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In the November 7, 1997 Issue:
NSF ANNOUNCES FUNDS FOR NEW SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTERS
The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Office of Science and Technology Infrastructure (OSTI) has announced that funds will be available for additional Science and Technology Centers (STC). NSF is currently soliciting proposals from qualified candidates for the Science and Technology Centers: Integrative Partnerships Program.NSF established the STC Program in 1987, and charged it with pursuing university-based multidisciplinary research, encouraging knowledge transfer to non-academic sectors of society, and establishing innovative education activities.
Two competitions led to the establishment of 25 STCs - 11 in FY 1989 and 14 in FY 1991. Currently 24 STCs remain: five in the biological sciences, three in computer and information science, one that spans both behavioral science and computer and information science, five in the geosciences, and ten in the mathematical and physical sciences. The average annual budget per center in 1995 was $2.6 million.
U.S. academic institutions with significant research and education programs in any area of science and engineering normally supported by NSF may submit proposals.
Existing STCs or group members from such STCs who propose to focus on radically different research topics or themes may participate in this open competition. If successful, the new awards will not commence until the end of the Center's current term of support.
Applicants compete for support from the STC program in a two-stage process. In the first stage, applicants submit a preproposal that outlines the planned Center activity. In the second, invited applicants submit a full proposal. Research teams intending to submit a preproposal should submit a notice of intent addressed to the STC Program via e-mail to stc@nsf.gov by January 6, 1998. Preproposals are due to NSF by February 12, 1998. Full proposals are due September 3, 1998.
Awards are expected to be announced by August 1999. The amount of funds available for this competition is approximately $25 million in FY 2000, and NSF expects to make about eight to ten awards. The awards will be made as cooperative agreements with an initial commitment of five years and a potential duration of ten years. Proposed STC annual budgets may range from $1.5 million to $4.0 million of NSF support per year.
A copy of the Science and Technology Centers: Integrative Partnerships Program solicitation may be found on the Internet at http://www.nsf.gov/od/osti/centers/nsf9813/nsf9813.html
PRESIDENTIAL EARLY CAREER AWARD WINNERS SELECTED
Sixty young researchers have been selected for the second annual Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their careers.The awards recognize young scholars, their research contributions, their promise, and their commitment to broader societal goals.
In all, 10 government agencies join together annually to nominate promising scientists and engineers for the awards. Those selected receive up to $500,000 over a five-year period to further their research and broadly advance science for important government missions.
The supporting federal agencies are: the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, and Veterans Affairs; the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Science Foundation.
Award recipients came from 25 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The researchers were from the following states (multiple award winners are in parentheses):
Alabama (2), California (6), Colorado (2), Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia (2), Florida, Georgia (2), Illinois (3), Indiana, Kansas, Maryland (8), Massachusetts, Michigan (3), Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York (7), North Carolina (3), Ohio (2), Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee (3), Texas (2), Washington (2), and Wisconsin.
A complete list of awardees can be obtained by contacting SSTI at 614/421-SSTI (7784).
NEW STUDY FINDS ATP SPEEDS TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
The National Institute of Standards and Technology's Advanced Technology Program (ATP) is having a significant impact in accelerating the pace of technology development, according to a new study of 28 early ATP award winners.Half of the companies surveyed (14 out of 28) estimated that participation in the ATP reduced their technology development cycle by 50 percent, typically reducing a six-year process to three years. The majority (27 out of 28, or 96 percent) estimated that ATP participation reduced the cycle time anywhere from 30 to 66 percent.
Accelerated technology development translates to dollars and cents according to the companies studied, with estimates of the economic impact of reducing cycle time ranging from one million to several billions of dollars for a single year of time saved.
In addition, 24 of the companies (86 percent) indicated that participation in ATP resulted in cycle-time improvements that carried over to other technology development projects outside of ATP. They spoke of adapting specific "ATP practices" to related programs.
The results are documented in "Acceleration of Technology Development by the Advanced Technology Program: The Experience of 28 Projects Funded in 1991," one of a series of studies commissioned by the ATP as part of the program's evaluation and analysis efforts.
Copies of the study are available from the ATP Office of Economic Assessment, 301/975-4332.
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