SSTI Digest

In addition, a couple of new faces have been added to the SSTI team. We warmly welcome Shannon Burnett as our newest Policy Analyst and Ruth Carr as our Executive Assistant.

In a move to facilitate electronic commerce, President Clinton issued a memorandum this week creating the United States Government Working Group on Electronic Commerce. The Working Group will review current laws and regulations governing, impeding or hindering e-commerce, and will recommend revisions that facilitate e-commerce while ensuring consumer and public protection. Impediments may include regulatory or licensing requirements and technical standards and other policies that may hinder electronic commerce in particular goods or services. While some of these legal restrictions are the subject of pending legislation, other potential barriers are outside the scope of those legislative proposals. The Working Group will establish a subgroup, led by the U.S. Department of Commerce, to: (1) identify laws and regulations that impose barriers to the growth of electronic commerce, and (2) recommend how these laws and regulations should be revised to facilitate the development of electronic commerce, while ensuring that protection of the public interest (including consumer protection) is equivalent to that…

Most of New York’s science and technology initiatives have been consolidated into the New York Office of Science, Technology, and Academic Research (NYSTAR), which has received an annual budget of $130.6 million as a result of the Jobs 2000 Plan or “J2K” signed by Governor George Pataki in mid-November. The new office incorporates the programs, functions, and staff of the NY State Science & Technology Foundation. The foundation, established in 1961, was one of the oldest continuously running state S&T programs. The Foundation had been part of Empire State Development Corp. since 1995; NYSTAR will be a separate entity. With a total price tag of $522 million, J2K provides funding for projects ranging from NYSTAR and public venture capital to local water development projects. As part of J2K, the 1999-2000 state budget includes a $156.5 million investment in high-tech academic research; $280 million in venture capital funds to invest in emerging businesses in New York State; $34 million to retrain employees to operate new high-tech equipment; and $51.5 million for infrastructure…

The Coleman Foundation has allocated up to $1,000,000 for this year's Entrepreneurship Awareness and Education Grant program. The program will award a one-time grant of up to $25,000 to any university, college, community college or community-based nonprofit organization to establish or significantly expand an entrepreneurship initiative that focuses on any of the following areas: Entrepreneurship course(s), program(s) or a minor targeting non-business majors in a collegiate setting; Cross-curriculum entrepreneurship education in disciplines, such as medicine, law, architecture, engineering, psychology or veterinary science; Entrepreneurship training or certificate program targeting non-degree seeking students that are owners of an active existing business; Entrepreneurship course(s) or program(s) targeting performing, non-performing or other art-related studies; and, Entrepreneurship outreach program(s) targeting high school, elementary or alternative school students. The foundation also will award a one-time grant of up to $15,000 for any high school or community-based nonprofit…

1999 Baldrige Winners Announced Two manufacturers and two service companies have been selected as winners of the 1999 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation's premier award for performance excellence and quality achievement. No award recipients were selected in the new education and health care categories. The winners are: STMicroelectronics, Inc. - Region Americas (Carrollton, TX; manufacturing); BI (Minneapolis, MN.; service); The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. (Atlanta, GA; service); and Sunny Fresh Foods (Monticello, MN.; small business/ manufacturing). The Baldrige program is managed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in conjunction with the private sector. Since 1988, 37 organizations have received a Baldrige Award. More information can be found at: http://www.quality.nist.gov/ Return to the top of this page ATP Solicitation Opens With the FY 2000 budget battle finally behind them, the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) has available approximately $50.7 million dollars in fiscal…

The Sacramento Bee recently ran a story showing there is a downside for California being home of the Silicon Valley phenomenon: 20 percent of the 6,600 computer and telecommunications positions within the California state government are vacant. Some local governments are reporting even higher vacancy rates. According to the story, the result for California residents is that they do not have the World Wide Web convenience of government service delivery now offered in many other states — such as online vehicle registration or fishing license purchases. More serious information needs such as tracking child support payments also are not being addressed because of the lack of trained workers. Other sites, once created cannot be updated because the trained staff have left for positions in private business. Slow government hiring processes and noncompetitive civil salaries and benefits are cited as the reasons for the problem.

Fulfilling a promise made in his 1999 State of the State Address, Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne recently announced the formation of the Idaho Science and Technology Advisory Council. The council’s first responsibility will be to develop a state science and technology strategic plan. The Idaho Department of Commerce will provide staff support for the council. Dr. Bill Shipp, director of the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), will chair the council and serve as the state’s Science and Technology Advisor. Other members of the advisory council were not named but will also be appointed by Governor Kempthorne. In addition to advising the governor on science and technology issues, Dr. Shipp will assist the Idaho Department of Commerce, State Board of Education, Idaho colleges and universities, other government agencies and private sector organizations regarding science and technology. Shipp will retain his position as Director for INEEL’s new management contractor, Bechtel BWXT Idaho, while serving in his…

Research and development (R&D) spending in the US by foreign-owned companies has increased to more than $17 billion annually and accounts for nearly 15 percent of total company-funded R&D in the United States, according to Globalizing Industrial Research and Development — Update, a new report released by the US Department of Commerce Office of Technology Policy. Furthermore, the study found that during the past seven years, R&D expenditures by foreign-owned businesses in the US have increased faster than total R&D expenditures by US firms. In the high-technology sector, R&D expenditures by foreign companies account for one out of every four dollars spent on industrial R&D in the US. The growth in R&D spending by foreign companies can largely be attributed to the expansion of R&D expenditures by the US affiliates of multinational companies from six countries: Switzerland, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. In a complementary trend, the US industrial base is expanding its overseas R&D…

The following people in the science and technology field have made or announced career changes recently: Pat Valente has been named the Deputy Director of the Technology Division of the Ohio Department of Development. David Weiss is leaving his post as Maryland State Technology Coordinator. Maine Governor Angus King appointed Dr. Janet Yancey-Warona to serve as the Director for the new Maine Technology Institute.

Pat Valente has been named the Deputy Director of the Technology Division of the Ohio Department of Development.

David Weiss is leaving his post as Maryland State Technology Coordinator.

Maine Governor Angus King appointed Dr. Janet Yancey-Warona to serve as the Director for the new Maine Technology Institute.