The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development appointed Christine Plater as its new director of small business programs.

The South Dakota Biotech Industry Association, a new resource for biotech companies in the state, has formed.

The Mid-America Commercialization Corporation (Manhattan, Kansas) announced that the Eaton Corporation is donating a substantial portfolio of patented technologies for the benefit of the corporation and Kansas State University.

The number of technology degrees awarded have declined by 5 percent since 1990, according to a new report issued by the American Electronics Association (AEA). The one area in which there has been a significant increase in degrees conferred is business information systems, which increased by 24 percent.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced two new programs to assist small businesses.

Y2K Loans

SBA will begin accepting applications in early May for a loan program to help small businesses with problems related to the date change from 1999 to 2000 (Y2K).

In what could be the beginning of a new trend in state economic development incentive/inducements, bills receiving bi-partisan support in the Michigan and Delaware state legislatures would address businesses= needs for more technically skilled workers by having the states pick up the students' tab for community college tuition and technical training.

The Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) is seeking a chief executive officer. OCAST's statutory mandate is to contribute to the public policy goals of expanding and diversifying Oklahoma=s economy, providing new and higher quality jobs to improve Oklahoma's per capita income and encouraging the development of new products, new processes, and whole new industries in Oklahoma. The full description can be found on the SSTI homepage at http://www.ssti.org

Science, technology and workforce development are prominent themes in the plans 42 governors outlined for their states, according to the latest SSTI Issue Brief, Science & Technology in the States: Excerpts from the 1999 Governors' Addresses.  The publication provides a collection of 109 research, workforce development and technology-related quotes from 1999 Inaugural Addresses, State of the State Addresses, and Budget Addresses by the governors.

Yahoo! Internet Life magazine has named its 1999 list of the "100 most wired" colleges and universities.  This is the third year in which the magazine has published the list. Listed  in the top five are: Case Western Reserve University (OH); Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Wake Forest University (NC); the New Jersey Institute of Technology;  and, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY).

The expected economic benefits from the Advanced Technology Program far outweigh program costs, according to a new report issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology.

A Wichita, Kansas-based venture capital firm seeks a broadly qualified leader to commercialize technology, develop start-up businesses, manage pre-seed and seed capital funds, and raise capital. Resumes with a personal statement of interest and five professional references to Mary Breakstone at the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC). The full position description is available on the SSTI home page at www.ssti.org

The Department of Commerce budget request as submitted by the Clinton Administration includes language that would exempt the Advanced Technology Program's $239 million budget from inclusion in the 2.5 percent set-aside for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. If passed as written, the result would result in a nearly $6 million cut in the Commerce SBIR obligation, which in FY1998 totaled $6.7 million.

Despite a multi-year upswing in the national economy, the United States is not laying the foundation for its long-term prosperity says a new report issued by the Council on Competitiveness. If current policy and investment trends continue unchanged, the U.S. could lose its status as the world's preeminent innovator, according to The New Challenge to America's Prosperity: Findings from the Innovation Index.

The Montana House of Representatives narrowly approved a measure that, if passed by the Senate, will provide $9-$10 million a year for state research and development projects.

Montana House Bill 260 changes the way in which coal severance taxes are collected to allow a portion of the revenue to be designated for R&D spending.

The state-by-state results for the 1998 SBIR Phase I awards are presented here  -- as reported individually by the ten participating federal agencies and compiled by SSTI. Totals may not reflect new awards or cancellations made by an agency after the initial award announcements. Abstract information for funded SBIR projects may be obtained on each agency's SBIR website or by calling the federal agencies directly.

A new report by SSTI finds that 48 states have some structured SBIR promotion or assistance effort underway. States spent $8 million in FY 1998 to promote involvement and encourage success in the federal SBIR program. These are among the findings reported in State and Federal Perspectives on the SBIR Program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Service has issued a direct final rule incorporating a series of changes for the popular Distance Learning & Telemedicine Loan and Grant Program (DLT). The rule will become effective on May 10, 1999 unless the agency receives written adverse comments on or before April 26, 1999.

Three separate public initiatives are underway in Wisconsin which could result in the availability of more than $100 million for new venture capital financing. The efforts are designed to spur venture capital investment in the state (ranked 45th in the 1998 Pricewaterhouse Coopers survey) and to increase entrepreneurial activity in the Wisconsin biotechnology community.

Wheeling Jesuit University invites applications for the position of Chair of the Department of Business and Technology. Among the Chair's responsibilities are recruiting and retaining faculty, overseeing curriculum and budget, developing and maintaining strong ties to the business and governmental community of the Wheeling area, and articulating a vision which leads to widespread recognition of the Depart-ment as offering a premier education program. Applications will be accepted until May 10, 1999.

The U.S. Department of Commerce's Technology Administration (TA) has announced the availability of approximately $2 million in funding for the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Technology (EPSCoT). The program will provide 6-8 matching grants to support technology development, deployment, and diffusion through public-private partnerships in states which traditionally do not receive significant federal R&D funding.

In his first budget address, Illinois Governor George Ryan outlined a series of initiatives which would catapult Illinois into the top tier of states for technology-based economic development spending. Coupled with the $3-million-plus technology initiative announced earlier this year by Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, Illinois S&T investments could grow to $20 million annually, a threshold only six other states have crossed and maintained: Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

Two new, free resources are available that provide access to statistical data that can be used for a wide variety of analytic processes, including impact assessment, regional measurement, strategic planning and program design.

Last week's issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest was our 150th since beginning the publication on March 1, 1996. Since that time, the Digest has grown more sophisticated in its news coverage and value largely due to the input we receive from our readers. Accompanying this week's issue of the Digest in a separate e-mail is a short survey that we hope you will complete and send back to us. [NOTE: survey is not included with the arcvhive version of the Digest.]

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced plans to accept applications for funding to support selected local Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) assistance efforts. The program announcement will be available by mail beginning Monday March 22, according to Maurice Swinton, SBA point of contact.

The U.S. Department of Energy has announced the award of more than $2.1 million in grants to six U.S. manufacturers to help demonstrate and commercialize energy-efficient and environmentally friendly industrial technologies. The grants support technologies being developed for use in the chemicals, metalcasting, aluminum, forest products, and steel industries.