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On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act (NITRD), nearly doubling federal information technology (IT) research over the next five years. Introduced by House Science Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr., (R-WI), H.R. 2086 focuses federal IT resources towards fundamental basic research and establishes the National Science Foundation (NSF) as the lead agency for federal civilian IT programs.

The Clinton Administration’s final budget request calls for substantial increases in most civilian R&D areas. Overall, civilian R&D would see a six percent increase totaling $2.5 billion and would surpass military R&D spending, which, at $42 billion, essentially would be held level with FY 2000 appropriations.

The overall FY2001 budget request for the U.S. Department of Agriculture reflects a decrease of more than 9% over FY2000. For several research and economic development programs, the Administration is requesting the opportunity to use funds appropriated in previous years but blocked from use by Congressional appropriations language in 1999 and 2000. Selected agency program highlights include:

Several Clinton Administration programs in the Department of Commerce are perennial budget battles, and this year is likely to be no exception. Selected program highlights include:

The Clinton Administration budget request for Defense R&D would be essentially equal in FY2001 to FY2000 levels. Research, Development, Testing & Evaluation would dip from $38.3 billion to $37.9 billion. Selected highlights include:

With 12.6 percent growth, the Department's budget request includes the largest increase in discretionary spending in the history of the Department. Funding for educational research would increase by $30 million. S&T highlights include:

The President's request for the Department of Energy reflects a 9.2 percent increase over last year's budget. Funding for science and technology activities, however, would increase by $12 percent. Research and development funding for nuclear and fossil fuel energy systems would decrease by five percent and ten percent respectively. Program highlights include:

There are several environmental R&D initiatives in the Administration's budget request, however, except for the Global Climate Change Technology Initiative, few of these include the Environmental Protection Agency as an active financial participant. EPA's R&D activities are slated to decrease by $6 million in FY 2001 to $530 million (excluding Climate Change expenditures, which is requesting a 120 percent increase).

The Administration’s budget request includes a 5.6% increase of $1 billion in biomedical research within the National Institutes of Health. The funding would support research in the areas of diabetes, brain disorders, cancer, genetic medicine, disease prevention strategies, and development of an AIDS vaccine. The increased funding also would result in approximately $25 million in additional funding for the NIH SBIR Program.

For the first time in many years, the budget request for NASA reflects an increase, rather than a cut. R&D programs would receive a 14 percent increase if the President's budget request passes. Commercial Technology Programs within the Science, Aeronautics and Technology unit would receive $135 million, a decrease of $5 million over FY 2000. Academic programs would experience a sharper drop of $38.8 million to a FY 2001 total of $100 million. HIghlights include:

Under the President's budget request, NSF would receive increased funding of $675 million or 17.3 percent, doubling the single largest increase ever for the Foundation. If passed, Funding for NSF will have increased by 66 percent since President Clinton took office. Selected program highlights for the FY 2001 request:

The SBA budget requests $1 billion in new spending authority, including the expanded New Markets Venture Capital Program mentioned under the Interagency Initiatives. The program is designed to increase access to equity capital and technical assistance to women, minorities and to businesses located in low- and  moderate-income rural areas and inner cities.

As was the case in the Administration’s budget request last year, the Department of Transportation’s R&D programs have the greatest percentage growth over the previous year’s funding level at 37 percent. A record $1.28 billion, would be spent for transportation research and for the development and deployment of new technologies. This includes:

Governor Tom Vilsack has unveiled a plan to enhance Iowa’s science and technology base. In his 2001 budget proposal, the governor has proposed $10 million in state funds to create Centers of Excellence in the life sciences, information solutions, and advanced manufacturing areas.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge has proposed that 15 percent of the Commonwealth’s expected $11 billion tobacco settlement monies be directed toward health-care related research and venture capital. Pennsylvania anticipates receiving between $397 and $459 million each year for the next 25 years.

Last week, President Clinton announced the recipients of the 1999 National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology, the nation's highest science and technology honors. The National Medal of Science, established by Congress in 1959 and administered by the National Science Foundation, honors individuals for contributions to the present state of knowledge across a variety of science frontiers.

Dr. Mary L. Good, president-elect of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and former Under Secretary for Technology in the Department of Commerce, has received the 1999 Heinz Award in Technology, the Economy, and Employment from the Heinz Family Foundations. The Award is given in recognition for Dr.

The South Carolina Technology Alliance has released South Carolina Technology Initiative 2000, a science and technology strategic plan outlining six specific recommendations for strengthening the state’s position in a knowledge-based economy.

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) is accepting applications to support projects designed to alleviate conditions of substantial and persistent unemployment and underemployment in economically distressed areas and regions of the nation, and to address economic dislocations resulting from sudden and severe job losses.

The Department of Commerce, on behalf of the Subgroup on Legal Barriers to Electronic Commerce (``Legal Barriers Subgroup'') of the U.S. Government Working Group on Electronic Commerce, requests public comments and suggestions concerning policies, laws or regulations that need to be adapted in order to eliminate barriers to and promote electronic commerce, electronic services, and electronic transactions.

SSTI thanks Chris Busch, Director of the Wyoming SBIR Initiative, for forwarding the NIH information to us, and to BRTRC's Christine Villa for providing the Defense stats.

Cincinnati and St. Louis are partnering to hold a three-day symposium to examine best practices in biotechnology-based economic development. Growing the Life Science Industry will be held March 1-3 at the Kingsgate Conference Center on the University of Cincinnati Medical Campus. Speakers from a dozen states will share their regions' approaches for life science economic development.

Activities to address the digital divide and the S&T workforce shortage have increased recently. The following are a sampling of efforts underway to understand and address the growing inequalities in technology access and assimilation.

The National Academy Foundation, a New York-based nonprofit organization, and President Clinton have announced the selection of 12 public high schools to pilot the Academy of Information Technology program. The program is intended to prepare predominantly at-risk high school students for careers in information technology fields. The program will provide a ninth-through-twelfth-grade curriculum with opportunities to partner with community colleges, universities, and businesses.