SSTI Digest

Japan is on schedule to double the government's R&D investment by the year 2000, according to a June 13 National Science Foundation Issue Brief.

Japan originally declared in 1992 its intent to double the amount of funding provided for R&D. In line with this goal, the Japanese government approved an R&D budget increase of 12.5% in 1996 and a 6.8% increase in 1997. If this expansion continues, annual government R&D funding will be approximately $18 billion in the year 2000, double the 1992 budget in constant dollars.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce William M. Daley announced several changes to the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) yesterday. The changes came as a result of a Department study reviewing the ATP. A number of the changes are designed to increase the role of the states in the program.

The first change called for in the Secretary's report is to "encourage state participation in ATP awards." As a means of encouraging state participation in ATP awards, the program will allow joint ventures to be led by states and state-sponsored non-profits. The selection process will give weight to the "business commercialization plan" part of the criteria to post-ATP "value-added" that can be provided by state technology development organizations.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is seeking nominations for the Tibbetts Awards to recognize outstanding technological innovation, economic impact, and business achievements of individuals and organizations associated with the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

The awards, named for Roland Tibbetts who was instrumental in the creation of the SBIR program, were established last year when 67 individuals and companies were recognized. This year's awards will be presented on October 16 as part of a national SBIR conference.

Nominees may be individuals, small firms, organizations and projects that have provided outstanding contributions to the SBIR program. Nominees may come from the private, non-profit, or government sectors.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is looking for business and quality experts to serve a one-year term on the Board of Examiners that reviews applications for the 1998 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The board consists of approximately 325 members, including nine judges and 60 senior examiners.

Examiners volunteer their time to evaluate applications for the award, prepare feedback reports for applicants and recommend award winners to the NIST director.

Key qualifications include expertise in business, education or health care management, processes and results as well as knowledge of quality practices and improvement strategies.

Information brochures on the Board of Examiners are available by calling 301/ 975-2036. Examiner applications will be available in November.

The National Governors' Association (NGA) and the federal government signed an agreement officially establishing the United States Innovation Partnership (USIP) on June 25, 1997. The USIP brings together the Governors and the White House to improve the operation of the national science, engineering, and technology system.

The purpose of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is to outline policies and procedures for a general working relationship between the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the U.S. Department of Commerce, other Executive agencies as appropriate, and the NGA in support of the creation and maintenance of the USIP.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) held its annual Small Business Week celebration June 1-7. Small Business Week is designated each year to honor the nation's small businesses and to highlight their contributions to the national economy and their local communities.

David Guiliani, president and CEO of Optiva Corporation in Washington state, was recognized as the National Small Business Person of the Year.

Optiva manufactures the Sonicare brand of sound wave-powered toothbrushes. The company started in 1988 as a technology transfer project for the University of Washington. With the help of a grant obtained through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, the company has grown from 10 to 250 employees with over $50 million in sales in 1995. Optiva's "built in the USA" strategy also helped create more than 1,000 jobs for small- and medium-sized businesses in the Pacific Northwest.

Gary Bachula has been named the Acting Under Secretary for Technology for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Since joining the department in 1993, Bachula served as the Deputy Under Secretary for Technology, reporting to Mary Good. In that position he has been a strong supporter of SSTI and the U.S. Innovation Partnership.

The Maine Science and Technology Foundation seeks a high energy President and CEO who will work with a diverse, gubernatorially appointed Board of Directors and provide leadership to the staff in the areas of strategic planning, policy development, program oversight, finance and administration, and public outreach. MSTF is a state chartered, industry-led not-for-profit organization that stimulates science and technology-driven economic growth in the state of Maine.

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 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.

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.

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.