SSTI Digest

Last month, Governor George W. Bush issued an Executive Order that created the Texas Science and Technology Council. The mission of the 21 member board is to "research, develop, and report to the Governor the means available to the State of Texas to become the national leader in science and technology cooperation, development, and research." Among other activities the Council will: 1) review and recommend policies to increase the amount of research conducted by state colleges, state universities and the private sector; 2) propose state policies and actions that promote technology development and transfer in Texas; 3) analyze and propose state policies that encourage availability and accessibility of venture capital and commercial lending; 4) study and make recommendations on any issues that relate to improving the state's competitive position in science, R&D, and advanced technology development.

Bypassing the drawn out struggle over the federal budget that resulted in last year's shut downs of the federal government, the Congress and President reached agreement on the FY97 federal budget earlier this month. While federal cooperative technology programs at the National Science Foundation (NSF) received the full amount the President requested, programs at the Department of Commerce encountered significant challenges. A preliminary analysis by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) of the FY97 appropiations show that total federal R&D for FY97 will increase to $74.0 billion, 4.1 percent more than FY96. Every major R&D funding agency except NASA and the Department of the Interior received increases. Programs of particular interest to the states are shown below:   FY 95 FY96 FY97 Request FY97 House FY97 Senate FY97 Final ATP 341 221 345 110.5…

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has selected 13 new Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers, bringing the total number of centers to 24. NSF support for the new centers is expected to amount to $105 million over the next five year years. The centers are university-based programs that support interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary materials research and education. The new centers are located at the following universities: Arizona State University Brown University University of California- Santa Barbara Carnegie Mellon University Cornell University University of Houston Johns Hopkins University University of Maryland- College Park Northwestern University University of Pennsylvania State University of New York- Stony Brook University of Wisconsin- Madison A partnership of SUNY-Stony Brook; Polytechnic Univeristy; and City University of New York They join centers at the following universities: University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa; University of California- San Diego; University of Chicago; Harvard University; University of Massachusetts- Amherst;…

We are sad to report that Matt Filner, a Policy Analyst with SSTI, has submitted his resignation effective October 18 to pursue his academic studies full-time. In addition to being a valued staff member of SSTI, Matt was a key participant in organizing the Colloquium at Airlie House and a vital contributor to Partnerships: A Compendium of State and Federal Cooperative Technology Programs. His dedication, persistence, and creativity will be sorely missed. We wish him well as he works toward his Ph.D. at Indiana University. Matt's departure leaves us with a position to fill. Please distribute this description to anyone that you think might be interested. The State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI) is seeking a Policy Analyst. This position is with a small, dynamic non-profit organization located in Columbus, Ohio. The Institute serves as a clearinghouse and resource center for government initiatives in all 50 states that encourage industry to use science and technology for economic growth. Responsibilities include: responding to requests for information…

Dr. Elbert L. Marsh has been named to head the National Science Foundation's Directorate for Engineering. Dr. Marsh will now assume responsibility for all engineering funding at the federal agency--in excess of $300 million in 1995. Dr. Marsh has served as deputy assistant director for engineering since 1991. Before joining NSF, he worked as an engineer at the California Institute of Technology's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He holds a B.S. for the University of Pennsylvania, an M.S. from the University of Minnesota, and a Ph.D. from Stanford University.

The House of Representative has passed the Space Commercialization Act (H.R. 3936). The bill, sponsored by Rep. Robert Walker (R-PA), is designed to make it easier for private companies to participate in space operations. The major provisions of the bill include: the NASA Administrator would be directed to prepare a market study that would examine the role commercial ventures may play in the International Space Station; NASA would be required, to the maximum extent possible, to acquire earth remote sensing data, services, distribution and applications, where cost effective, from the U.S. private sector; and, the government would be required to procure launch service from U.S. commercial providers, and to the maximum extent possible, plan missions to accommodate the space transportation capabilities of U.S. commercial providers. The future of the bill is uncertain in the Senate. There is currently no Senate version of the bill, but it may be attached to the space authorization bill that the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is currently drafting. A section-by-section analysis…

The U.S. Department of Commerce has published a compendium of federal departments and agencies and private sector organizations that "monitor, collect, disseminate, or conduct analysis of information involving foreign science and technology." The compendium provides the only comprehensive listing of U.S. resources, both public and private, that maintain vital information on foreign S&T efforts. For the first time in a single comprehensive document, the compendium details the U.S.-based resources on foreign S&T programs. It contains information on some 80 organizations, including nine U.S. Cabinet departments such as the Departments of Agriculture, State, and Commerce, six U.S. government agencies including EPA, NASA, and NSF, seven U.S. military service organizations, and six select private sector organizations including SEMATECH. The compendium provides an overview of the "mandate, functions, and key contacts" of relevant U.S. federal and select private sector organizations. The compendium, jointly funded by the Departments of Commerce and State, seeks to "improve private sector…

A report highlighting the role that technology plays in the U.S. economy and the challenges of competing in a global economy has been released by the National Science and Technology Council. Technology in the National Interest describes federal technology initiatives, traces the evolution of U.S. technology policy, and identifies milestones and major legislation that have promoted technological progress. For copies of the report, contact the U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of Technology Policy's publication request line at 202/482-3037.

The Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy (COSEPUP) of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and Institute of Medicine (IOM) has completed a review of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Science and Technology Centers (STC) program. COSEPUP recently released its conclusions which call for the continuation of the STC program, with some modifications. The Committee concluded that most STCs are producing high quality, world class research that would not have been produced without the center structure. It found that the design of the STC program has been effective overall and fits well within NSF's strategic plan. Strengths of the STC program design include the open competition across NSF research directorates and the focus on long term commitment to complex research projects. However, COSEPUP recommended that NSF consider a shorter maximum term for the centers. The STCs were designed to have an 11-year lifespan, including a two-year phase-out period, and COSEPUP argued that many centers will have accomplished their goals before the…

The Space Commercialization Promotion Act of 1996 (H.R. 3639) was introduced in the House last month. Rep. Robert Walker (R-PA), Chair of the House Science Committee, has maintained efforts over the last six years to pass this legislation. Walker says the legislation seeks to advance U.S. national space goals and encourage the private sector to participate in many space-related efforts now carried out by the U.S. government. Major Provisions in H.R. 3936: The NASA Administrator would be directed to prepare a market study that would: -examine the role commercial ventures may play in supplying, using, servicing or augmenting the International Space Station; review specific policies and initiative underway at NASA to encourage such commercial opportunities; and, consider the cost of savings that might be realized by the international partnership from applying commercial approaches to cost-shared operations and by the U.S. government from cost reimbursements by commercial users. NASA would be required, to the maximum extent possible, to acquire…

The Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology yesterday announced 18 awards for new or expanded manufacturing extension programs. The addition of these programs expands MEP services to all 50 states and Puerto Rico, with MEP services available at 300 sites nationwide. A total of $19.6 million will be provided by the federal government to support the first year funding for these centers, with an additional $21 million being provided by states and other organizations.   Of the new centers announced, three - the Alaska Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the Hawaii Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and the Nevada Manufacturing Extension Partnership - will be managed by the Industry Network Corporation, a private non-profit corporation which presently manages programs in Arizona and New Mexico.Several of the centers will initially focus on specific industries, forest products in Alaska, apparel and food processing industries in Hawaii, and secondary wood products in Kentucky. The National Center for Printing, Publishing, and Imaging (CIMSPrint), located at the Rochester Institute of Technology will help printing companies…

The Technology Transfer Society presented its 1996 Justin Morrill Award to the Colorado Advanced Technology Institute (CATI). The Justin Morrill Award is presented to organizations that have an exemplary record in technology transfer and have made outstanding contributions to technology transfer theory and practice. CATI was recognized "for its wide array of activities that demonstrate what can be done by a state agency to promote and support effective technology transfer by providing resources, leadership, consultation and cooperation." The Technology Transfer Society is a professional society whose members set policy, develop partnerships and support research and development on methods and tools in the technology transfer field.