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In the September 26, 1997 Issue:
Public Comments Requested on Proposed ATP Changes
The Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology is requesting comments on proposed revisions to the agency's Advanced Technology Program regulations.The proposed changes are the result of a study of the ATP initiated by Commerce Secretary William Daley in March. Conducted by the department's Technology Administration and completed in July, the study solicited comments from the public and experts on research and technology concerning strategies to strengthen the program and increase its effectiveness.
Key provisions in the proposed modifications to the ATP include:
- ATP may consider using the dollar value of the 500th company in Fortune Magazine's Fortune 500 listing in defining the term "large business" in ATP solicitations. This change is in response to concerns that the current process gives large firms an unfair advantage over medium-sized firms with limited resources.
- The cost sharing requirements for large companies applying as single proposers would increase to a minimum of 60 percent. Currently, all companies are treated alike regardless of size, and companies applying as individual firms are not required to provide any specific amount as their part of the cost-share.
- ATP's project selection criteria (used in the evaluation of candidate projects) would place greater emphasis on joint ventures and consortia with a broad range of participants, with the intent to encourage the teaming of large companies with smaller companies, universities and national labs.
- The method used regarding the valuation of the transfer of goods --such as software or research equipment -- between independent members of a joint venture for purposes of computing the contribution of these resources to the cost-share would be changed.
The Federal Register notice detailing the proposed modifications may be read on the ATP homepage: www.atp.nist.gov/. Individual copies may be obtained from the ATP by calling 1-800-ATP FUND (1-800-287-3863). Comments on the proposed changes must be received by NIST by October 17, 1997.
Connecticut Releases State Technology Study
The Role of Technology in the Connecticut Economy, a new report produced by the Connecticut Technology Council (CTC), provides a comprehensive analysis of the role of technology in the state's economy. Overall, the report reveals both a strong technology contribution to the Connecticut economy, as well as the state's dependence on technology for achieving its economic potential.The primary goal of the report is to draw attention to the technology resources in the state and to redefine how the state collectively views itself. The report's second goal is to start quantifying the state's technology resources in order to provide a basis for future planning and evaluation of technology performance over time. With this baseline data, private industry planners and public policy makers will be able to position Connecticut for growth in the future.
The study discovered that Connecticut's technology industries are growing. Findings of the report include the following:
- In Connecticut, the technology sector accounts for one-sixth of total jobs but more than one-quarter of total payroll;
- The five fastest growing technology-based industries added over 10,000 new jobs to the economy between 1990 and 1996;
- Connecticut is more dependent upon technology-based industry for new business formation than any other state, with technology-based formations accounting for 16.7% of total new formations;
- Wages per employee in technology-based industries increased 17% between 1990 and 1996; and,
- The private sector in Connecticut funds 85% of the state's total research and development.
The Executive Summary of the report can be found on the web at http://www.ctcweb.org under "What's New". For a copy of the full report contact SSTI at 614/421-SSTI (7784).
R&D 100 Awards Announced
R&D Magazine announced the winners of its 1997 R&D 100 Awards. The award program recognizes the 100 most technologically significant new products and processes of the year.The scientists and engineers responsible for the winning products, as highlighted in the September issue of R&D Magazine, were from 32 states, the District of Columbia, plus Japan, Canada and the United Kingdom.
The number of award winners by state are listed below. Each member of a project team is counted separately, resulting in more than 100 recipients.
State No. of Awards California 27 New Mexico 18 New York 13 Massachusetts 12 Tennessee 10 Pennsylvania 7 Illinois 6 Ohio 6 Texas 5 Iowa 4 Maryland 4 Minnesota 4 Wisconsin 4 Connecticut 3 Michigan 3 Virginia 3 Washington 3 Colorado 2 Delaware 2 Georgia 2 Idaho 2 New Hampshire 2 North Carolina 2 Oklahoma 2 Arizona 1 Florida 1 Kansas 1 Kentucky 1 Mississippi 1 Missouri 1 New Jersey 1 Vermont 1
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