Copyright State Science & Technology Institute 2002. Information in this issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest was prepared under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration. Redistribution to all others interested in tech-based economic development is strongly encouraged — please cite the State Science & Technology Institute whenever portions are reproduced or redirected. Any opinions expressed in the Digest do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
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NASA Selects SBIR Phase II Awards
NASA has selected 170 research proposals for contract negotiations for Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards. The proposals have a total value of $100 million and were selected out of 277 proposals submitted by SBIR contractors completing Phase I projects that started in 1995.
Number of Proposals Selected, by State
California 40 Pennsylvania 4 Massachusetts 22 Indiana 3 Texas 11 Utah 3 Alabama 8 Washington 3 Colorado 8 Michigan 2 Virginia 7 New Mexico 2 Connecticut 6 Wyoming 2 Maryland 6 D.C. 1 New Hampshire 6 Delaware 1 Arizona 5 Hawaii 1 New Jersey 5 Minnesota 1 New York 5 Mississippi 1 Ohio 5 Nebraska 1 Oregon 5 Tennessee 1 Florida 4 Wisconsin 1
Firm names, project titles, and other information on the awards can be found at http://nctn.hq.nasa.gov/nctn/SBIR/SBIR.html or by calling the State Science and Technology Institute at 614/421-SSTI (7784).
EPA Solicits Proposals for Excellence and Leadership Project
The Environmental Protection Agency is currently accepting proposals for Project XL (Excellence and Leadership). The project, created as part of President Clinton's Reinventing Environmental Regulation initiative, provides opportunities to demonstrate excellence, leadership, and flexibility to develop alternative strategies for environmental protection.The Project will involve two parts: the granting of regulatory flexibility by EPA and "an enforceable commitment" by a regulated entity to achieve better environmental protection than the projected results of regulatory compliance. EPA seeks to fund fifty pilot projects in four categories: facilities, sectors, government agencies, and communities.
Specifically, XL projects should seek to implement technological applications that, among other things, lower compliance costs, minimize risk of environmental liability, or enhance operational flexibility. The unit of government best suited to address the issues raised by the project should be the primary management entity.
Evaluation Criteria
- Environmental results: projects that achieve superior environmental compliance;
- Cost savings and paperwork reduction: projects that substantially reduce compliance costs;
- Stakeholder support: projects that have sought and achieved support from relevant community entities; 4. Innovation/multi-media pollution prevention: projects that test innovative strategies;
- Transferability: projects that test new approaches that could be incorporated into the Agency's programs or into other industries;
- Feasibility: projects that are technically and administratively feasible;
- Monitoring, reporting, and evaluation: projects that make information, including performance data, available to stakeholders;
- Shifting of risk burden: projects that protect worker safety and ensure that "no one is subjected to unjust or disproportionate environmental impacts."
The solicitation has no due date and more than one proposal can be submitted by each potential participant. Project proposals, comments and/or questions should be sent to Regulatory Reinvention Pilot Projects, FRL-5197-9, Water Docket, Mail Code 4101, EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20460. Additional information is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.epa.gov/ ProjectXLSSTI
Awards Announced -- Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring
President Clinton recently announced the winners of the first Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. The award recognizes outstanding mentoring efforts and programs that have enhanced the participation of individuals from groups underrepresented in the field.Awards are made to either an individual who has demonstrated "outstanding and sustained mentoring and effective guidance to a significant number of students at the K-12, undergraduate, or graduate education level; or to an institution or organization that, through its programming, has enabled a substantial number of underrepresented students successfully to pursue and complete the relevant degree programs."
This year's awardees are:
- the Double Discovery Center at Columbia University;
- the Women in Science Project at Dartmouth College;
- the Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology Saturday Academy Program;
- the University of Maryland-Baltimore County;
- the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc.;
- New Mexico MESA, Inc.;
- Howard Adams (GA Institute of Technology);
- Diola Bagoyoko (Southern University);
- Joaquin Bustoz (Arizona State University);
- Carlos Gutierrez (California State University-Los Angeles);
- Janet Herman (University of Virginia);
- Susan Lasser (Clemson University);
- Melvin Robin (Science High School, Newark, NJ);
- Walter Smith (University of Akron); and,
- Richard Tapia (Rice University).
Each award includes a grant in the amount of $10,000. Approximately twenty one-time awards will be given each year under the program, which is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF). For more information, please contact Wanda Ward, Ph.D. of NSF at 703/306-1605 ext. 6850.
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