- Microelectronics Research Centers Selected
- Environmental Research Grants Offered
- Newest Critical Technologies Report Released
- BMT Highlights Year of Change
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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MICROELECTRONICS RESEARCH CENTERS SELECTED
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) and the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) have selected two of potentially six microelectronics research centers. The centers will focus on core chip technologies with long term technological payback.Funding will be provided by SIA (50%), DARPA (25%) and SEMATECH, a consortia of U.S. semiconductor suppliers (25%). Each center, when fully operational, is expected to receive approximately $10 million annually, however, actual funding levels and the number of centers established will depend on the review of these two centers following their first two years of operations. Total funding for the centers could reach $600 million over 10 years.
The concept of the focused centers is to address several areas of concern for U.S. semiconductor manufacturers: reduced semiconductor research funding from all traditional sources, including the Department of Defense and large industrial labs, increased industry emphasis on short-term research — heightened by a industry-funded university research environment not conducive to nurturing longer range projects; and a lack of synergy among disparate university researchers.
The selected centers, funded through 2001, are:
Design and Test Focus Center, led by the University of California at Berkeley and including Stanford, Princeton, MIT, Michigan, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz, and Carnegie Mellon. The center will investigate software programs used to design chips and semiconductor component testing.
Interconnect Focus Center, led by Georgia Tech and including MIT, Stanford, Cornell, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the State University of New York at Albany. The center will conduct research on wiring that connects millions of transistors on a microchip.
The technological foci for these and future centers were identified in the National Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors, which outlines long-term critical technological barriers for the semiconductor industry. Separate solicitations for the Interconnect and Design/Test centers were offered by DARPA; proposal review and funding recommendations were made jointly by industry and DARPA program managers.
Technological barriers identified in the National Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors that could serve as research focus for future centers include lithography, front end processes, factory integration, assembly/packaging, and process integration, devices and structures. The 1999 review and rewrite of the Roadmap will likely revise the list. If the first two centers are found beneficial, the next round of proposals is to occur in the year 2000.
More information can be obtained by contacting Dan Radack at DARPA at 703/696-2216 or on the Web at http://marco.fcrp.org/
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ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH GRANTS OFFERED
A number of environmental R&D funding opportunities will become available over the next few weeks. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science to Achieve Results (STAR) initiative has eight research solicitations open currently and anticipates twelve more will be offered before the end of March.The following list identifies each of the STAR programs and the scheduled opening and closing dates for the FY 1999 solicitation. Four solicitations are offered jointly by the EPA and the National Science Foundation under a joint partnership for environmental research.
EPA Environmental Research Funding Title Opening Date (*planned) Closing Date Integrated Assessment of the Consequences of Climate Change 11/5/98 1/21/99 Regional Scale Analysis & Assessment 11/5/98 1/21/99 EPA/NSF: Decision-making & Valuation for Environmental Policy 11/2/98 2/1/99 Mercury: Transport and Fate through a Watershed 11/5/98 2/4/99 Ecological Indicators 11/5/98 2/4/98 Urban Air Toxics 11/5/98 2/18/98 Environmental Monitoring for Public Access & Community Tracking 12/15/98 4/8/98 NIEHS/EPA Superfund Multidisciplinary Grant Competition 11/17/98 5/11/99 Exploratory Research 1/99* unknown Exposure to Waste Combustion Products 1/99* unknown High Performance Computing & Communications 1/99* unknown Human Dimensions of Climate Change 1/99* unknown Human Health Risk Assessment 1/99* unknown Health Effects of Particulate Matter 1/99* unknown Drinking Water 1/99* unknown EPA/NSF: Water and Watersheds 1/99* unknown ECOHAB 1/99* unknown Phtyoremediation 3/99* unknown Chemical Mixtures 3/99* unknown EPA/NSF: Technology for a Sustainable Environment 3/99* unknown More information on specific program solicitations, rules for eligibility, and proposal requirements may be found at http://es.epa.gov/ncerqa/rfa/
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NEWEST CRITICAL TECHNOLOGIES REPORT RELEASED
The President’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has issued the fourth in a series of inquiries into the state of critical technologies in the United States. New Forces at Work: Industry Views Critical Technologies presents an analysis of information gained from interviews with business and industry leaders.The report:
Presents and analyzes interviewees’ responses to what technologies they consider to be critical to their firm or industry
Explores the question of what "critical technology" means
Reports interviewees’ assessments of the status of U.S. efforts and performance in the areas of technology they deemed critical
Considers the respective roles of industry, universities, and government in contributing to and sustaining the U.S. technology base
Suggests a process whereby the dialogue between government and industry on the public policy issues relating to technology might be made more integral and informative to the activities of both sectors.
The categories of critical technologies remain unchanged since the first assessment made in 1991. They are: software, microelectronic and telecommunications technologies, advanced manufacturing technologies, materials, sensor and imaging technologies.
Copies of the report are available by calling 202/296-5000 ext. 5204 or on the Internet at http://www.rand.org/publications
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BMT HIGHLIGHTS YEAR OF CHANGE
The 1998 annual report of the Indiana Business Modernization and Technology Corporation (BMT) addresses various changes encountered by the organization this year.The most significant organizational change was BMT’s decision to operate without annual state appropriations. The program is funded with a combination of reserves from the previous 15 years of state support, federal grants and fee-for-service income. The annual report states that BMT is meeting the challenges that come with this significant programmatic change.
To make the transition from direct state support, BMT has increased its menu of services available within its three service areas of retail (one-on-one assistance to companies), wholesale (multi-company assistance projects i.e. industry alliances), and technology (federal lab access, university technology assistance, microelectronic design, etc.) While many of BMT's services remain free of charge to Indiana companies, new services are creating revenue. Annual returns on BMT's high-risk loan portfolio has aided in the transition.
In summarizing its results, BMT noted the following:
High-risk, cutting edge technology development had become less visible,
Workforce availability and and worker skill issues have become key,
More small manufacturers have learned about BMT and want to use BMT services,
Alliances of companies are becoming an accepted strategy for building competitiveness,
Individual BMT services delivered to clients continue to have definite economic impact.
The full report is available at http://www.bmtadvantage.org/ or on compact disc by calling BMT at 800-877-5182.
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