In This Week's Issue
SSTI News and Analysis
National Bioeconomy Blueprint Calls for More Research Prizes, Collaborations
Last week, the White House released a comprehensive national
strategy to guide federal investments and collaborations with the
private sector in the life sciences. The National Bioeconomy
Blueprint identifies five strategic objectives that will inform
administration efforts to boost the bioeconomy. Key among these
objectives is the expansion of foundational, cross-disciplinary
research, which will require improved funding mechanisms that are
flexible enough to support many kinds of collaborations and that
encourage high-risk/high-reward research. The publication also
includes a list of current federal life science initiatives and how
they relate to the strategic goals.
The first of the blueprint's five objectives
is a call to provide strategic investment in foundational research
that is under-supported by the private sector. Private businesses
are often reluctant to invest in cutting-edge multidisciplinary
research because of the high-risk/high-reward nature of such
endeavors. The plan challenges federal agencies to bring together
experts in diverse fields to conduct through flexible programs that
can accommodate many types of collaborations. In particular, the
administration is advocating increased use of prizes and challenges
that target strategic areas of research.
Other objectives include an increased focus on life science
entrepreneurship and commercialization, streamlining regulations
and review processes, aligning the work of workforce training
programs and academic institutions with the needs of the private
sector and supporting the development of public-private
collaborations.
The White House also announced several initiatives related to
the goals included in the blueprint. Highlights include:
- Expanding the biobased products purchasing program;
- Funding for the construction of private biofuel production
facilities;
- Remaking the Food and Drug Administration's
(FDA) archives as a virtual network for multi-disciplinary
research;
- Expanding support for induced pluripotent cell technology
research through the NIH Intramural Center for Regenerative
Medicine;
- Focusing more USDA research and collaborations on biomass
production; and,
- Applying knowledge of the human genome to microbial forensics
analysis through the Department of Homeland
Security's Science and Technology
Directorate.
Read the National Bioeconomy Blueprint...
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Regional Accelerators Play Key Role in New LaunchTN Plan
Established last year to help entrepreneurs develop business
plans and launch companies, Tennessee's nine
regional accelerators also will play a key role in the
state's new five-year strategic plan through
partnerships to create and expand angel capital networks and
mentoring for new startups.
The LaunchTN initiative was unveiled last week by Gov. Bill
Haslam, who charged the Tennessee Technology Development
Corporation (TTDC) with implementing the plan and serving as the
lead advocate for the state's innovation agenda.
TTDC's Board of Directors outlined four focus
areas for the plan, including entrepreneurship, commercialization,
capital, and outreach. The regional accelerators play a pivotal
role in three of those areas, which include:
- Entrepreneurship — TTDC will oversee and provide support
to the nine regional accelerators and help convene regional
accelerators to share best practices around entrepreneur business
recruitment, business plan screening and mentoring.
- Commercialization — A new program
will be launched to provide co-investment funding to early stage
companies looking to develop a technology from a Tennessee-based
research institution. Companies obtaining this funding are required
to seek business planning support from a regional accelerator.
- Capital — To support in-state capital
recruitment, TTDC will work with regional accelerators and regional
angel networks to support the development and growth of angel
capital networks across the state. Regional accelerators also will
be tapped to form partnerships with out-of-state venture capital
firms.
The final component of the plan, outreach, aims to position the
state as a national leader in innovation through various
partnerships and marketing campaigns.
Over the coming months, LaunchTN will develop specific five-year
goals on key metrics, which could include percent increase in
venture capital funding to Tennessee companies, percent increase in
the number of high-growth startups, and percent increase in the
number of licenses from research institutions to companies. More
information is available at: http://launchtn.org/.
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Higher Ed Funding Proposals Fizzle in FL, OH
Proposals introduced in Florida and Ohio would have changed the
funding model for universities that meet certain benchmarks to
elevate their standing for research and innovation. Both proposals
ultimately were rejected, however. In Ohio, the
state's plan for enterprise universities is on
hold, and in Florida Gov. Rick Scott recently vetoed a bill to
establish preeminent universities.
With broad support in both chambers, The Florida Legislature
passed
HB 7129, the Academic and Research Excellence and National
Preeminence Act. The measure would have allowed the University of
Florida and Florida State University to set tuition at
differentiated and market rates with the ability to set tuition
rates higher for different types of programs. The goal was to
elevate the university system's global standing for research and
innovation. Universities would have to meet 11 of 14 academic and
research standards to qualify for the standing. University
presidents said they would raise tuition closer to the national
average and use the additional funds to hire more faculty and
enhance programs in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM), reports the Tampa Bay Times.
Gov. Scott, who said he is against tuition increases, vetoed the
bill last week. The governor also called on higher education
leaders seeking a tuition hike to first demonstrate ways they are
saving money and to show that degree programs are tied to job
growth, according to the article.
A plan introduced in Ohio last year to create enterprise
universities is on hold because lawmakers and college leaders could
not reach an agreement, reports The Columbus Disptach. Under
the plan, universities would operate more like corporations by
removing several state regulations in return for taking a smaller
share of state funding and meeting certain benchmarks such as
graduating students sooner and increasing the percentage of degrees
awarded in STEM fields (see the Aug.
17, 2011 issue of the Digest). The two-part plan
required legislative approval to reduce mandates and regulations
and allow universities to differentiate the cost of tuition. Gov.
John Kasich decided not to include the plan in the mid-biennial
review, the article states.
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New European Union Initiatives Connects
Europe's Public Research Organizations
The European Union (EU) launched the Technology Transfer Offices
— Connecting Innovation and Research Centers and Laboratories in
Europe (European TTO CIRCLE ), a network of tech transfer offices
at Europe's 25 largest public research
organizations. With the goal of increasing the market and societal
impacts of publicly-funded research, the European TTO CIRCLE
members already have adopted a set of several initiatives
including:
- Fostering the use of their knowledge portfolio;
- Sharing best practices, knowledge and expertise;
- Performing joint activities;
- Establishing informal channels of communication with
policymakers;
- Organizing training programs; and,
- Developing a common approach towards international standards
for the profession of technology transfer.
By adopting these initiatives, the EU hopes the major
European public research organizations can play a role in
collectively driving changes to the technology transfer landscape
in Europe and across the world. The main emphasis of
the European TTO CIRLCE will be to spur job creation by supporting
the transfer of new technologies from member organizations to
European firms, in particular to small- and medium-sized business.
The initiative also is intended to contribute to future EU
economic development goals through raising the culture of
innovation and entrepreneurship among the partners and the
cultivation of researchers skills and competences. Read the press
release...
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PCAST Report Recommends Increased Funding For Nanotech Research
The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) has a catalytic and
substantial impact on the growth of the U.S. nanotechnology
industry and should be continued with increased funding from the
office of management and budget, according to a new report from the
President's Council of Advisors on Science and
Technology (PCAST). A crosscutting federal program designed to
coordinate U.S. investment in research and development (R&D)
activities in nanoscale related fields, NNI has provided $16
billion in investments by 26 Federal agencies over the life of the
initiative. Nearly 75 percent of this funding goes to three program
component areas:
- Fundamental nanoscale phenomena and processes;
- Nanomaterials; and,
- Nanoscale devices and systems.
PCAST provides several recommendations that will continue the
success of NNI and translate the benefits of investments in
nanotechnology to the public. Individual recommendations are given
in four categories of key importance: strategic planning, program
management, metrics and EHS research. Specific recommendations for
2012 and beyond include, but are not limited to:
- Increasing the funding levels of Nanotechnology Signature
Initiatives by the office of management and budget.
- Dedicating 0.3 percent of NNI funding to the National
Nanotechnology Coordination Office to ensure the appropriate
staffing and budget to effectively develop, monitor and
assess NNI programs;
- Developing mission-appropriate definition of nanotechnology
that enables tracking specific nanotechnology investments supported
at the program level by all agencies; and,
- Establishing a high-level, cross-agency authoritative and
accountable governance of Federal nanotechnology-related EHS
research.
The report also provides updates on the recommendations found in
PCAST's 2010 review of NNI. Since 2010, the NNI
has made substantial progress in eight areas that include:
- Expanding commercialization efforts led by National
Nanotechnology Coordination Office;
- Releasing a research strategy that addresses the environmental
health and safety (EHS) implications of nanotechnology;
- Creating an Industry and State Liaison position to serve as a
point of contact for the private sector;
- Incorporating the input of industry in NNI planning through
public-private partnerships that focus on developing strategies for
job creation and state outreach;
- Initiating Department of Energy programs that includes
industrial partners to overcome technological barriers to
nanotechnology commercialization;
- Creating the National Center for Advancing Translational
Sciences to accelerate translation of promising technologies and
clinical studies; and,
- Establishing an EHS strategy that reflects evolving research
needs and the strategic research plans of three relevant
agencies.
According to the report, NNI member agencies will collaborate to
establish the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia in 2013
to speed up the development and commercialization of new products
and services, including nanotechnology.
Although progress has been achieved in those areas, federal
agencies and offices have made little progress on key recommendations
in four areas including:
- Strategic Planning — a lack of
cohesion of an overarching framework, and no clear
connection between the goals and objectives of the NNI strategic
plan with those of individual agencies;
- Program Management — several problems
related to program management including limited authority to
influence agency budgets, inadequate mechanisms to solicit and act
upon advice and insufficient funding to support the agencies in
implementing programs that align with the NNI strategic plan;
- Metrics — little appears to have been done
to spur the development of metrics needed to determine the economic
outcomes of the initiative; and,
- EHS Research — a lack of integration between
nanotechnology-related EHS research supported by NIH and the
distribution of information to policymakers.
Read the report...
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Proposers' Briefing for Pilot Institute on Additive Manufacturing Set for May 16
A briefing on the planned Pilot Institute on Additive Manufacturing will be held May 16, 2012, in Arlington, Va. The pilot institute is envisioned as the initial step in building the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) proposed by President Obama earlier this year. The meeting will acquaint potential candidates with the NNMI Pilot Institute concept and the associated technology needs in the areas of additive manufacturing. Attendance at the May 16 event is not a prerequisite for submitting a proposal.
Get the details...
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SSTI Events
SSTI's 2012 Webinar Series: Inspiring
Thought Continues Every Third Thursday at 3:00 PM ET
Thursday, May 17
Using Cluster
Roadmapping to Determine Your Strategic Direction
Because industry roadmaps provide strategic guidance for economic
development efforts to accelerate innovation and commercial
activity, they can be a dynamic tool for setting priorities,
allocating resources, aligning stakeholders and focusing efforts.
This webinar will provide a behind-the-scenes look at how one
region is using a proven, consensus-driven methodology for
developing industry-driven roadmaps that will help to capture
significant economic growth within seven years. Representatives
from NorTech will discuss how they used the InSevenSM roadmap
process to develop a shared regional vision and define specific
opportunities and action plans based on leveraging existing
regional assets.
Register
Today!
Featuring:
- Rebecca Bagley, President & CEO, NorTech
- Dave Karpinski, Vice President, NorTech
- Nicholas Bush, Founder and Principal, Bush Consulting
Group
As part of SSTI's Membership Benefits all members receive one
complimentary webinar. Not a member? Join today and start receiving
benefits immediately. Contact Noelle at sheets@ssti.org for more
information.
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Staff Picks
Entrepreneurial Revival May Come from Older Folks
Contrary to popular belief, the older generation is responsible
for a large share of new job creation. New business formation for
the 55- to 64-year-old age group increased from 14.3 percent in
1996 to 20.9 percent in 2011. Some argue the startups created by
boomers aren't the job-creating gazelles that
America needs, however.
Read more ...
Has the Competitive Culture of the U.S. Hurt
Innovation?
In this OP-ED, David Brooks argues creators (those with certain
skills including alertness and independence), not just competitors,
are the key to U.S. economic success.
Read more ...
Five Startups Using Tech for Good
Mashable shares five projects working to make a global impact,
such as Indiegogo, a crowd funding platform that also helps users
amplify their project through a special
"gogofactor."
Read more ...
Lessons for Leaders to Accelerate Manufacturing Comeback
With increasing demands for locating production closer to end
markets, the U.S. is poised for a manufacturing renaissance,
according to this
post in The Atlantic. Corporate and government leaders
should ramp up spending on basic and applied research and focus on
"grand challenges" to accelerate this shift.
Cities Look to Colleges to Fill Budget Deficits
Brown University will pay the city of Providence $31.5 million
over 11 years in an agreement to help the city deal with its budget
deficit. Other cities are considering similar arrangements.
Read more ...
Purdue's $100M Biomedical Endowment Falls
Through
The endowment was set up to help the university commercialize
new biomedical technologies. Neither side would say why the
agreement ended.
Read more ...
Georgia Establishes Online Directory for Exporters
The directory will help connect Georgia exporters with buyers
around the world and help companies increase their presence in the
global marketplace.
Read more ...
NIH Unveils Collaborative Program with Industry and
Researchers
The program will match researchers with pharmaceutical industry
compounds to help scientists explore new treatment options.
Approximately $20M will be provided to support research grants.
Read more ...
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