Skip to main content
Skip to main content
State Science & Technology Institute (SSTI) logo

Secondary Menu

  • Events
    • Educational Opportunities
    • Annual Conference
    • Webinars
    • Past Events
  • Advocacy
    • Innovation Advocacy Council
    • Policy Statements
  • Job Corner
  • Sign In
  • Search

Main menu

  • About SSTI
    • Mission
    • Board
    • Team
    • Contact Us
    • TBED Community of Practice
  • Membership
    • Why Join
    • Join/Renew
    • Member List
  • Resources
    • Digest Articles
    • Useful Stats
    • Recent Research
    • Webinar Library
  • Funding
    • Funding Supplement
    • Federal Funding Video library
  • Join SSTI
  • Sign up for SSTI Digest

Search

Displaying 26 - 43 of 43
Authored on

USDA reorganization of Rural Development concerns supporters

Thursday, June 1, 2017

While U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has announced that the Rural Development agency would be elevated under a reorganization plan because it would be placed under the direct oversight of the Secretary, not everyone is viewing the consolidation as an elevation.

  • Read more about USDA reorganization of Rural Development concerns supporters

Facing deindustrialization, smaller regions turn to innovation, workforce development

Thursday, May 11, 2017

In a recent Digest article, SSTI covered research highlighting the oversized role that offshoring multinationals had in manufacturing employment decline from 1983 to 2011. During this time, deindustrialization and manufacturing unemployment had a profound impact on community approaches to economic development.

  • Read more about Facing deindustrialization, smaller regions turn to innovation, workforce development

USDA Announces Launch of $100M Rural Business Investment Company

Thursday, October 20, 2016

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the launch of the McLarty Capital Partners’ Rural Business Investment Company (RBIC) – a new private investment fund with the potential to inject $100 million into growth-oriented, small businesses across rural America. As the fifth RBIC to launch since 2014, McLarty Capital Partners’ RBIC is part of the Made in Rural America initiative, an ongoing effort by the Obama administration to attract private sector capital to investment opportunities in rural America and drive more economic growth in rural communities.

  • Read more about USDA Announces Launch of $100M Rural Business Investment Company

Recent Research: Broadband Availability and Rural Entrepreneurship

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Because existing evidence points to the presence of broadband as having a positive connection to the economic health in rural areas, numerous states and the federal government have made increasing broadband in these places a top priority. In particular, many rural areas view broadband as an important tool in attracting entrepreneurs and other creative-class employees. Although this tactic is well intentioned, new research suggests that the association between expanded rural broadband availability and the proliferation of entrepreneurship and creative-class employees may not be as strong as one might think, and that the relationship may actually be negative.

  • Read more about Recent Research: Broadband Availability and Rural Entrepreneurship

Obama Administration Announces $66M via POWER Initiative

Thursday, March 24, 2016

In partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), the Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced the availability of $65.8 million in new funding through the Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) initiative.

  • Read more about Obama Administration Announces $66M via POWER Initiative

Recent Research: Best Practices in Rural Economic Development

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Across the globe, the proliferation of innovation-led economic development is typically viewed in an urban context. Despite cities receiving the bulk of the attention, researchers have begun to focus on how to leverage best practices in rural economic development. Just as is the case in nearly all economic development scenarios, practitioners and policymakers working in rural areas benefit from a better understanding of local strengths and opportunities, according to new research from the United States, Canada, and the European Union.

  • Read more about Recent Research: Best Practices in Rural Economic Development

TN Commits $8M to Support Rural Economic Development

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam recently announced a new fund to support economic development in rural parts of the state. While most of the $8 million (approximately $7 million) is designated for shovel-ready economic development sites and tourism projects, the state will commit $600,000 for economic development grants to support entrepreneurship in small towns across the state including $300,000 to support a Main Street Business Incubator Program for downtown business districts.

  • Read more about TN Commits $8M to Support Rural Economic Development

Tennessee Announces Investment to Establish 100 Ag-Tech Businesses by 2020

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Tennessee leaders hope to raise $10 million in public and private funding over the next five years to support an effort to attract 200 agricultural technology entrepreneurs and establish 100 ag-tech businesses by 2020. USDA Rural Development and the Tennessee Department of Agricultural recently announced they would seed that effort by contributing $220,000 to AgLaunch, a program to aid early-stage ag-tech companies. Memphis Bioworks Foundation will lead the initiatives, providing mentoring and programming opportunities for entrepreneurs. The program will begin in 2016.

  • Read more about Tennessee Announces Investment to Establish 100 Ag-Tech Businesses by 2020

USDA Announces Investments in Projects to Support Rural Prosperity, Facilitate Private Investments

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Last week, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) held a special meeting that include approximately 100 investors and venture capitalists to help stimulate private sector investments in rural infrastructure projects with the potential to spur economic development in small towns and rural communities across the country. Through its U.S.

  • Read more about USDA Announces Investments in Projects to Support Rural Prosperity, Facilitate Private Investments

USDA, Private VCs Raising $125M for Rural Startups

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Two private venture firms have committed to raising a total of $125 million to invest in rural, early stage startups under the Department of Agriculture's Rural Business Investment Program. The program was launched last April, when Advantage Capital Partners launched the first $150 million Rural Business Investment Company (RBIC) fund.

  • Read more about USDA, Private VCs Raising $125M for Rural Startups

MN, IA, Other States Look to Strong Agbiosciences Industry to Support Economic Prosperity

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Minnesota’s economic future may well be rooted in its historic leadership in agricultural production, according to a new report prepared by Battelle, Agbioscience as a Development Driver: Minnesota Agbioscience Strategy.

  • Read more about MN, IA, Other States Look to Strong Agbiosciences Industry to Support Economic Prosperity

White House Announces $10 Billion Fund for Rural Development

Thursday, July 31, 2014

The White House Rural Council has launched a $10 billion rural economic development fund. This launch was announced last Thursday at the Rural Opportunity Investment Conference held in Washington D.C. CoBank, a Denver-based national cooperative bank, serves as the anchor investor of the fund that will be managed by Capitol Peak Asset Management. Capitol will also recruit additional institutional investors to the fund including pension funds, endowments, and foundations that are interested in investing in rural areas.

  • Read more about White House Announces $10 Billion Fund for Rural Development

USDA Announces Launch of $150M Fund To Support Small, Rural Businesses

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

A $150 million fund, formed under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Business Investment Program (RBIP), will provide equity capital to small businesses in rural parts of the country. The fund will be managed by Advantage Capital Partners, which, along with eight other farm credit institutions, has pledged the backing capital for the effort. USDA has announced that it will accept applications for other new Rural Business Investment Companies to raise funds from farm credit institutions in order to make equity investments. Applications are due July 29.

  • Read more about USDA Announces Launch of $150M Fund To Support Small, Rural Businesses

$150M Rural Investment Fund to Support Cutting-Edge Ag Businesses

Thursday, April 24, 2014

As part of an effort to support rural, small businesses in cutting-edge fields such as bio-manufacturing and advanced energy production, the USDA announced a new capital access initiative to facilitate private investment. The $150 million investment fund is being formed under USDA’s Rural Business Investment Program and will be managed by Advantage Capital Partners. Read the announcement.

  • Read more about $150M Rural Investment Fund to Support Cutting-Edge Ag Businesses

Funding for TBED Trimmed in NC Budget

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Lawmakers continued to provide support for life sciences at a reduced level in the recently enacted budget; however, other technology areas did not fare as well. In some cases, funding was eliminated for tech-based initiatives, and lawmakers allowed a tax credit for early stage investors to expire. Meanwhile, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center plans to consolidate activities and redouble efforts to keep things moving in the wake of a 27 percent reduction to their budget.

  • Read more about Funding for TBED Trimmed in NC Budget

White House Announces Winners of Rural Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

The Obama administration today announced the 12 winners of the multi-agency Rural Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge. Approximately $9 million in federal funding will help support rural public-private partnerships to promote job creation, accelerate innovation and provide assistance to entrepreneurs and businesses in a wide range of industrial sectors in rural regions across the country.

  • Read more about White House Announces Winners of Rural Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge

President Announces Capital Initiatives for Rural Small Businesses

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Speaking during a Rural Economic Forum at Northeast Iowa Community College in Peosta, IA, President Obama announced several new initiatives to promote economic growth in rural areas, including two new capital programs. The Small Business Administration (SBA) will partner with USDA to double its current rate of investment in rural small businesses to $350 million over the next five years. This will be accomplished through SBA's Impact Investment Fund.

  • Read more about President Announces Capital Initiatives for Rural Small Businesses

Arkansas Task Force Recommends State Investments in Tech Companies, Co-locating Economic Development Agencies

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

To attract and grow high technology businesses and streamline its economic development efforts, a task force created in 2007 to study economic competitiveness in Arkansas recommends the state remove its constitutional prohibition on state equity investments in priva

  • Read more about Arkansas Task Force Recommends State Investments in Tech Companies, Co-locating Economic Development Agencies

Pagination

  • First page « First
  • Previous page ‹‹
  • Page 1
  • Page 2

Tags

Select up to 5
  • (-) rural (43)
  • usda (9)
  • workforce (6)
  • entrepreneurship (5)
  • innovation (5)
  • broadband (4)
  • capital (4)
  • federal agency (4)
  • ARC (3)
  • economic development (3)
  • bio (2)
  • funding (2)
  • higher ed (2)
  • policy (2)
  • policy recommendations (2)
  • recent research (2)
  • state tbed (2)
  • urban (2)
  • white house (2)
  • accelerators (1)
  • awards (1)
  • clean energy (1)
  • coronavirus (1)
  • doe (1)
  • eda (1)
  • education (1)
  • energy (1)
  • federal reserve (1)
  • immigration (1)
  • incubators (1)
  • manufacturing (1)
  • r&d (1)
  • report (1)
  • sba (1)
  • startups (1)
  • state budget (1)
  • venture capital (1)

Recent news from the SSTI Digest

Pew finds partisanship growing in American support for science

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

In the 30 years SSTI has been in existence and the 85 years of concerted federal focus on scientific discover and innovation, the priority of public-private R&D investment has been overwhelmingly nonpartisan. A recent report from the Pew Research Center confirms the cold-war, global competitiveness arguments for U.S science and technology still hold sway across political parties, but fissures in who should pay and who should work on science and tech efforts are beginning to grow. 

science
federal spending

Disruption is echoing in empty university halls

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

Vacant storefronts and empty downtown office buildings aren’t the only ways the pandemic-accelerated, technology-stimulated move to remote work has negatively impacted community cohesiveness, commitment to place, and economic opportunity resulting from aggregation. According to a newly released analysis of university campuses, the disconnection and under-utilization problem extends deeper into regions than many may realize. 

higher ed

Recent Research: Cross-industry knowledge flows support high-tech entrepreneurship

Wednesday, February 11, 2026
entrepreneurship
recent research
State Science & Technology Institute (SSTI) logo

Footer

  • About
    • Board
    • Staff
    • Membership
    • TBED Community of Practice
  • Join
    • Member Benefits
    • Member List
  • Join SSTI
  • Sign up for SSTI Digest

© 2025 SSTI, All Rights Reserved.

1391 W 5th Avenue Ste 323, Columbus OH 43212

614.901.1690