SSTI Digest

Alabama The Alabama Commerce Commission, appointed by Governor Don Seigelman last year, has released an executive summary report of recommendations for a long-range strategic plan for economic development in the state. The Commission recommends the creation of a scholarship program with no minimum grade point average requirements to provide free tuition to high school graduates who enter targeted vocational and technical programs in two year colleges or technical schools. The Commission also recommended the creation of privately run Alabama Research Alliance involving the state’s six research universities. The Alliance would distribute an unspecified amount of funding for research projects designed to produce new products, businesses, and jobs. Arkansas Fiscal worries for 2001 threaten state S&T efforts that were started with unexpected budget surpluses in 1999, according to reports in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The chair of the Joint Budget Committee anticipates potential problems finding more funds in 2001 for the College of Information Science and Systems…

The National Governors' Association has released its third paper in the New Economy Series. Nurturing Entrepreneurial Growth in the New Economy, written by Thom Rubel and Scott Palladino, outlines eleven different approaches states have implemented to encourage entrepreneurship: improving access to capital; providing technical assistance; streamlining securities regulation; improving state regulatory and licensing environments; implementing regulatory reform; building intellectual capacity at state universities; creating industry clusters; improving state tax environments; improving entrepreneurship education; reaching out to entrepreneurs; and recognizing entrepreneurial achievement. Several examples of each approach are described in the 23-page paper. Copies can be downloaded from the NGA website: http://www.nga.org

The Department of the Navy has published a list of 104 inventions that are owned by the federal government and are available for exclusive or partially exclusive licenses. The list and contact information are available for review on the SSTI web site at: http://www.ssti.org/Digest/Tables/052600t.htm

Sue Rhoades is leaving her role as State Coordinator with Ben Franklin Technology Partners in Pennsylvania to take a position in the private sector. As a result, the Ben Franklin Technology Partners are seeking candidates to fill her position. The posting, as well as several other S&T career opportunities, is available on the SSTI website at: http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm

Two quarterly surveys of venture capital investments were released during the past two weeks. Both report record levels of venture-backed investments for the first quarter of 2000, in spite of the jittery stock market. While the figures vary between the two surveys, both identify the same investment trends. For instance, both surveys found that among the states, Georgia, Illinois, and New York experienced the greatest growth in deals. Summaries of both reports are provided below.  PricewaterhouseCoopers Moneytree™ Survey  Venture-backed investments in the first quarter of 2000 reached $17.2 billion, surpassing previous quarterly records by $2.6 billion, according to the latest Moneytree™ survey results compiled by PricewaterhouseCoopers. First quarter 2000 eclipses the total reported for the entire year of 1998.  The number of companies receiving venture capital funds (“deals” ) during the first quarter of 2000 rose to 1,423 – nearly double the 732 deals reported in the first quarter of 1999. The average size per deal increased 105 percent over a year ago to…

After two years of partisan politics and court battles, the Montana legislature last week overwhelmingly passed HB 1, a $46 million, five-year appropriations package to fund several state science, technology, and economic development initiatives. The legislation brings to close a saga that began with a successful court challenge to the funding mechanism for S&T programs. Governor Marc Racicot called a special session of the legislature this year specifically to address the need for funding.  HB 1 provides $13.3 million for the current biennium ending June 30, 2001, and $8.2 million each fiscal year thereafter until June 30, 2005. The Department of Commerce will receive $12.6 million over five years for 32 specific infrastructure, water, and wastewater projects around the state. The balance of the bill’s appropriations will be divided among the following science, technology, and economic development programs:  A one-time appropriation of $4.4 million for the Board of Regents to use as state matching grants for the EPSCoR programs  A one-time appropriation in FY…

The National Science Foundation has released two statistical reports that present several science and engineering statistics by state:  Federal Science & Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions for Fiscal Year 1998 Detailed Statistical Tables  The April 2000 report presents 39 tables characterizing federal science and engineering (S&E) obligations to colleges, universities, federally funded research and development centers, consortia, and independent nonprofit institutions. Several present the data by state, including: 1991-1998 federal obligations for S&E, 1991-1998 federal obligations for S&E research and development, 1998 S&E obligations by type of activity, and 1998 S&E obligations by federal agency. Many others present the information for the 100 universities and colleges receiving the largest amount of federal funding. Perhaps, most useful are four tables (B-15-18) that present 1998 S&E and S&E research and development obligations by state and by university or college. The report can be downloaded from:…

The McKnight Foundation has committed $44.5 million over ten years to support scientific research in neuroscience/memory and brain disorders. The McKnight Endowment Fund will support three national fellowship programs: 1) Scholar Awards, which link basic researchers and clinical scientists or physicians who are in the early stages of their careers; awardees receive $75,000 per year for up to three years; 2) Memory and Brain Disorders Awards, which encourage novel applications of neuroscience research to clinical problems related to memory and brain disorders; and 3) Technological Innovations in Neuroscience Awards of up to $100,000 per year for two years to encourage multidisciplinary research and technical innovations. The Endowment Fund is also the sponsor of the annual McKnight Conference on Neuroscience in Aspen, Colorado, organized to share research developments and foster interaction among all the awardees.  More information is available at: http://www.mcknight.org/neuroscience/index.htm 

On Tuesday, WorldCom and Brown University announced grants for 20 programs in 19 states to link public schools or community organizations with local colleges or universities to develop educational technology projects for youth in underserved areas. The grants were awarded through Making a Civic Investment, a $5-million, five-year program funded by WorldCom and administered by Campus Compact, a national coalition of nearly 700 college and university presidents based at Brown.  The programs range widely from urban schools to Native American tribal communities, from online community newspapers to urban gardens to Web sites that gather neighborhood history. Many programs are intergenerational. Each program will receive annual funding for two years and will be eligible for continued funding for a total of five years. Leaders of the 20 programs qualify for annual professional development programs at Brown. WorldCom and its UUNET subsidiary will ensure that each project has high-speed Internet service for the term of the grant.  Although the size of individual projects varies, most grants…

Forbes magazine, in conjunction with the Milken Institute, released on Monday its second annual "Best Places for Business and Careers" - a ranking of the top 200 metropolitan areas in the United States. The Forbes-Milken Institute list looks at two critical factors to determine which metro areas are the most dynamic: jobs and earnings, and high-technology growth and output. All of the numbers were provided by the Institute's Regional and Demographic Studies group as part of its ongoing research into how high-tech impacts regional economies.  The top ten metro areas were:  1. Austin-San Marcos, Texas  2. Atlanta, Georgia  3. Santa Rosa, California  4. Boulder-Longmont, Colorado  5. Boise City, Idaho  6. San Diego, California  7. Orange County, California  8. San Antonio, Texas  9. West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Florida  10. Colorado Springs, Colorado  To view all 200…

Minnesota Technology, Inc. seeks candidates to fill the position of Technology Transfer Specialist. The incumbent will help bring Federal Technology Transfer activities to Minnesota companies by developing partnerships with federal labs, identifying opportunities for tech transfer activities in Minnesota companies, and assisting companies with the development of proposals, agreements and licenses.  An Executive Director is sought to manage the Ohio Environmental Technology Incubator located at Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio.  This Incubator is in the initial stages of development, and the Executive Director will be responsible for initiating, planning, organizing, and directing all activities of the Incubator under the supervision of an Advisory Board.  The Research and Development Statistics Program of the National Science Foundation's Division of Science Resources Studies (SRS) is recruiting for an Economist 110, Social Scientist 101, or Statistician 1530 at the GS-13/14 ($60,890-$93,537) or AD-III level ($60,890-95,923) under vacancy announcements 00-94 and…

A number of bills to strengthen Hawaii's science and technology standing were passed during the final days of the legislative session. The High Technology Development Corporation has been empowered to issue $100 million in special purpose revenue bonds for the development of high-technology facilities and office space under an act Governor Ben Cayetano signed during the last week of April. Effective immediately, the act allows bond monies to be used as incentive or inducement financing to attract technology companies to the state as the interest rates on the bonds are lower than current bank loan rates. A copy of the act is available at: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessioncurrent/bills/hb2443_hd2_.htm Last Tuesday, the last day of the regular session for the Hawaii legislature, several additional technology bills passed. According to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Governor Cayetano is expected to sign these bills as well.  Among the bills are: The New Economy Technology Scholarship Act (S.B. 2420 CD 1), a five-year pilot scholarship program for Hawaii students to pursue…