November 14, 1997 -- SSTI Weekly Digest

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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HOUSE BEGINS YEAR-LONG S&T POLICY REVIEW

The House Committee on Science has begun a year-long study of the nation's science and technology policy in order to determine funding priorities for federal support of research. The study will be the first attempt by the House to systematically assess the nation's research and development needs since the end of the Cold War.

The Science Policy Study, commissioned by committee chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and House Speaker Newt Gingrich, will be headed by committee vice chairman Rep. Vernon J. Ehlers (R-MI). Rep. Ehlers is a nuclear physicist and one of the few scientists in Congress.

According to the House Committee on Science, Rep. Ehlers' team will address long-range S&T policy and science and mathematics education, as well as serve as a contact with the science community. The public will be invited to submit letters and papers to the team for consideration. The team intends to hold field briefings and hearings in the spring.

One of the first actions undertaken by Rep. Ehlers was to convene a roundtable in late October. The roundtable of more than 30 representatives of government, industry and academia discussed long-range issues of national science policy to create a framework for the items or issues to be included in the study.

USDA ANNOUNCES GRANT RECIPIENTS FOR RURAL AMERICA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the recipients of $1.9 million in grants to address some of the largest challenges facing agricultural and rural communities including food safety research and the improvement of water quality. The grants are being awarded through USDA's Fund for Rural America.

The Fund for Rural America Cooperative Value-Added Program (CVAP) is providing $1.1 million in grants to aid cooperatives in the development of plans to create value-added products from the agricultural commodities their members produce. A total of 18 cooperatives in 16 states were awarded CVAP funds to finance feasibility studies, business development plans, market analysis studies, and product development plans for new cooperatives to produce value-added goods.

Of the 16 states that have cooperatives that received funding, 14 states received one award. Iowa and Kansas both received two awards. The state where the cooperative is based and the dollar amount received is as follows:

AL $75,000	HI $75,000	IA $119,700
KS $150,000	ME $40,000	MA $33,900
MI $75,000	MN $75,000	NM $20,000
NY $75,000	ND $75,000	SD $75,000
TX 54,400	VT $42,000	WA $40,000
WI $75,000

The Fund for Rural America is also providing an additional $852,000 to fund 35 planning grants for the development of proposals targeting but not limited to: animal waster and water quality management; competitiveness in the global market; rural waste water issues; emerging crop and livestock pest and disease problems; and managing risk in the agricultural sector, the broader food system and rural communities.

The 35 planning grants were funded from the research portion of the Fund for Rural America for up to $25,000 each for a maximum six month period. They were awarded to a variety of consortia consisting of a number of land grant universities and other research entities.

The Fund for Rural America will provide $100 million annually for the next three years for research, education, and extension or rural development. For more information on the Fund, visit their website at http://www.reeusda.gov/fra

GAO Expresses Concerns About DOE Labs

The General Accounting Office (GAO) recently testified before a Congressional committee on the changing missions of the Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories and perceived weaknesses in the management of the labs. According to GAO, DOE's efforts to meet the requirements of Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) offer an opportunity to achieve fundamental change in the way in which the department manages the national labs.

GAO has reported previously on its concerns with the national laboratory system. The two major concerns are:

GAO opined that the department has struggled to manage large projects successfully, is slow to realize benefits from internal reforms, and continues to face problems from a complex organizational structure.

GAO reported that DOE has begun a number of reform initiatives to address mission and management problems. GAO suggests that the GPRA process provides an opportunity for developing a clearer mission for the laboratories. GPRA requires agencies to develop meaningful performance measures, and spell out the relationship between long-term goals and performance. For DOE to fulfill GPRA requirements, it must show how missions will be translated into agency operation --an important component in determining how the laboratories are to be used and evaluated.

The GAO testimony "Clearer Missions and Better Management are Needed at the National Laboratories " (GAO/T-RCED-98-25) is available from GAO at 202/512-6000 or on the GAO homepage at www.gao.gov.

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