SSTI Digest

Last week President Clinton called on the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) to develop recommendations for achieving greater diversity in the United States’ scientific and technical work force.  By 2010, approximately half of America's school-age population will be from minority groups. As stated by the White House, minority participation in science and engineering careers should keep pace with this growing diversity. Currently, only one-eighth of all high school graduates have the math and science preparation that would permit advanced study in a technical field; for under-represented minorities, that fraction is only half as much. The U.S. Department of Labor projects that the demand for computer scientists, systems analysts and other information technology positions will double over the next 10 years, requiring 1.3 million new workers in this area alone. Expansion of the participation of women, minorities, and people with disabilities in these critical fields is crucial in meeting the growing demand for workers in technology…

Innovative manufacturing, plasma and photon processing, and Internet technology will be the focus of three new Centers of Excellence in Virginia. The Commonwealth of Virginia and Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) recently announced the selection of these three new Centers as the second-generation of CIT’s Technology Development Centers program. The new centers will host research and development efforts focused on existing and emerging technologies of importance to the growth of Virginia’s technology industry. The centers will develop technology, apply and commercialize the technology with industry partners and provide a rapid response capability to assist technology-based companies with short-term needs. Thirteen Technology Development Centers (TDCs) have been funded at Virginia state-supported universities since 1986. The TDCs have focused on such areas as fiber optics, composite materials, advanced computer technology, biotechnology and wireless communications. In FY 1996, six of the centers generated 17 spin-off companies, more than 700 jobs and close to $50 million in new…

Sue Rhoades, formerly of Delaware, has taken a new position with Pennsylvania's Ben Franklin Partnership as State Coordinator. She will be working with the four regional Ben Franklin Technology Centers on a variety of statewide collaborative and strategic initiatives. The Delaware Economic Development Office (DEDO) is seeking a Manager of Technology Programs to fill Sue’s position. The DEDO is the state agency responsible for economic development in Delaware. The duties of this position include managing the state's Advanced Technology Centers program and acting as liaison to state-supported manufacturing extension, entrepreneurial development, and related technology-based economic development efforts. The position is based in Wilmington, DE. Interested applicants should send a resume to Harold Stafford, Administrative Director, DEDO,   99 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901-7305.

Sue Rhoades, formerly of Delaware, has taken a new position with Pennsylvania's Ben Franklin Partnership as State Coordinator. She will be working with the four regional Ben Franklin Technology Centers on a variety of statewide collaborative and strategic initiatives. The Delaware Economic Development Office (DEDO) is seeking a Manager of Technology Programs to fill Sue’s position. The DEDO is the state agency responsible for economic development in Delaware. The duties of this position include managing the state's Advanced Technology Centers program and acting as liaison to state-supported manufacturing extension, entrepreneurial development, and related technology-based economic development efforts. The position is based in Wilmington, DE. Interested applicants should send a resume to Harold Stafford, Administrative Director, DEDO,   99 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901-7305.

Connecticut Innovations, Inc. recently allocated $20 million of new state funds and $10 million of its own funds to develop biotechnology laboratory space in Connecticut. Connecticut Innovations’ new facilities fund can be administered using a variety of investment vehicles. The fund may offer loan or lease guarantees, enhancing the credit of companies that would not otherwise be able to qualify for leases. Alternatively, Connecticut Innovations may provide direct financing to high-tech companies or to real estate developers working with high- tech companies that have specific laboratory space requirements. The determination to provide this funding was made primarily due to the financial needs of biotechnology companies. While it costs approximately $100 - $125 per square foot to construct traditional office space, laboratory space can run upward of $200 - $400 per square foot. Projections indicate that existing companies in Connecticut will need 230,000 square feet of laboratory and office space by the year 2000. Add the needs of the emerging companies and the number reaches nearly 400,000 square…

Four industries (aerospace, computers and office machinery, electronics and communications equipment, and pharmaceuticals) are growing at a rate more than twice as fast as other manufactured goods,  thereby driving national economic growth around the world, according  to a National Science Foundation (NSF) Issue Brief, High-Tech Industries Drive Global Economic Activity (NSF 98-319). The study found that since 1980, these industries’ inflation-adjusted growth has averaged nearly 6 percent annually compared with a rate of 2.4 percent for other manufactured goods. Global economic activity in high-tech industries was especially strong from 1992-95, when output grew at over 8 percent per year, once again more than twice the rate of growth for all other manufacturing industries. The report also examines how high-tech industries benefit national economies finding that: * High-tech firms are associated with innovation. Firms that innovate tend to gain market share, create new product markets, and use resources more productively. * High-tech firms are associated with high value-…

The first round of applications for the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Technology (EPSCoT) have been submitted. Eighteen of the nineteen eligible states participated, either by submitting single-state applications or by collaborating with others to produce multi-state applications. In all, 25 applications were received, requesting over $9.4 million in funding.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced that 61 individuals representing all fifty states and the District of Columbia will be honored this year as recipients of the Tibbets Award.  The Tibbets Awards recognizes the technological innovation, economic impact and business achievements of those involved in the federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. For an alphabetized listing of the recipients, search the SBA’s Tibbets website at http://www.inknowvation.com/Tibbets/Tibbetts98winners.html

NGA Leadership --- At its 1998 Annual Meeting in Milwaukee,  the National Governor’s Association (NGA) named its new leadership to steer the initiatives and agenda for the association.Delaware Governor THOMAS R. CARPER was named NGA’s chairman, and Utah Governor MICHAEL O. LEAVITT vice chairman. The positions are for a term of one year. At the meeting, the nation’s governors focused primarily on initiatives for the new millennium, and resolved to continue trying to fortify the federal-state partnership. The centerpiece of the August meeting was state innovations in technology which included 30 state technology exhibits. ASME/USIP FELLOW -- Susan Ipri Brown began her term as the United States Innovation Partnership (USIP) Fellow in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) on September 1. The fellowship is funded by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Ms. Brown most recently served as Science Research Analyst in the Michigan Legislative Science Bureau. In her new capacity as USIP Fellow in OSTP's Technology Division, Brown will support USIP activities aimed at…

Significant changes to the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program were proposed on July 31, 1998 by Senator Christopher Bond (R-MO), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business, when he introduced Senate Bill S. 2407, the Small Business Programs Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998. First, S. 2407 proposes to make the SBIR Program permanent. The SBIR program is currently authorized through FY 2000. At that time, the program will either need to be reauthorized or it will cease to exist. This bill would eliminate the need for continued reauthorization by making the SBIR program permanent. Second, the bill would increase the allocation of funds to the SBIR Program from federal agencies' extramural R&D budgets from 2.5% to 3.5%. This increase would occur over four years beginning in FY 2001. Finally, the bill would make a significant change in the program to encourage better outreach to states that receive few awards each year. The bill would permit up to 2% of the SBIR set aside pool of funds to support an outreach program, to promote better commercialization of…

Before leaving for its August recess, the Senate confirmed Neal Lane to be Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and Bill Richardson to be Secretary of Energy. On July 31, Lane was unanimously confirmed as OSTP Director, taking over the vacancy left when John Gibbons retired. According to the White House press release on Lane's confirmation, "Dr. Lane also serves as Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and is responsible for providing the President with advice in all areas of science and technology policy and works to coordinate science, space, and technology policy and programs across the federal government. The Director also co-chairs the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology and serves on the National Science and Technology Council." Lane has served as Director of NSF since 1993. Prior to that, Lane was Provost of, and physics professor at, Rice University. He was also Chancellor of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs from 1984 to 1986, and Director of NSF's Division of Physics from 1979 to 1980. Lane is a member of the…

Just a reminder that early registration for SSTI's Second Annual Conference, Science and Technology Programs: Catalysts for Economic Growth, are due August 31. The conference will be held September 24 & 25 in Columbus, Ohio. Full details can be found on SSTI's home page at www.ssti.org or by calling SSTI at 614/421-SSTI (7784).