In the December 1, 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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Study Finds Room for Improvement in State ED Program Auditing
An analysis of 122 audits of economic development programs in 44 states revealed many areas for improvement, according to Good Jobs First, a project of the Washington, D.C.-based Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. Minding the Candy Store: State Audits of Economic Development, released online in September, issues harsh criticism of many public economic development efforts. The report's remarks are spread across the individual economic development programs, the state auditing agencies, and the state elected officials.

Good Jobs First states properly designed performance audits or other external evaluations can be beneficial tools for policymakers to use in economic development program design, measurement, and refinement. Benefit analysis and evaluation of effectiveness were often lacking as goals or deliverables for most of the audits reviewed for the report. Among the report's other findings were:

The report encourages the development of stronger performance auditing for economic development in all states. Revision of many state monitoring practices legislatively and administratively would be necessary to integrate performance auditing into most states' economic development policy formulation and evaluation, according to the report.

Good Jobs First plans to maintain a web-based database on all performance audits conducted for state economic development programs. Currently the report, including a list of the audits reviewed with recommendations, is available for download on the project's website: http://www.ctj.org/itep/

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ASTF Releases First S&T Innovation Index
"High paying jobs in growth areas are critically needed to offset the decline in wealth and employment from Alaska's North Slope. These new jobs require technical innovation, capital, management, and trained workers."

These two sentences summarize the findings of the first science and technology innovation index prepared by the Alaska Science & Technology Foundation (ASTF). The index provides a snapshot of the state's current position in science, technology and innovation. Using 31 measures distributed across four categories -- population and economic infrastructure, innovation, financial capacity, and infrastructure and human resources -- the 2000 Alaska S&T Innovation Index assessed those areas in which the state is doing well, average, or poorly compared with the national average and selected states. Other profiled states include California, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming.

ASTF found that the number of Alaskans in technology-related jobs grew three times faster than total employment in the state between 1994-1999, yet still represented only 4 percent of the state's total employment. Patents issued to Alaskans are on an upward trend, and Alaska ranked first nationally for households with Internet access and computers. ASTF reported, however, that Alaska ranked 47th in total spending for research and development and, on a per capita basis, spent only 28 percent of the national average for R&D.

ASTF is now engaged in an ongoing discussion with statewide business and policy groups about what both the private and public sectors can do to improve Alaska's economy. The 2000 Alaska Science & Technology Innovation Index can be obtained from ASTF through: http://www.astf.org

Alaska joins several other states, regions and localities that have completed innovation indices or S&T report cards, as they are also known. Twenty past SSTI Weekly Digest articles regarding other indices are archived on our website at: http://www.ssti.org/Digest/Indices/indices.htm

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Greater Philadelphia: A Challenge to Compete in the New Economy
Continuing to rest on past academic excellence and research achievement would be costly to Greater Philadelphia, according to a new report prepared by the Pennsylvania Economy League. The region's "knowledge industry" must compete with other regions and states to succeed in the New Economy. A comprehensive study benchmarking Greater Philadelphia's knowledge industry was undertaken to gain a better understanding of the area’s colleges and universities and how they contribute to the region’s economic competitiveness. Three main suggestions and potential strategies for becoming one of the nation’s leading knowledge regions were offered in the report's recommendations:

Grow the Talent Base:

Grow the Idea Base:

Build an Identity and Image for Philadelphia’s Knowledge Industry:

Data for the analysis was obtained through various sources including the National Center for Education Statistics and colleges and universities in the Philadelphia region; academic publications and higher education resources also were utilized. Representatives from academia, business and civic sectors provided input in the form of feedback on the draft research findings. Researchers visited well-known regions such as Baltimore, Boston, Pittsburgh and the San Francisco Bay area to obtain insight into their success.

As Philadelphia is urged to rise to the challenge, existing strengths of the region are acknowledged in the report:

To download sections of the report, Greater Philadelphia's Knowledge Industry: Leveraging the Region's Colleges and Universities in the New Economy, visit: http://www.peleast.org/pubs2.htm

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Funding Opportunities from the Department of Energy
The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Industrial Technologies seeks applications to promote multidisciplinary education and training programs for graduate students at the Masters or Ph.D. levels in biobased products. Additionally, DOE's Industries of the Future program is seeking proposals in two areas: a steel industry research challenge and cost-shared research and development of technologies to reduce energy consumption in supporting industries. Industries of the Future is a strategy to encourage companies within the country’s nine most energy- and waste-intensive industries to work together to identify, develop and implement ways to reduce their energy use while increasing their economic competitiveness.

Steel Industries of the Future
The steel industry solicitation seeks proposals for conceptual designs for processes which will revolutionize the way steel is made in the 21st century 
According to a DOE announcement, a total of $500,000 is available for one to four cooperative agreements, to fund the first year of conceptual designs. Multi-partner collaborations between steel companies, equipment suppliers, engineering firms, and educational institutions are strongly encouraged; collaboration with educational institutions and their students is mandatory. At the end of the two year period, a panel of judges made up of steel industry executives will determine which designs will be selected for long-term cost-shared research and development investment. Deadline for applications is 3:00 pm MST, February 28, 2001. The solicitation number is DE-PS07-01ID14002.

Supporting Industries
The DOE has approximately $1.5 million to award three to six cooperative agreements for R&D of technologies which will reduce energy consumption, reduce environmental impacts and enhance economic competitiveness of two or more of the following sectors: aluminum, steel, forest products, glass, agriculture, chemicals, metal casting, mining, and petroleum refining. The work is to address research priorities identified in Technology Roadmaps developed for the following supporting industries: heat treating, forging, welding, industrial process heating and advanced ceramics. Multi-partner collaborations between industry, university, and National Laboratory participants are encouraged. All proposals must include a 50 percent cost-share. Deadline for applications is 3:00 pm MST, Feb. 7, 2001. The solicitation number is DE-PS07-01ID14026.

Biobased Products Industry Education Initiative
Public and private colleges and universities are eligible to submit applications which will result in graduates who can enter the complex biobased products industry and effectively integrate knowledge from the wide range of technologies vital for this industry to grow. The biobased products industry uses crops, tress, residues, and wastes to make chemicals and a large range of everyday consumer goods, like plastics, paints and adhesives. Traditional academic programs including biology, molecular and micro-biology, agronomy, forestry, chemical engineering, just to name a few, will contribute to this industry. DOE anticipates making 4-5 grants for up to $125,000 each year for a maximum of three years. Grants will cover the costs of establishing a new cross-cutting academic and research program in this field as well as full stipends for two graduate students. Applications are due by 3 pm MST, January 17, 2001.

The DOE’s Idaho Operations Office is coordinating the applications for the above solicitations. Further details and an application may be obtained on the agency’s website at http://id.doe.gov/doeid/PSD/proc-div.html

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People

Kentucky Governor Paul Patton has appointed Bill Brundage to the serve as the state's first Commissioner for the New Economy. Dr. Brundage will oversee the new Kentucky Innovations Commission, which is attached to the Governor's Office and tasked to oversee the state's $55 million New Economy initiative.

Margie Boccieri has announced she is leaving the North Carolina Governor's Office to join Southeast Interactive Technology Funds, a Research Triangle Park venture capital firm, as its Vice President of Business Development and Strategy.

Lee Martin has stepped down as executive director from TennesSeed. Tom Rogers, CEO of Tech 2020, has agreed to serve as interim director of TennesSeed for a six-month period.

SSTI welcomes Alan Aldinger to our staff in the new position of Communications Director. Alan comes to SSTI from the office of public relations for Wittenburg University.

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NIH Inventions Offered for License
The National Institutes of Health released information on six inventions that are available for license. Descriptions and contact information for each invention/patent are presented on the accompanying SSTI webpage

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