SSTI Digest

R&D Magazine has released the results of a survey in which more than 80 percent of respondents think America will lose its competitive edge in industry within 25 years unless basic-research funding is increased. The survey consisted of a combination of research questionnaires and individual interviews with 4,000 researchers representing industry, academia, and government. The survey findings are part of R&D Magazine's Basic Research White Paper. Overall, the report found that the research process, although not in immediate peril, has lost its long-term planning agenda in the face of global competition. If action is not taken to support a basic-research infrastructure to act as a foundation for the future, American innovation will suffer. The major conclusions of the study are: Industrial research will not increase except in very large corporations; basic research is on a shortened time horizon; grant applications consume an increasing amount of researchers' work time; and, academic research may not be a viable replacement for industrial basic research because of equipment and…

The Government Accounting Office (GAO) recently released its assessment of federal agencies' progress towards implementation of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). GPRA requires that executive agencies prepare multi-year strategic plans, annual performance plans, and annual performance reports. The agencies must submit a strategic plan to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Congress by September 30, 1997. GAO found that agency efforts have produced mixed results that will lead to highly uneven government-wide implementation in the fall of 1997. Although agencies are likely to meet the upcoming statutory deadlines for producing initial strategic plans and annual performance plans, GAO found that the documents will not be of a consistently high quality or as useful for congressional and agency decision making as originally intended. GAO determined that agencies are confronting five key challenges: (1) establishing clear agency missions and strategic goals, especially when program efforts are overlapping or fragmented; (2) measuring performance, particularly when the…

Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis) has introduced the Commercial Space Act of 1997 (H.R. 1702) to encourage the development of a commercial space industry in the United States. The bill has five major components. First, it will direct NASA to determine the feasibility for commercial tenants on the International Space Station. Second, it amends the Commercial Space Launch Act to enable the Office of Commercial Space Transportation to license reentry activities for the industrial sector. Third, the bill supports the President's policy to make the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS) the international standard. It is recognized that the commercial market opportunities for GPS are extensive, and that the economic interests of the U.S. would best be served if the current U.S. GPS system became the world standard. Fourth, language is included that streamlines the process for obtaining a license to operate a commercial remote sensing satellite. Finally, the legislation requires the federal government to procure space transportation services from U.S. commercial providers to the maximum extent…

The Department of Defense has announced 30 projects selected for negotiation under the Commercial Operations and Support Savings Initiative (COSSI) of the Dual Use Applications Program (DUAP), the successor program to the Technology Reinvestment Project (TRP). The projects could receive close to $100 million in DUAP funding. COSSI emphasizes using commercial technology and business approaches to reduce the operations and support costs of existing military systems. The projects were chosen for their potential to reduce operating and support costs by inserting commercial technology into them. The Air Force selected six projects (two in California, and one each in Florida, Massachusetts, Missouri, and Ohio). The Army selected 10 projects and the Navy selected 14 projects. Neither the Army or the Navy responded to requests for a breakout by state. A complete list of projects can be obtained by contacting SSTI at 614/421-SSTI (7784).

Deborah Cummings has joined the staff of the State Science and Technology Institute as a Policy Analyst. Ms. Cummings prior work experience includes positions with the National Business Incubation Association and Ohio's Thomas Edison Program as the Edison Technology Incubator Coordinator. She can be reached at 614/421-SSTI (7784) or via e-mail at cummings@ssti.org.

Mary Good, the Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology, is leaving the U.S. Department of Commerce in the beginning of June, according to published reports. Dr. Good will be returning to Arkansas. During her tenure, she has been a strong and influential advocate for federal support for science and technology. Dr. Good serves as the chair of the National Science and Technology Council's Committee of Technological Innovation and as the Clinton Administration's lead on the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles. She has served as Under Secretary since 1993.

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has elected 60 new members and 15 foreign associates from 11 countries. Election to membership in the Academy is considered one of the highest honors to be accorded a U.S. scientist or engineer. The following states had members elected to the Academy: California (16), Massachusetts (6), New York (6), Connecticut (5), Maryland (5), New Jersey (4), Illinois (3), Washington (3), Pennsylvania (2), Texas (2), Wisconsin (2), and with one each, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Rhode Island, and Wyoming. For a complete list of those elected, contact SSTI at 614/421-SSTI (7784).

The General Accounting Office (GAO) recently released its review of the policies and procedures of the Department of Defense (DoD) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. In FY 1997, approximately $1 billion, government wide, has been set-aside for this program. Approximately $500 million of that amount is projected to be funded by DoD. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 required GAO to review certain aspects of DoD's SBIR program. As part of the review process, GAO interviewed officials in the Small Business Administration, Department of Defense, and the participating DoD divisions and agencies, in addition to reviewing implementing instructions, guidelines, and other pertinent documents. Based on its findings, GAO concluded that quality research is being conducted, competitive procedures are being followed, and the products and processes developed through the program are being used in military projects and programs. As part of the review process, GAO examined a number of SBIR program statistics: DoD…

The Industry Network Corporation is seeking a Regional Manager for its Manufacturing Extension Partnership program. The position is based in Anchorage, Alaska. The full position description can be obtained from the Institute by calling SSTI at 614/421-SSTI (7784) or through the Institute's home page at http://www.ssti.org

Three regional meetings are being scheduled to receive input on the design of the proposed Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Technology (EPSCoT) program. The program is intended to "foster the development of indigenous technology assets in states that traditionally have been under represented in the distribution of federal R&D expenditures." The Department of Commerce's Technology Administration describes EPSCoT as the technology counterpart to the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). It is being designed to bridge the gap between university research and the local economy and develop economic development tools to foster regional technology-based economic growth. It would be a competitive, cost-shared grant program. Commerce proposes that the following states would be eligible to participate in EPSCoT: Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming, as well as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The…

The State Science and Technology Institute's first conference, "Promoting Economic Growth Through State Science and Technology Programs," will be held June 16-17 in Washington, D.C. The conference will cover topics identified by the states as being of interest, including: Creating new capital sources for technology-based companies Assessing the economic impact of S&T programs Designing and implementing commercialization centers Developing and implementing S&T strategic plans, and Experiences with self-sufficiency and program privatization The conference is designed for policy makers, program managers and staff, legislators, advisory board members, and others who are interested in promoting economic growth through the application of science and technology. For more information on the conference, including a list of speakers, contact the Institute at 614/421-SSTI (7784) or via the Institute's home page at www.ssti.org /conf97.htm

South Carolina Governor David Beasley has appointed a 17-member Technology Advisory Council. The Council is to examine how South Carolina can attract technology-intensive companies, find strategies to promote high technology jobs and identify specific technologies that are important for other industries. The Council, comprised of 11 private sector and 6 public sector representatives, has committed to submitting a technology plan to the Governor by mid November. Dr. Larry Druffel, president and CEO of the South Carolina Research Authority, serves as the Council's chairman.