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R&D Magazine has released the results of a survey in which more than 80 percent of respondents think America will lose its competitive edge in industry within 25 years unless basic-research funding is increased. The survey consisted of a combination of research questionnaires and individual interviews with 4,000 researchers representing industry, academia, and government.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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

The recipients of the 1997 National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology were announced last week. The awards are described as the United States' equivalent of the Nobel Prize.