- SBA to Offer $1 Million for SBIR Assistance
- NICE3 Program Awards $2.1 Million
- Michigan to Reorganize Economic Development, Workforce Functions
- ASME Offers Fellowships
- Publications of Note
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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SBA To Offer $1 Million for SBIR Assistance
The Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced plans to accept applications for funding to support selected local Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) assistance efforts. The program announcement will be available by mail beginning Monday March 22, according to Maurice Swinton, SBA point of contact.
SBA has $1 million available for the awards; the maximum size of any award will be $100,000. Each applicant must provide match of 50 cents for each federal dollar requested under the solicitation. Awards will be in the form of cooperative agreements.
Only applicants for those 23 states and 2 territories which received less than $5 million in awards to resident companies through the SBIR and STTR in FY1995 are eligible to compete for the matching funds. Eligible states and territories include: Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
The CBDNet announcement on March 5, says not more than one proposal may be submitted for any state. Swinton says SBA is hoping proposal development and submission will be coordinated through the Governors= offices to avoid multiple submissions for any single state.
Prospective applicants within a state, according to Swinton may include non-profit, for profit and/or government entities. More details in the program announcement should clarify the procedures for proposal development and submission.
Swinton said proposal review will be handled within the SBA and that heavy consideration will be given to the technical ability of the applicant to provide SBIR marketing, training and proposal development services to small businesses within the state. Applicants with a track record of SBIR proposal development assistance provision are likely to have a leg up on the competition, according to Swinton.
Swinton anticipates award selections will be made two weeks after receipt of the proposals on April 22.
At this point, the SBA has no plans to have the announcement available electronically on the SBA website. To be added to the mailing list to receive a program announcement when it is released, send an email to maurice.swinton@sba.gov or leave a detailed message at 202/401-6365.
NICE3 Program Awards $2.1 Million
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced the award of more than $2.1 million in grants to six U.S. manufacturers to help demonstrate and commercialize energy-efficient and environmentally friendly industrial technologies. The grants support technologies being developed for use in the chemicals, metalcasting, aluminum, forest products, and steel industries.
The awards are part of the National Industrial Competitiveness through Energy, Environment, and Economics (NICE3) program, a strategic partnership between state energy, economic development and environmental departments, industry and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Since 1991, the department has funded 91 projects, including this year's recipients. The program includes more than 200 partners in 32 states and territories. NICE3 has leveraged $81.8 million in state and industry funds with $26.3 million in federal funds. According to DOE, more than half of the recipients have been small businesses.
Companies and their state partners for 1999 are:
- MBA Polymers Inc., Richmond, Calif., with the California Energy Commission
- North American Die Casting Association, Rosemont, Ill. with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs
- Alcoa, Warrick Ind. with the Indiana Department of Commerce, Energy Policy Division
- Industrial Microwave Systems Inc., Research Triangle Park, N.C., with the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resource
- Air Products and Chemicals Inc., Allentown, Pa., with the Ohio Department of Development's Office of Energy Efficiency for a demonstration project being done in Ohio
- Weirton Steel Corporation, Weirton, W. Va. with the West Virginia Energy Efficiency Program
Additional information about the six projects is available at the Department of Energy web site: www.oit.doe.gov/news/3_12_99.shtml
Michigan to Reorganize Economic Development, Workforce Functions
Michigan Governor John Engler has signed an Executive Order reorganizing the state's economic development and workforce development functions. The reorganization, which was unveiled by the Governor in his State of the State address, permits the formation of a new Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) in partnership with local governments.
A 17-member Board will oversee the corporation, which is expected to be formed through an interlocal agreement between the state and one or more local economic development groups. The corporation will assume the economic development function from the Michigan Jobs Commission, which will cease to exist.
The new corporation will allow one organization to make economic development decisions, pending a merger with two existing organizations: the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center and Michigan Technologies, Inc.
Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center works with small and mid-sized companies to provide consulting services on the latest manufacturing processes. Michigan Technologies, Inc. was created last year to promote the growth and retention of technology-based jobs and develop criteria for future state technology investments.
The reorganization, which is effective April 5, also transfers workforce development functions currently performed by Michigan Jobs Commission to the state's newest department, the Department of Career Development, to increase the state's focus on career preparation and training.
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is seeking candidates for the White House Executive Office Fellowship and for the Congressional Fellowship.
The White House Fellow will serve a one-year appointment in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to support the U.S. Innovation Partnership's state-federal technology partnership activities aimed at enhancing state-federal cooperation and technology-based economic growth.
The Congressional Fellow will participate directly in the lawmaking process. The Fellows typically choose placement with congressional committees with authority over science and technology programs.
Among the qualifications necessary for becoming a White House Fellow are:
- an advanced degree or equivalent work experience;
- clear understanding of the roles of federal R&D programs and state S&T programs;
- leadership and organizational skills necessary to direct, manage and coordinate administrative and programmatic activities; and,
- the ability to discern opportunities for state-federal technology programs and to present such opportunities effectively.
For more information on either of the fellowships, contact Allian Pratt at 202/785-3756 or via e-mail at pratta@asme.org
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Two publications that will be useful to those interested in technology-based economic develop-ment have been released recently. They are:
Science and Engineering State Profiles: 1998 Data Update
This report prepared by the National Science Foundation's Division of Science Resources Studies offers key statistical information for each state. Data in the profiles, includes: number of doctoral scientists and engineers, federal spending; federal obligations for R&D by agency and performer; academic R&D spending; number of SBIR awards; and, gross state product.
The report is available only on-line and can be found at http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/nsf99311/pdfstart.htm
Evaluating Federal Research Programs: Research and the Government Performance and Results Act
Prepared by the Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy (COSEPUP), this report examines the issue of measuring and evaluating research. COSEPUP argues that while useful outcomes of basic research cannot be measured directly on an annual basis that does not mean that there are no meaningful measures of performance of basic research while the research is in progress. The report outlines how to evaluate federal research programs relative to the Govern-ment Performance and Results Act, which requires federal agencies to set strategic goals and to use performance measures for management and budgeting.
The report can be found at http://www2.nas.edu/cosepup under "Publications."
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