In the November 20, 1998 Issue:
- NSF Invests $10 Million in New Engineering Research Centers
- FY 1999 ATP Solicitation Opens
- 1998 Venture Capital Investments Conimute to Increase
- Brandinger Resigns; NJ Seeks Executive Director
- NIH SBIR Opportunity Nears
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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NSF Invests $10 Million in New Engineering Research Centers
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has invested $10 million to fund the first year of new Engineering Research Centers (ERCs) in Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, South Carolina and Virginia. Each of the five centers will receive $2 million in the first year from the NSF, leveraged by support from industry, state governments and partnering universities. NSF will support the centers for five years, after which the support agreement is subject to renewal.The NSF has established 34 ERCs nationwide since 1985. NSF created the ERC program to foster partner-ships between government, industry and universities in research and engineering. ERC partnerships work to solve crucial research issues that could hinder advances in emerging technologies. As the ERCs develop advanced technologies, they also prepare the next generation of engineers with practical experience in leadership and team-building skills.
The five new centers will be conducting research in the fields of tissue engineering, computer assisted surgery, computer modeling and visualization of industrial materials, power electronics and marine bioproducts. The following narrative provides brief descriptions of each new Center.
Research Center for the Engineering of Living Tissues at Georgia Institute of Technology. This Center will focus on the development of substitutes, both natural and synthetic, for lost or damaged living tissue. Its core partner is Emory University School of Medicine.
The Marine Bioproducts Engineering Center (MarBEC) at the University of Hawaii. MarBEC's mission is to lay the groundwork for future use of marine biotechnology products in the chemical, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and life sciences industries.
Engineering Research Center for Computer- Integrated Surgical Systems and Technology (CISST) at Johns Hopkins University. CISST will develop a new generation of computer-integrated surgical systems and incorporate advanced imaging, robotics, computer and biomedical engineering technologies to create systems and devices to assist doctors in carrying out precise surgical procedures. Core partners include Carnegie Mellon University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brigham & Women's Hospital (Boston) and Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore).
Center for Advanced Engineering Fibers and Films (CAEFF) at Clemson University. CAEFF will explore how fiber and film industries, a crucial component of the U.S. manufacturing base, can speed development of new products through innovative computer modeling. Its core partner is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Center for Power Electronics Systems (C-PES) at Virginia Polytechnic Institute. C-PES plans to integrate components of power electronics devices, circuits, controls, sensors and actuators into modular systems customizable for industrial applications. Core partners include University of Wisconsin-Madison, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the North Carolina A&T State University, and the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez.
For additional information regarding the ERC Program, visit NSF's web page at http://www.nsf.gov/home/eng/start.htm.
FY 1999 ATP Solicitation Opens
The National Institute of Standards and Technology's Advanced Technology Program (ATP) announced the opening of its 1999 solicitation for support of industrial R&D earlier this week. Approximately $66 million will be available for first year projects in any technology area. The deadline for proposals is 3:00 pm (eastern) on April 14, 1999.In this competition, ATP will award successful single-company applicants up to $2 million for R&D projects of up to three years. Joint ventures may received funding for research projects of up to five years. There is no ceiling on funding available to joint ventures; however, ATP's portion may not be the majority of the yearly total project costs. Matching funds may not be derived from federal sources nor subcontractors on the project. ATP award monies may not be used to pay for any indirect costs associated with the project.
Applicants have the option of submitting brief pre-proposals to ATP for feedback on the suitability of the proposed project . This year, pre-proposals may be submitted to ATP any time throughout the solicitation period. ATP staff encourage applicants to submit pre-proposals at least two months prior to the April 14th deadline, however, allowing time to incorporate any feedback received.
Companies seeking technical and financial assistance from their respective state science and technology programs are encouraged to contact SSTI for referrals.
The complete FY 1999 proposal kit and ATP slide presentation from its November 17-18 Fall Proposers' Conference may be downloaded from www.atp.nist.gov/atp/opencmpt.htm.
1998 Venture Capital Investments Continue to Increase
PricewaterhouseCoopers recently announced that venture capital investments in the third quarter of 1998 set an all-time high of $3.77 billion, just slightly above the previous record of $3.73 billion set last quarter despite the current stock market turmoil. Compared to the third quarter of 1997, investments increased 29% over the $2.92 billion reported one year ago.These findings were released in the PricewaterhouseCoopers Money Tree, a quarterly report of venture capital investments throughout the United States. This survey is a result of the merger of the Price Waterhouse National Venture Capital Survey and the Coopers & Lybrand Money Tree Survey.
The following table shows the amount of venture capital dollars invested by region in the third quarter of 1998:
Region
Investment Amount
% of Total
# of Deals
Silicon Valley
$1,248,007,027
33%
207
New England
550,785,000
14.6
114
Southeast
336,155,504
8.9
60
LA/Orange County
289,742,000
7.7
27
Texas
257,513,000
6.8
44
New York Metro
215,591,675
5.7
32
Northwest
152,003,334
4.0
30
Midwest
145,807,000
3.9
45
Colorado
140,499,000
3.7
21
DC/Metroplex
107,694,000
2.9
25
Philadelphia Metro
94,383,000
2.5
22
San Diego
70,191,000
1.9
23
North Central
52,936,000
1.4
21
Southwest
46,654,000
1.2
13
South Central
30,150,000
0.8
13
Sacramento/N. CA
27,847,000
0.7
2
Upstate New York
10,662,000
0.3
6
AK/HI/PR
432,000
0.0
3
Total
$3,777,052,540
100%
708
Silicon Valley: N CA, Bay area and coastline
New England: ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, and CT (excluding Fairfield Cnty)
NY Metro: Metropolitan NY area, N NJ, and Fairfield Cnty, CT
Midwest: IL, MO, IN, KY, OH, MI, and western PA
Southeast: AL, FL, GA, MS, TN, SC and NC
LA/Orange Cnty: Los Angles, Ventura, Orange, & Riverside Counties
Philadelphia Metro: Eastern PA, Southern NJ, and DE
DC/Metro: Washington, D.C., VA, WV, and MD
Northwest: WA, OR, ID, MT, and WY
North Central: MN, IA, WI, ND, SD, and NE
South Central: KS, OK, AR, and LA
Southwest: UT, AZ, NM, and NV
Upstate NY: Northern NY except Metro NY City area
Sacremento/N. CA: Northeastern CAA total of 708 companies received financing in the third quarter compared to 658 companies a year ago, an eight percent increase. At the same time, average funding per company increased 20% to $5.3 million versus $4.4 million a year ago.
Technology-based companies also set a record in the third quarter. As a group, companies in the classifications of Biotechnology, Communications, Computers & Peripherals, Electronics, Environmental, Medical Instruments, Semiconductors, and Software & Information accounted for $2.9 billion, or 78% of all investments. The figures represent the highest dollar amount and the highest proportion of total investments ever reported by the survey.
More information on the survey results can be located on the web at http://209.67.194.61/index.asp
Brandinger Resigns; NJ Seeks Executive Director
The long-time executive director of the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology, Jay Brandinger, recently announced his decision to resign as Executive Director of the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology. Consequently, the Commission is seeking an Executive Director.The New Jersey Commission on Science & Technology is appointed by the Governor to oversee a competitive grants program of $20 million annually that spans science and technology research, technology transfer and business development.
The Executive Director serves as the Chief Executive of the Commission, overseeing a staff of seven. The Executive Director provides high-level science and technology policy input to the Governor, her Cabinet, her senior executive branch staff, legislators and the legislative committees. He/she also serves as the principal state representative to federal and interstate science and technology agencies and organizations, including the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Science and Technology Council of the States, and other interstate advisory and review bodies.
He/she participates in addressing statewide economic development issues which have a science or technology component. Past examples include defense conversion, high performance computing, and high-definition television.
The Executive Director is responsible for overall management of a $20 million annual program, and an ongoing $100 million capital support program. This requires substantial experience in management and administration of a public or private agency, business, higher education institution/agency or research group; a thorough understanding of the linkages between business location decisions, academic infrastructure, research excellence,
availability of trained work force, and pathways for technology and business development; and the ability to manage a self-initiating professional staff.
A Ph.D. in science or technology is desirable, but not a firm requirement.
Send inquiries and/or resume and a letter of interest to: Dr. Irwin Dorros, Chairman, NJ Commission on Science & Technology; P.O. Box 832; Trenton, NJ 08625-0832; Tel 609-984-1671; Fax 609-292-5920 and/or e-mail toidorros@aol.com
FY 1999 may present the best opportunity yet for small businesses to take home a share of the National Institute of Health's (NIH) $300 million Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) budget.
The agency funded 23-28 percent of the Phase I proposals it received in FY 1997, when the total NIH SBIR/STTR budget was only $261 million. Without a significant increase in proposals, the 15 percent increase in funding over the past two years may push the acceptance level over 30 percent. For comparison, only 12 percent of Phase I proposals are accepted by the Department of Defense.
To increase small businesses' abilities to compete for SBIR and STTR awards, NIH will host a one-day conference at the NIH facilities in Bethesda, Maryland. Conference topics will include:
an overview of NIH funding opportunities;
perspectives on writing successful NIH grant applications;
overview and changes in the NIH review process; and,
grant administration issues.
Attendees also may meet one-on-one with NIH staff during the afternoon. Attendance is free; however, interested firms must register by December 15, 1998. Participation is limited to fewer than 500 registrants, so companies are encouraged to register early.
The conference will be held 8:30 - 4:00 on January 11, 1999. A complete agenda, on-line registration form, conference description, directions, and accommodations information may be found at the NIH SBIR website www.ncifcrf.gov/fcrdc/conf/sbir/ or by calling Margaret Fanning, Conference Planning at 301/846-1995.
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