While more people are connected to the nation's information infrastructure, the "Digital Divide" between those Americans with the information tools to participate in the New Economy and those without is actually widening, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
Calling it one of the most important economic development activities of his administration, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge recently announced the creation of the "Pittsburgh Digital Greenhouse" -- a public/private partnership intended to provide support, infrastructure, and the expertise needed to accelerate the development and re-use of system-on-a-chip (SOC) technology.
Education Secretary Richard W. Riley has established the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century, which will recommend ways to improve the recruitment, preparation, retention, and support of math and science teachers. John Glenn will chair the 31-member commission. Governors Geringer (WY) and Hunt (NC) also will serve on the commission. Other members will include representatives of business, industry, academia, non-profit organizations, and government.
The NASA Ames Research Center is developing a 200-acre research and development complex at Moffett Federal Airfield in Silicon Valley. NASA hopes to spawn partnerships between scientists at Ames Research Center and the private sector, fostering opportunities for technology transfer and contract R&D. The Complex will ultimately encompass the entire 2,000-acre federal property owned by NASA's Ames Research Center, Ames officials said.
Annually, SSTI looks at the various addresses given by the nation's governors at the beginning of the year. Over the next several weeks, the SSTI Weekly Digest will profile the excerpts concerning programs, policies and issues immediately affecting the tech-based economic development community.
Ninety-five percent, or $102 million, of all royalties received by six technology related federal agencies during fiscal years 1996-1998 were for licenses issued by the National Institutes of Health, according to a recent General Accounting Office (GAO) study.
The Economic Development Administration (EDA) and the National Institutes of Standards (NIST) and Technology have awarded a $350,000 grant to the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) for a technology-based economic development project to boost the growth of Michigan businesses. The pilot project is expected to serve as a model for possible state and nationwide efforts on behalf of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership is seeking an Executive Director, who will oversee a staff of approximately 20 and a budget of more than $3 million. The successful candidate will be able to create a vision for the growing organization, the leadership skills to achieve that vision, and a strong interest in the growth and success of manufacturing. Applications are due August 9.
In last week's issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest, several of the state rankings for the number of awards received under the DOD SBIR 99.1 selections were incorrect. Following is a list of the states and their correct ranks: Florida was tied for 7th with New Jersey; New Hampshire was tied for 17th with Washington; Hawaii, North Carolina, District of Columbia and Utah were all tied for 23rd.
The Department of Energy has posted its selections for Phase II awards under the 1999 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The 85 Phase II grants were made to companies in the 23 states listed in the accompanying table. More detailed information for each award can be found on the DOE website: http://sbir.er.doe.gov/sbir
State
In a move to increase Hawaii's technology standing, Governor Ben Cayetano signed legislation last week that will create several new initiatives. Most significant for S&T policy is the planned consolidation of the state's technology-related programs under a new special advisor for technology development. The specific state agencies affected by the legislation were not identified in the Technology Omnibus bill.
While there is no uniform federal policy for conducting peer reviews and no written government-wide definition of peer review, there is general agreement among the agencies and the While House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) as to what the term means, according to a new General Accounting Office (GAO) report, Peer Review Practices at Federal Science Agencies Vary.
The House Committee on Small Business approved a bill to extend the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program until September 30, 2007. H.R. 2392, introduced by Representatives Taalent, Bartlett, Kelly and Velazquez, also was referred to the House Committee on Science for consideration. The ASME International Capitol Update reports a House floor vote on the bill is expected in Mid-July.
Ohio's investment in technology-based economic development will top $50 million in FY 2000 as a result of the biennial budget passed by the Ohio General Assembly this week. Spending for the programs will grow nearly 35 percent from $40.4 million in FY 1999 to $54.4 million in FY 2000.
International collaboration in science and technology through joint research and development projects and activities offers opportunities for the US and foreign governments to leverage research dollars and increase productivity.
The Computing Research Association (CRA) has released an in-depth look at the information technology (IT) worker situation in the United States, The Supply of Information Technology Workers in the United States.
Research and development (R&D) spending in the United States reached an estimated $220.6 billion in 1998, reflecting an inflation-adjusted increase of 5.3 percent over 1997, reports the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the recently released National Patterns of R&D Resources: 1998.
The National Science Foundation's Directorate for Education and Human Resources has released A Report on the Evaluation of the National Science Foundation's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. The report (NSF 99-115) was prepared under contract by the COSMOS Corporation.
Among the report's findings are:
The Colorado Advanced Technology Institute (CATI) has been abolished effective June 30, 1999. CATI was the state's lead organization on technology-based economic development since its creation in 1983.
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is seeking candidates for the United States Innovation Partnership (USIP) Fellow. The Fellow will serve a one-year appointment in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to help foster science and technology cooperation between the states and the federal government.
Candidates are sought for a Senior Executive position (Salary $100,000+) to provide visionary and high level leadership for the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, a new statewide technology transfer and commercialization nonprofit organization. Resume and salary requirements must be submitted no later than July 12, 1999.
Maine Governor Angus King, Jr. and Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology Gary Bachula signed a letter of partnership last week that links the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) with a variety of organizations in Maine. Bachula heads the Department of Commerce's Technology Administration (TA), which includes NIST.
The Department of Defense (DoD) has released the program description and request for proposals for the FY 2000 Commercial Operations & Support Savings Initiative (COSSI). COSSI, a joint program of the Army, Navy and Air Force, is designed to develop and test a method for reducing Defense operations and support costs by inserting commercial items into fielded military systems.
The Federal Energy Technology Center (FETC) of the Department of Energy has released the "Multi-Layer Ceramic Fuel Cell Research" Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) to solicit basic and applied research applications to advance the art of high temperature solid state fuel cell design and manufacturing.
The agency anticipates awarding a total of $1.8 million in first-year funding through the solicitation. There is a mandatory 20 percent cost share required for each proposal.
In the June 11, 1999 SSTI Weekly Digest, a mistake was made. The Great Midwest Venture Capital Conference has not yet selected any of the 30 presenting companies for the 1999 conference. The deadline for applications is August 27. More information on the registration process can be found at the conference website: www.greatmidwestvcc.com