SSTI Digest

In what could be the beginning of a new trend in state economic development incentive/inducements, bills receiving bi-partisan support in the Michigan and Delaware state legislatures would address businesses= needs for more technically skilled workers by having the states pick up the students' tab for community college tuition and technical training. Governors in at least 14 other states have proposed establishing, increasing or expanding scholarship programs this year, according to SSTI's latest Issue Brief Science & Technology in the States: Excerpts from the 1999 Governors' Addresses (see related article in this Digest). Michigan A bill introduced in the Michigan Senate last week would provide a $300 state tax credit to cover the balance of a student's Michigan community college tuition that is not covered by the federal Hope Scholarship tax credit. The state tax credit would be available to all students from two-parent households with incomes under $100,000 and single-parent families with less than $50,000 in annual income. The bill's sponsor estimates 90 percent of…

The Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) is seeking a chief executive officer. OCAST's statutory mandate is to contribute to the public policy goals of expanding and diversifying Oklahoma=s economy, providing new and higher quality jobs to improve Oklahoma's per capita income and encouraging the development of new products, new processes, and whole new industries in Oklahoma. The full description can be found on the SSTI homepage at http://www.ssti.org Applications are due by May 7.

Science, technology and workforce development are prominent themes in the plans 42 governors outlined for their states, according to the latest SSTI Issue Brief, Science & Technology in the States: Excerpts from the 1999 Governors' Addresses.  The publication provides a collection of 109 research, workforce development and technology-related quotes from 1999 Inaugural Addresses, State of the State Addresses, and Budget Addresses by the governors. An SSTI review of more than 80 gubernatorial speeches delivered during the past four months revealed several common technology-related themes for many governors: Increasing 21st century workforce preparedness through job training programs and greater accessibility to college and technical school courses; Expanding use of information technology in state government, libraries, and the classroom; Strengthening the research capacity of higher education institutions as an economic development tool; Launching several new S&T…

Yahoo! Internet Life magazine has named its 1999 list of the "100 most wired" colleges and universities.  This is the third year in which the magazine has published the list. Listed  in the top five are: Case Western Reserve University (OH); Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Wake Forest University (NC); the New Jersey Institute of Technology;  and, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY). Compiled in conjunction with Peterson's (known  for its expertise in education information guides and services), the rankings  are based on a survey of 571 four-year institutions in the U.S. In analyzing the data, Yahoo! noted that schools have made great strides in developing  their computer networks. Of the "100 Most Wired" Colleges: 98% offer online course schedules 90% allow electronic applications 82% allow students to register online 54% offer distance learning courses 48% offer alumni free access to the campus  network The Top 100 rankings, by state are: Rank State…

The expected economic benefits from the Advanced Technology Program far outweigh program costs, according to a new report issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology. The report, Advanced Technology Program Performance of Completed Projects, Status Report Number 1, was prepared by economist William F. Long of Business Performance Research Associates Inc. The report provides the most detailed examination to date of the outcomes of the earliest ATP projects. The study covers all 38 ATP projects completed by the end of March 1997, documenting research accomplishments, subsequent work by the companies to commercialize the results, and near-term outlooks for the technologies. It also lists the reasons for failure of 12 other terminated projects that were selected between 1991 and March 1997. The 38 projects surveyed in Long's report cover a broad range of ATP investments. Most (34) were single-company projects, though many of them involved subcontractors. Of these, almost all were projects by small…

A Wichita, Kansas-based venture capital firm seeks a broadly qualified leader to commercialize technology, develop start-up businesses, manage pre-seed and seed capital funds, and raise capital. Resumes with a personal statement of interest and five professional references to Mary Breakstone at the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC). The full position description is available on the SSTI home page at www.ssti.org

The Department of Commerce budget request as submitted by the Clinton Administration includes language that would exempt the Advanced Technology Program's $239 million budget from inclusion in the 2.5 percent set-aside for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. If passed as written, the result would result in a nearly $6 million cut in the Commerce SBIR obligation, which in FY1998 totaled $6.7 million. Ann Eskesen, a leading SBIR expert and advocate, brought the Commerce issue to the attention of the SBIR community through the ASBIR Two Cents@ website, sponsored by Ms. Eskesen's firm, Innovation Development Institute (http://www.inknowvationcom/SBIR_TwoCents/). According to information posted on Two Cents, the Commerce budget request is scheduled to go to the Senate for consideration on April 21. Commerce would be the third agency where attempts have been made to reduce or eliminate its financial obligation under the federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. A similar exemption was attempted in 1996 for the National Institutes of Health, the second largest…

Despite a multi-year upswing in the national economy, the United States is not laying the foundation for its long-term prosperity says a new report issued by the Council on Competitiveness. If current policy and investment trends continue unchanged, the U.S. could lose its status as the world's preeminent innovator, according to The New Challenge to America's Prosperity: Findings from the Innovation Index. The Index quantifies and compares the innovation capabilities of the U.S. and 24 other nations. According to the report, there are three main contributors to a nation's overall innovative performance: the common innovation infrastructure that supports innovation in the economy as a whole (e.g., investment in basic science); the cluster-specific conditions that support innovation in particular groups of interconnected industries (e.g., automotive, information technology); and, the strength of the linkages among them (e.g., the ability to connect basic research to companies and the contribution of corporate efforts to the overall pool of technology and skilled personnel.)…

The Montana House of Representatives narrowly approved a measure that, if passed by the Senate, will provide $9-$10 million a year for state research and development projects. Montana House Bill 260 changes the way in which coal severance taxes are collected to allow a portion of the revenue to be designated for R&D spending. The new program will support projects conducted at Montana's state universities and at tribal or state technical and community colleges. State agricultural research centers are also eligible for funding and at least 20 percent of the funding must be directed toward production agriculture projects. The funds may be used for loans or for matching funds for federal or foundation grants.

The state-by-state results for the 1998 SBIR Phase I awards are presented here  -- as reported individually by the ten participating federal agencies and compiled by SSTI. Totals may not reflect new awards or cancellations made by an agency after the initial award announcements. Abstract information for funded SBIR projects may be obtained on each agency's SBIR website or by calling the federal agencies directly. Contact SSTI at 614/ 901-1690 if you need an agency's URL or phone number.

A new report by SSTI finds that 48 states have some structured SBIR promotion or assistance effort underway. States spent $8 million in FY 1998 to promote involvement and encourage success in the federal SBIR program. These are among the findings reported in State and Federal Perspectives on the SBIR Program. The report has three primary purposes: it provides an overview of state services offered; it reports on state and federal program managers views on key issues facing the SBIR program; and, it suggests options for further action to advance state-federal cooperation on SBIR. The report also includes: a selected bibliography, a list of state SBIR service providers, and a distribution of Phase I awards and proposals by agency and state for FY 93-97. The report was prepared for United States Innovation Partnership's (USIP) SBIR Task Force, co-chaired by Rich Bendis of the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation and Dan Hill of the Small Business Administration. USIP was created in 1997 to establish a new working relationship between the states and federal government designed…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Service has issued a direct final rule incorporating a series of changes for the popular Distance Learning & Telemedicine Loan and Grant Program (DLT). The rule will become effective on May 10, 1999 unless the agency receives written adverse comments on or before April 26, 1999. The DLT program provides financial assistance for schools, libraries and rural medical services to acquire equipment and telecommunications facilities for optimal service delivery. Since the DLT program was created in 1993, USDA has funded 252 projects in 43 states and two US territories, totaling $62.5 million in grants and $3 million in loans. The amendments to the DLT program were designed to: clarify the requirements for the different types of financial assistance offered; streamline policies and procedures for obtaining loans; expand the purposes for which loan funds can be used to include land acquisition, facility construction and operating costs; award grants on a competitive basis; and provide additional offices for application…