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Gary Bachula has been named the Acting Under Secretary for Technology for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Since joining the department in 1993, Bachula served as the Deputy Under Secretary for Technology, reporting to Mary Good. In that position he has been a strong supporter of SSTI and the U.S. Innovation Partnership.

The Government Accounting Office (GAO) recently released its assessment of federal agencies' progress towards implementation of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). GPRA requires that executive agencies prepare multi-year strategic plans, annual performance plans, and annual performance reports. The agencies must submit a strategic plan to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Congress by September 30, 1997.

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.

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 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."

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

The sunset provision on Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) centers would be removed under authorizing language approved by the U.S. House of Representatives last week. The action came in authorization language for key U.S. Department of Commerce and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) programs.

A demonstration program using federal loan guarantees to attract venture capital funds to rural areas is being created by the Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). RBS is seeking public comment on the program by May 9.

Dr. Paul S. Huyffer has been named Executive Director of the Vermont Technology Council and Special Assistant to the President of the University of Vermont for Economic Development. The Vermont Technology Council has been in existence since 1992 and has been responsible for the development of a science and technology plan for the state.

As part of a review of the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) ordered by Commerce Secretary William Daley, public input is being sought on the operations and direction of the program. The outcome of the review is to be incorporated in the Department's recommendations to the Secretary on possible program modifications.