In the September 15, 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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California Moves to Increase Access to Higher Ed
In a move designed to significantly improve access to higher education, California Governor Gray Davis signed legislation this week that will significantly expand the state's scholarship programs. Under the new legislation nearly one-third of high school graduates will receive scholarship assistance through the state's Cal Grant program, according to the bill's sponsors. The expansion means that students that maintain a high grade point average and come from middle to low-income families will have their tuition covered by the state of California for all four years of college. Additionally, a new scholarship program was created directed at the state's highest achievers in math and science.

Through the legislation, Cal Grant A scholarships will be awarded to financially eligible students with a B (3.0) grade point average (GPA) to be used at public or private four-year institutions. The awards will cover full tuition at California Community Colleges, State Universities, and the University of California or they can be used for up to $9,700 for tuition support at private universities in California. The grants are renewable if the 3.0 GPA is maintained. 

Meanwhile, students with a C (2.0) grade average can receive Cal Grant B scholarships to be used as a community college. For community college students, awards of $1,551 may be used for books and living expenses. Cal Grants will also be extended to all students who complete community college within five years of high school graduation and whose academic records allow them to transfer to four-year universities. 

Up to 22,500 new Cal Grant A/B awards will be made to "second chance" students – those who have returned to or are newly entering college as adults. 

In addition to achieving the required GPA, students must meet income eligibility requirements. These range from $23,500 in annual income for recipients who are independent to $74,100 for students from families of six or more. The income ceiling for a family of four is $64,100 for students who get Cal Grant A awards and $33,700 for students who get Cal Grant B awards. 

Meanwhile, a new scholarship program was created aimed at science and technology. The Distinguished Mathematics and Science Scholars program will provide $2,500 to students with the highest scores on math and science Advanced Placement exams. 

More information can be obtained at http://www.governor.ca.gov/briefing/pressreleases/sept00/I00099911.html 

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Changes Proposed for Small Business, Non-profit Rights to Federally Funded Inventions  
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy in the U.S. Department of Commerce has requested public comments on proposed changes to the rights to inventions made by non-profit organizations and small businesses through cooperative research and development agreements (CRADAs) between government-owned and -operated laboratory and a collaborating party. 

Under the Bayh-Dole Act (Pub. L. 96-517), nonprofit and small business contractors and grantees have the option to retain rights in their inventions in order to facilitate the commercialization of the results of federally funded research. These rights may be limited in exceptional circumstances. For instance, there is a need to limit the rights of certain contractors and grantees in their inventions when they are performing research for the Government under CRADA with a collaborating party as authorized by the Federal Technology Transfer Act (Pub. L. 99-502) (FTTA). If these rights are not limited, the collaborating party would not receive the rights to which it would normally be entitled under a CRADA, which includes the option for an exclusive license to any CRADA invention made by a Government employee. 

The use of contractors for support services in federally-owned and operated laboratories has proliferated in recent years. These contractors are not retained for their research expertise but rather for general support. The addition of these support contractors clouds or confuses the rights to inventions for CRADA participants. 

As a result, the Department of Commerce proposes to add language in the basic patent rights clause that encourages the contractor to negotiate with the collaborating party but in the absence of an agreement, provides certain minimum rights for the collaborating party in the contractor's inventions. The rights would be of the same scope and terms the collaborating party would receive in an invention made by a Government employee under the CRADA, which is typically an option for an exclusive license. Although negotiation should occur prior to the contractor starting work under the CRADA, it could be postponed with the permission of the Government until an invention is made by the contractor under the CRADA. The procedures for using the alternate clause are provided in new Sec. 401.3(a)(5). 

The full proposal can be found in the September 11 on-line edition of the Federal Register: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a000911c.html 

Comments should be mailed to Mr. Jon Paugh, Director, Technology Competitiveness, Office of Technology Policy, Room 4418, Herbert C. Hoover Building, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Raubitschek, Patent Counsel, at telephone: (202) 482-8010. 

Comments must be received on or before October 11, 2000. 

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Federal Funding Opportunities 

Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Graduate Research Fellowships in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System for Fiscal Year 2001. 
Eligibility: Graduate students, minorities are encouraged to apply. 
Deadline: Applications must be postmarked no later than November 1, 2000. Notification will be issued on or about March 1, 2001. Fellowship will started no earlier than June 1, 2001. 
Funding Availability/Number of Awards: Thirty Graduate Fellowships will be competitively awarded to qualified graduate students whose research occurs within the boundaries of at least one Reserve. 
For more information: Contact Erica Seiden at erica.seiden@noaa.gov  Background on the Fellowship Program is available at http://www.ocrm.nos.noaa.gov/nerr/fellow.html 

Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services and National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research: Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards Under Field Initiated Research Projects for Fiscal Year 2001. 
Eligibility: Public and private organizations, including institutions of higher education and Indian tribes and tribal organizations are eligible to apply for awards under this program. 
Deadline: Transmittal of applications must be made by October 27, 2000. 
Funding Availability/Max Award Size: Approximately 30 awards for not more than $150,000 each per year will be made. 
For more information: Contact ED Pubs via its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html  If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.133G. 

Department of Energy, Nuclear Medicine Education Award Program: Notice of Program Interest 
Eligibility: Universities 
Deadline: Closing is October 23, 2000. 
Funding Availability/Max Award Size: Grants of up to $120,000 a year for up to three years to support faculty, academic staff, and laboratory equipment and instrumentation for the development of graduate and postgraduate academic curricula in nuclear medicine studies and applications including nuclear pharmacy. 
For more information: Instructions on how to apply are available on the Internet at http://www.ne.doe.gov  The solicitation will be disseminated electronically as solicitation number DE-PS01-00NE22918 through the Department’s Industry Interactive Procurement System home page located at https://doe-iips.pr.doe.gov 

Department of Energy, Division of High Energy Physics of the Office of Science: Notice inviting grant applications for its Outstanding Junior Investigator Program 
Eligibility: Applications should be from tenure-track faculty investigators who are currently involved in experimental or theoretical high energy physics or accelerator physics research, and should be submitted through a U.S. academic institution. 
Deadline: Formal applications must be received before November 1, 2000. 
Funding Availability/Max Award Size: DOE expects to make five to ten awards in FY 2001; the average award amount in the past is $50,000; approximately $400,000 will be available in fiscal year 2001. 
For more information: Visit http://www.er.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number for this program is 81.049, and the solicitation control number is ERFAP 10 CFR Part 605. 

National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute: Notice of Opportunity for a CRADA on Development of Molecular Computing Devices 
Eligibility: A biotechnology and/or silicon-based technology company. 
Deadline: A one page or less summary is due no later than October 16, 2000. 
Expected Duration of CRADA: One to five years. 
For more information: Visit http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov 

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SBIR Reauthorization Stalled 
One of the federal government's most potent programs for building tech-based businesses is two weeks away from expiration. Authorization for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is due to expire September 30, and as of today, no date has been set for a House vote to reauthorize the program. 

Prior reauthorizations of the SBIR program have been relatively uneventful with passage occurring through voice votes. This year's SBIR reauthorization appeared to be headed on the same course. 

After nearly a year of hearings, meetings, and negotiations among congressional members, their staff, and constituents, a bill emerged this summer with strong bipartisan support from both chambers of Congress. This year's reauthorization bill is unique, too, in that it identifies and strengthens the roles state and local economic development organizations should play in making SBIR a more effective program. The bill would create the Federal and State Technology Partnership (FAST) to encourage technology development and commercialization in small businesses across the country. FAST was designed with significant input from state and local SBIR assistance providers and would authorize substantial funding to state SBIR assistance programs. 

Proponents for SBIR reauthorization are calling on everyone --- small businesses, state and local SBIR assistance providers, science and technology programs, governors, governors' S&T advisors, and other concerned parties -- to contact their Representatives to urge movement in the House on the SBIR bill as written and passed by the Senate (H.R. 2392). With only 14 days to go, proponents caution, immediate action is necessary. More information on how to contact your Congressional representatives can be found at: http://www.senate.gov or http://www.house.gov 

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People 

Jon Baron, formerly Manager of the Defense Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, has taken a position as the Director of the Presidential Commission on Offsets. 

Vic Johnson, Director for Policy, Planning & Technology in the Louisiana Department of Economic Development (LDED), is taking the position as manager of the Technology Transfer Office of the Louisiana Business & Technology Center. Mark Galyean will be handling Vic’s responsibilities at LDED. 

After many years with the variously named New York offices for science & technology, Bruce Layton is moving to Illinois to become the Director of Government Relations for Northwestern University. In addition to working for the New York State Science and Technology Foundation and the New York State Office of Science, Technology, and Academic Research (NYSTAR), Bruce served in a variety of positions with the Science and Technology Council of the States (STCS), most recently as Secretary and keeper of institutional memory. 

SSTI wishes Shannon Burnett good luck as she leaves our team to take a position with the Ohio Air Quality Board. 

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Tech Transfer Opportunities: More NASA & DHHS Inventions 
NASA and the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) have announced 3 and 14 inventions, respectively, that are available for licensing. Invention titles and, for DHHS, abstracts for each licensing opportunity are posted at: http://www.ssti.org/Digest/Tables/091500t.htm 

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Conference Sponsor Profile 
DOE: State Industries of the Future 
State Industries of the Future, a partnership strategy of the Department of Energy’s Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT), has successfully facilitated development of industry visions and roadmaps for the Agriculture, Aluminum, Chemicals, Forest Products, Glass, Metalcasting, Mining, and Steel industries. Beginning with a pilot project in West Virginia, OIT is now partnering with states to pursue these industry-defined visions and roadmaps on a state level. 

The goals of this initiative are to boost industrial efficiency and productivity by working with states that have significant activity in one or more of the nine target industries. A typical state approach establishes a state team, targets specific industries, promotes industry alliances, builds industry interest and leadership, identifies business and technology needs, outlines a state strategy, and generates action plans and partnerships. State benefits include potential industry and job growth, alignment of customer and supplier base with core industries, improved environmental performance, increased resource efficiency, and enhanced ability to compete for national resources. 

As a sponsor of Beyond the Hype: Tools for Building Tech-based Economies, the State Industries of the Future program will have space in the conference exhibitor’s area. Until then, more information can be found on the program’s website: http://www.oit.doe.gov/states/

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