SSTI Digest

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

The National Governors' Association (NGA) and the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) released the results of the annual Fiscal Survey of States. The report incorporates information gathered by NASBO from January through April 1997, and includes actual figures for fiscal 1996, preliminary figures for fiscal 1997, and numbers contained in Governors' proposed budgets for fiscal 1998.

The April edition of The Fiscal Survey of States says that although 1997 will be the seventh year of economic recovery nationwide, governors are not calling for program expansions but are adhering to the principles of efficiency, austerity, and improved management.

The National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) has released an assessment of NASA's technology transfer and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) programs.

Overall, NAPA found that NASA continuously implements new approaches designed to enhance the commercial impact of its R&D investments. While acknowledging the difficulties in measuring accomplishments in technology transfer and commercialization activities, NAPA found that NASA's efforts compare favorably with other federal agencies and, in a number of cases, its efforts are likely to offer better performance and value than those of other agencies.  Specific recommendations pertaining to mechanisms for commercializing technology include: