SSTI Digest

The Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology is seeking applications for the director, Technology Innovation Program. This position is perfect for you if you are ready for a challenge and are committed to making significant improvements in the operations of one of the world's premier research and science organizations. NIST is located in Gaithersburg, Montgomery County, MD. This is a great opportunity to have a tremendous impact on an agency's programs and enjoy the benefits of working outside the Washington beltway.

The director of the Technology Innovation Program (TIP) serves as the executive responsible for managing and leading this critical program for NIST. The TIP was established as part of the America COMPETES Act (P.L. 110-69) to assist United States businesses and institutions of higher education or other organizations, such as national laboratories and nonprofit research institutions, to support, promote, and accelerate innovation in the United States through high-risk, high-reward research in areas of critical national need.

As the cost of a college education continues to rise and good paying jobs are seemingly scarcer than ever before, many Americans are questioning the value of a college degree. A recent survey from the Pew Research Center found 57 percent of Americans believe the U.S. fails to provide good value for the money students and their families spend, and about four in ten college presidents say the system is headed in the wrong direction. At the same time, however, studies find the lifetime earnings of college graduates to be much higher than those of high school graduates. Further, students majoring in engineering, computers and mathematics can expect to make more money than any other undergraduate major.

Maine Gov. Paul LePage has nominated George Gervais, the acting commissioner of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development as commissioner. His nomination must be reviewed by the Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development and confirmed by the Senate.

Ned Staebler, former vice president of entrepreneurial services of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, has taken the position of vice president of economic development at Wayne State.

The fifth installment of SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Maryland, Montana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah. The first four installments are available in the Jan. 5, Jan. 12, Jan. 19 and Jan. 26 issues of the Digest.

Maryland
Gov. Martin O'Malley, State of the State Address, Feb. 3, 2011
"To create more jobs, we must leverage the power of our diversity... we must leverage the power of our geography... And we must harness the potential of Maryland's Innovation Economy: bio-tech, green-tech, clean-tech, cyber security, information technology, aerospace, global trade, and next generation manufacturing. ...

Subra Suresh, dean of engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has been nominated by President Barack Obama to be the next director of the National Science Foundation.

Eric Cromwell, president and CEO, and Dan Schmisseur, vice president of operations and strategy, have resigned from the Tennessee Technology Development Corporation.

Rick Duke, a principal research associate with the Enterprise Innovation/Economic Development Institute at Georgia Institute of Technology has been selected as the new director of the Trent Lott National Center for Excellence in Economic Development and Entrepreneurship at The University of Southern Mississippi.

The Montana Clean Technology Alliance is being formed to foster a community of interest to support companies that want to grow Clean Technology jobs in Montana.

The Montana Department of Commerce has announced that it will provide $2.5 million in grants to support bio-medical research. Montana-based, private nonprofit research institutions are eligible to apply for the funding, which may be used to expand, renovate and purchase equipment for biomedical research. The grants also may be used to expand infrastructure that will enhance scientific collaborations within the Montana University System. The program is part of a longer-term effort in Montana to improve its research infrastructure and promote the state as a recognized center for bio-medical research.

Funding for the grant program was set aside by the Montana legislature earlier this year through the state's biennial appropriations. Similar awards have been offered in the past through the Department of Commerce, but the $2.5 million now available is a significant increase for the program. In 2007, the entire $2 million that was available was awarded to the McLaughlin Research Institute to expand its facility and research team, and to provide new educational opportunities for high school and college students.

The Montana Legislature adjourned last week after passing an $8 billion biennial budget for FY10 and FY11. The state Department of Commerce was allocated $74.9 million over the biennium, $1.7 million more than the governor's request. Newly funded initiatives within the department include $3.7 million over the biennium for workforce training grants through the New Worker Training program, $1.6 million for tribal economic development projects, $2 million for high-performance computing and $2.5 million in FY10 for biomedical research grants. No funding was provided for the Montana Fund-of-Funds, which was created under the 2005 Montana Equity Capital Act but has yet to be funded.

Because fewer than 100 legislators voted in favor of the appropriations bill, Governor Schweitzer retains line item authority for the budget.