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:
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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 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 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.
Prior to leaving for the August recess, the House of Representatives completed work on the 13 appropriations bills funding discretionary programs for FY 97, including all federal support for R&D. The Senate must still pass five bills. Of the eight bills that provide support for science and technology, only the Agriculture bill has been cleared by both houses and signed by the President.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through its Laboratory Operations Board has begun a comprehensive review of the Department's research and development activities. The first phase of the activity has resulted in a report with descriptive material about DOE's activities.
The materials research and development programs of nine federal departments and agencies are available in a new report, The Federal Research and Development Program in Materials Science and Technology 1995. The report was developed as a guide for materials researchers in industry, government, and universities. The emphasis in the report is on R&D directly linked to industrial applications, particularly in the areas of aeronautics, automotive technology, electronics, environmental technology, and infrastructure.
The New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NJMEP) seeks qualified applicants for the position of Executive Director. A successful candidate will have a established record of entrepreneurship demonstrated through a history of leadership in firm or division status, new product launches, development of new marketing strategies, or similar endeavors. Applicants must have senior-level management experience in an industrial manufacturing firm with full profit and loss responsibility.
The State of Rhode Island has selected two Research Centers of Excellence designed to expand research initiatives and encourage investment and job opportunities. The Rhode Island Center for Cellular Medicine and the Ocean Technology Center are the state's first technology centers.
The State of Delaware has selected its first three Advanced Technology Centers (ATCs), public/private partnerships designed to bolster the state's technology base and to create and retain quality high-tech jobs. The centers will receive $2.31 million from the state's 21st Century Fund for their first year of operation and are eligible for two more years of state funding given satisfactory performance.
The centers selected are:
In partnership with the Ohio Department of Development, BP America, and the Great Lakes Industrial Technology Center, NASA Lewis Research Center has opened a technology based incubator. The Lewis Incubator for Technology (LIFT) will enable companies to gain comprehensive business, financial, and marketing assistance as they work to commercialize NASA-developed technologies.
The South Florida Manufacturing Technology Center (SFMTC), a regional office of the Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership, is currently seeking a Director. SFMTC is located in Pompano Beach, Florida and serves seven counties along Florida's southeast coast: Broward, Dade, Martin, Monroe, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie.
President Clinton announced his intention to nominate three members to the National Science Board (NSB), an advisory body to the National Science Foundation. The three are:
Mary K. Gaillard of Berkeley, California, a professor of Physics at the University of California, Berkeley, and a faculty senior scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking candidates to fill the position of Associate Director for Regional Programs. Responsibilities will include the creation, planning, evaluation and maintenance of a national network of state and local technology assistance providers to develop and enhance their capabilities to meet the needs of small and medium sized manufacturers.
The House-passed National Institutes of Health (NIH) appropriations for FY 97 included a problematic provision that would have changed the formula for awarding Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) projects at the Institutes. The provision would allow NIH to fund SBIR research only if the average score of the pool of small business proposals met or exceeded the score of basic research proposals submitted by universities and other research centers.
President Clinton announced his intention to nominate five members to the National Science Board (NSB), an advisory body to the National Science Foundation. The five are:
John A. Armstrong of Amherst, Massachusetts, the former Vice President of Science and Technology and member of the Corporate Management Board at IBM.
The California Manufacturing Technology Center has begun a search process for qualified applicants to fill a number of economic development-oriented engineering positions. The CMTC seeks applicants with over eight years of hands-on manufacturing experience to: define and develop proposals, present to potential clients, perform and manage projects, and build a network of consultants.
Increased company support of R&D offset reduced Federal funding in 1994 and contributed to an overall increase in U.S. industrial R&D, to $119.6 billion, according to the National Science Foundation's Survey of Industrial Research and Development for 1994.
The U.S. House of Representatives on a vote of 246-179 on Wednesday approved an appropriations bill that includes funding for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Programs affected by the bill include the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) and Advanced Technology Program (ATP), and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) Information Infrastructure Grants (IIG).
The General Accounting Office (GAO) has collected and provided information on fiscal year 1993 costs for professional staff, managers and executives at the Department of Defense's (DOD) Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC). FFRDCs were established during World War II to meet the special research needs that the federal and private sector could not provide. Over the years the number of FFRDCs have varied, but in fiscal year 1993 there were 39, with 10 sponsored by DOD.