The budget also cuts the state's top marginal income tax from 6.25 percent to 5.25 percent by 2010.

Making the single largest TBED related investment in its history, the Arizona legislature approved and Gov. Janet Napolitano signed the state's FY 2006-07 budget, which includes $35 million for the new Arizona 21st Century Competitive Initiative Fund. HB 2477 is the successor in concept to the Innovation Arizona fund proposed by Gov. Napolitano during her State-of-the-State Address earlier this year. The new fund will support scientific, medical and engineering research programs and infrastructure in targeted fields, particularly biosciences.

Ireland, a country the geographic size of West Virginia and with only four million citizens, about the same as Kentucky, is launching a comprehensive strategy to significantly strengthen the nation's position in the knowledge economy by 2013. And it is investing 2.7 billion Euros by 2008 - or $3.4 billion U.S. - toward implementing more than 75 specific action items.



Released June 25 by Ireland's Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation presents the reasons for making such a sizable commitment as well as the areas to receive the targeted investment. For instance, in the area of delivering world class research, the island nation will expand its recent expenditures for its university research infrastructure with the goal of doubling the number of Ph.D. graduates by 2013.



Public research activities, those carried out or supported by the national government, will be expanded in research thrusts of: agriculture and food; health; environment; marine sciences; and energy.

Summer is road construction season for much of the country. A necessary inconvenience for maintaining our transportation system because connectivity is a fundamental requirement for commerce. For two parties to exchange goods, services or knowledge, they have to be able to find each other. The location and capacity of transportation infrastructures - sea ports, railways and interstate highways - very much determines the opportunity for and extent of economic growth. In a knowledge-based global economy, fiber connectivity is increasingly critical for supporting a regional innovation structure.

A new National Science Foundation (NSF) report shows graduate enrollment in S&E increased by 4.2 percent from 2002, reaching a record high of 474,203 students in fall 2003. Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in S&E: Fall 2003 presents the distribution of graduate students in science and engineering (S&E) by academic fields, demographics, institution and state. Data contained in the report represent estimates of S&E enrollment from 12,261 graduate departments at 591 institutions in the U.S. and outlying areas.



Using the report and NSF's data on 2003 federal R&D obligations to academic institutions, SSTI has prepared a table ranking federal R&D obligations per S&E graduate student by state. Results show Vermont led the nation in federal R&D obligations at $137.89 per student in 2003. Maryland ranked second with federal R&D obligations per student at $121.37, followed by Alaska ($97.57), New Hampshire ($96.01) and Washington ($93.93).

SSTI, a growing nonprofit organization serving the nation's tech-based economic development (TBED) community, seeks a policy analyst to research and prepare reports, articles and papers on TBED and assist with SSTI events. Excellent research abilities, strong writing and verbal skills and solid understanding of government are required. Candidates must have ability to work independently or as part of a committed team and be dedicated to creating a quality product. Those with a passion for economic development and/or government will have an edge. Salary commensurate with experience. Position located in Westerville, OH. Send cover letter, resume, and list of references to: SSTI, Human Resources; 5015 Pine Creek Dr., Westerville, OH 43081 http://www.ssti.org or via e-mail to hr@ssti.org.