Recent issues of the Federal Register and Commerce Business Daily (CBD) have had a number of research and technology funding announcements. Highlights for the Department of Defense include (date of publication in the CBD is provided in parentheses):
The following people in the science and technology community have made or announced career changes recently.
Jack Haenichen has been promoted to Deputy Director for the Arizona Department of Commerce.
Shaye Mandle is the new President of the Illinois Coalition.
Jack Haenichen has been promoted to Deputy Director for the Arizona Department of Commerce.
Shaye Mandle is the new President of the Illinois Coalition.
Bill Sibley has been named as President of the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology. Mike Irby, who has been serving as Acting President for OCAST, will be retiring at the end of the year.
Bill Todd, President of the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), has announced he will leave GRA early in 2000 to join a new technology seed investment fund.
In addition, a couple of new faces have been added to the SSTI team. We warmly welcome Shannon Burnett as our newest Policy Analyst and Ruth Carr as our Executive Assistant.
In a move to facilitate electronic commerce, President Clinton issued a memorandum this week creating the United States Government Working Group on Electronic Commerce. The Working Group will review current laws and regulations governing, impeding or hindering e-commerce, and will recommend revisions that facilitate e-commerce while ensuring consumer and public protection.
Most of New York’s science and technology initiatives have been consolidated into the New York Office of Science, Technology, and Academic Research (NYSTAR), which has received an annual budget of $130.6 million as a result of the Jobs 2000 Plan or “J2K” signed by Governor George Pataki in mid-November.
The Coleman Foundation has allocated up to $1,000,000 for this year's Entrepreneurship Awareness and Education Grant program. The program will award a one-time grant of up to $25,000 to any university, college, community college or community-based nonprofit organization to establish or significantly expand an entrepreneurship initiative that focuses on any of the following areas:
1999 Baldrige Winners Announced
Two manufacturers and two service companies have been selected as winners of the 1999 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation's premier award for performance excellence and quality achievement. No award recipients were selected in the new education and health care categories.
The Sacramento Bee recently ran a story showing there is a downside for California being home of the Silicon Valley phenomenon: 20 percent of the 6,600 computer and telecommunications positions within the California state government are vacant. Some local governments are reporting even higher vacancy rates.
Fulfilling a promise made in his 1999 State of the State Address, Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne recently announced the formation of the Idaho Science and Technology Advisory Council. The council’s first responsibility will be to develop a state science and technology strategic plan. The Idaho Department of Commerce will provide staff support for the council.
Research and development (R&D) spending in the US by foreign-owned companies has increased to more than $17 billion annually and accounts for nearly 15 percent of total company-funded R&D in the United States, according to Globalizing Industrial Research and Development — Update, a new report released by the US Department of Commerce Office of Technology Policy.
The following people in the science and technology field have made or announced career changes recently:
Pat Valente has been named the Deputy Director of the Technology Division of the Ohio Department of Development.
David Weiss is leaving his post as Maryland State Technology Coordinator.
Pat Valente has been named the Deputy Director of the Technology Division of the Ohio Department of Development.
David Weiss is leaving his post as Maryland State Technology Coordinator.
Maine Governor Angus King appointed Dr. Janet Yancey-Warona to serve as the Director for the new Maine Technology Institute.
Curious who will shape technological innovation in 21st century? Technology Review magazine has developed for the first time a list of the top 100 innovators under the age of 35.
The list, nicknamed the TR100, was compiled by a panel of 24 judges including 3 Nobel laureates, 2 university presidents, and representatives of scientific and research organizations, businesses, venture capitalists, and the media.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) unveiled a new Internet webpage which provides public access to the Department's vast amount of material on agricultural biotechnology issues.
Venture capital investments for the third quarter of 1999 (3Q 1999) passed $9 billion, pushing the year’s total already above $21 billion, according to the latest PricewaterhouseCoopers Money Tree™ Survey. For comparison, investments reported for all of 1998 were under $14 billion.
The Manufacturing Modernization Forum (ModForum), located near Ann Arbor, Michigan, is a trade association for groups who help smaller manufacturers improve their productivity and performance. The not-for-profit organization seeks applications from qualified candidates to fill the position of President/CEO. Resumes will be accepted until November 24.
Since running the article on federal and congressional fellow programs in last week’s Digest, SSTI has learned of two more opportunities and resources for helping to influence or improve development of public policy in science and technology issues:
Earlier this year, Michigan initiated plans to spend $1 billion over the next 20 years for life sciences research, development, and commercialization. With this commitment, Michigan became the first state to use its tobacco settlement funds to bolster technology-based economic development programs.
Other states and localities are considering using their share of the tobacco settlement funds for science and technology programs as well.
As the first Advanced Technology Program (ATP) projects approach their 10th anniversary, many in government, industry and academia are asking the question: Is the program working?