In the January 14, 2000 Issue:

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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Funding Offered for Energy R&D and Assistance
Several solicitations seeking proposals for energy-related research and development projects have been released by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Those described below have deadlines in February and March. For all of the solicitations, except the State Energy Program, eligibility is open to colleges and universities, non-profit organizations, for-profit commercial organizations, state and local governments, and unaffiliated individuals.

The Office of Biological and Environmental Research (OBER) is soliciting applications concerning the use of molecular biological and biogeochemical techniques to understand the linkage between carbon and nitrogen cycles in ocean margins. Applications must involve cooperative effort partnerships between institutions with strong marine science research capabilities and institutions with developing research capabilities in order to enhance the capabilities of both institutions. More than $2 million in program funding is anticipated. Applications are due by February 10, 2000. For more information, visit: http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html   

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s State Energy Program (SEP) is offering financial assistance to states for a group of special project activities. States will be awarded separate grants for special projects to be carried out in conjunction with their efforts under SEP. The projects include the acceleration of deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, the facilitation of the acceptance of the emerging and underutilized energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, and the increase in the responsiveness of federally funded technology development efforts to private sector needs. Program funding of $14 million is available. The deadline for applications is February 22, 2000. For complete details contact:  http://www.sc.doe.gov/buildings/state_energy/fy00/sepsp00-forum

The Office of Biomedical and Environmental Research is soliciting applications for research grants in the Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research (NABIR) Program. Proposals must address research that includes biochemistry, biotransformation, community dynamics, biomolecular science and engineering, and assessment. In addition, proposals addressing the biostimulation of microbiological processes that immobilize metals or radionuclides will be considered. A total of $5 million will be allotted to chosen applicants. The deadline for proposals is February 28, 2000. More information is available at http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html

The Office of Fusion Energy Sciences is accepting grant applications for new research in fusion energy sciences. The focus areas are magnetic fusion concept exploration experiments, inertial fusion energy concept exploration research, inertial fusion energy chamber and target research, magnetic fusion liquid wall experiments, and fusion materials modeling. A total of $400,000 will be awarded to selected proposals. Applicants are asked to send a letter of intent by January 31, 2000 with applications due February 29, 2000. For more information, contact: http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html

The National Energy Technology Lab solicits cooperative agreement proposals for its Development and Demonstration of Black Liquor/Biomass Gasification in the Forest Products Industry Program. Selected project proposals will demonstrate a minimum of 50% cost sharing. DOE has $14 million available for first-year funding of multi-year projects. The deadline is February 29, 2000. To obtain more information, please contact: http://www.NETL.doe.gov/business/solicit

The Office of Basic Energy Sciences seeks pre-applications for FY 2001 funding in the energy biosciences area. The objective is the pursuit of basic biochemical, genetic, and physiological investigations that may contribute to providing alternate fuels, petroleum replacement products, energy conservation measures, and other technologies related to DOE programs. The average award will be $105,000. All pre-applications must be received by March 8, 2000. Additional information is available at: http://www.sc.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html

The National Energy Technology Laboratory seeks cooperative agreement proposals for the Ultra Clean Transportation Fuels Program. R&D programs that lead to the production of ultra clean transportation fuels from fossil resources either by themselves or in combination with other hydrocarbon materials will be considered. A total of $50 million will be provided, with an average award of $10-$15 million per project. The deadline for proposals is March 1, 2000. For more information, please visit http://www.netl.doe.gov/business/solicit  

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New Approaches to State S&T: Georgia's Yamacraw Mission
One year ago this month, in the midst of a booming economy, Georgia Governor Roy Barnes announced a new $100 million, five-year initiative to advance the state’s position in the research and production of key components of the global economy. The Yamacraw Mission, named after one of the state’s first colonial settlements, focuses on research, education, and economic development in microchip design and high-bandwidth communications.

The Mission coordinates the activities of three usually disparate approaches -- a
large state center of excellence, an education and training program, and an industrial inducement program -- under a single, unified technology-based economic development strategy and office. On a smaller scale, the Pittsburgh Digital Greenhouse, a $13.2 million initiative focusing on high definition video and systems-on-a-chip technology, represents another example of this new model for state science and technology policy (see the 7/23/99 issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest: http://www.ssti.org/Digest/1999/072399.htm)

Research
Five Georgia institutions currently participate in the research program. Money is used for: establishing new advanced communications research facilities: hiring 85 additional professors to teach high-tech development courses at universities; and, adding more semiconductor designers to implement research results.  Already, 21 new faculty have been added to the member schools.

Seven Yamacraw research focus areas have been identified: systems-on-a-chip technology, embedded systems, optical networks, wireless, content processing, digital signal processing, and high speed access devices.

Education
In addition to the technical experience students gain from the research component of Yamacraw, the Georgia Board of Regents has launched the Georgia Tech Regional Engineering Program (GTREP). Designed to increase the number of engineers in Southeast Georgia, GTREP allows students at three smaller state universities to enroll as Georgia Tech students without leaving their home campuses.

Economic Development
Along with the traditional inducement incentives states use to attract industry, semiconductor companies locating in Georgia will be given special access to the research, facilities, and personnel of the Yamacraw Mission schools. Companies also will have influence over the research agenda for the Mission.  To participate, businesses must commit $250,000 annually to Mission research or promise to employ at least 100 more engineers in Georgia by 2003.

Star*Core, a strategic alliance between Motorola and Lucent Technologies, was the Mission’s first member last May, and committed to creating 100 electronic design jobs by the end of 2000. According to an unconfirmed report in the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the state is close to signing the second and third business members to join the Yamacraw Mission. National Semiconductor Corporation and Broadcom Corp., two international microchip design companies, currently each employ less than 50 people in Atlanta.

Administration
The budget for the Yamacraw Mission, to range between $14 -25 million per year, must be approved annually by the Georgia Legislature. According to Wall Street Journal reports, Cadence Design Systems, a San Jose California software-design firm, received $3 million from the state of Georgia for development of the overall Yamacraw Mission. Cadence has a similar relationship with the state of Pennsylvania for the Digital Greenhouse.

More information on the Yamacraw Mission will be forthcoming on its own website: http://www.yamacraw.org. Until then, information may be found at: http://www.gcatt.gatech.edu/yamacraw/index.html  

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R&D Spending to Grow in 2000
R&D expenditures are expected to increase by more than eight percent this year to a total of $266 billion, according to the latest Battelle-R&D Magazine research and development forecast. The report predicts increases in R&D funding by industry, universities, and other non-profit organizations, while federal research funding is expected to remain static.

Buoyed by the strong economy, industrial commitment to R&D is expected to lead all other sectors in growth, increasing by more than ten percent in 2000.  Industrial R&D is anticipated to total $187 billion in 2000, comprising 66 percent of the nation’s total research investment. With $66 billion in expenditures, federal R&D will account for 29 percent of the total. The balance of $12.6 billion, or 5 percent of the total, will be provided by universities and other nonprofit organizations.

The forecast also projects U.S. industry will continue to emphasize partnering and collaborative research projects, including relationships with federal labs, other industry, and foreign companies. Industrial-academic research collaborations, the report goes on to say, “will proceed as a continuing experiment — in spite of the fact that there are many years of experience.” Resolution of “competing and sometimes conflicting goals of the two types of institutions” is identified as an obstacle to overcome in developing successful industry-academia collaborations.

For more information, contact Jules Duga, co-author of the report, at (614) 424-6512. For a copy of the forecast, contact Karen Taylor at (614) 424-5545.

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California Governor Names S&T Chief
California Governor Gray Davis has appointed Joseph A. Raguso as Deputy Secretary for Strategic Technology for the Trade and Commerce Agency. Mr. Raguso currently serves as President and CEO for the San Diego Regional Technology Alliance (SDRTA), a position he has held since 1997. Mr. Raguso will begin serving in his new capacity on January 31.

From 1996 to 1997, Mr. Raguso was manager of the Science and Technology Policy and Projects for the University of California, San Diego. From 1994 to 1996, he served as acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for the United States Department of Commerce.

With Mr Raguso’s appointment, the SDRTA is seeking a new President and CEO of the 501 c(3). The SDRTA's mission is to promote technology-based economic development in San Diego County, with a particular focus on increasing the participation of the region's citizens in the New Economy. Focus programs include entrepreneur assistance, analysis regarding San Diego's high-tech economy, and partnerships to broaden citizen's access to technology.  The organization receives funding from local and state governments as well as private sector sponsors. Interested parties should contact (619) 615-1050 for more information.

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Additional NASA SBIR Phase II Awards Granted 
NASA has announced the selection of 25 additional 1998 Phase II R&D recipients under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. The new awards bring the total for the 1998 NASA SBIR Phase II awards to 128.

Twenty-five firms in 12 states were selected for the new awards. Four of the companies selected are considered disadvantaged firms and three are women-owned firms. Each project may receive up to $600,000 over a two-year period.

The state distribution of these new awards is available on the NASA SBIR Website: http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/SBIR/sbir98/98ph2/add98state.html  

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Technology and Education Studies Available Online
The Department of Education has posted 13 white papers presented during its July 1999 Conference on Technology. The conference and papers focused on evaluating the effectiveness of technology in education. Among the titles are two covering the experiences of Idaho and West Virginia: "The Idaho Technology Initiative: An Accountability Report to the Idaho Legislature on the Effects of Monies Spent through the Idaho Council for Technology in Learning" and "WEST VIRGINIA STORY: Achievement Gains from a Statewide Comprehensive Instructional Technology Program." The papers, conference agenda and "spotlight schools" can be viewed at: http://www.ed.gov/Technology/TechConf/1999/  

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