SSTI Digest

Nearly 90 percent of government funds available for transition assistance in the Space Coast region would be used for a fast-track competitive grant process through the Economic Development Administration (EDA), according to recommendations from a task force convened by President Barack Obama. Under the plan, $35 million in grants would be awarded to the most promising job creation and economic development programs aimed at creating a strong economic base in the region as the Space Shuttle program winds down. Another $5 million would fund a Commercial Spaceflight Technical Center supporting commercial space launch and reentry activities, according to the report.

Establishing manufacturing centers to provide resources for small biotech companies to bring products to market and creating teams at the National Institutes of Health to identify promising research are among a list of recommendations resulting from a comprehensive review of the federal government's system to produce medical countermeasures against bioterrorism threats. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released last week findings from the report, which identified five key areas for improvement focused on speeding up early stage research to produce vaccines and other countermeasures. The report finds that the U.S. needs to more quickly develop manufacturing processes that can be used for multiple medications or vaccines and better nurture discoveries in their earliest stages. As a result of these findings, HHS expects to release a draft solicitation for one or more Centers of Innovation for Advanced Development and Manufacturing in the coming weeks and create new NIH research teams. HHS also will explore ways to help small companies attract investors.

"Strong Manufacturing and patent producing metropolitan areas generate the highest shares of exports from their output," according to a recent Brookings report. Researchers at the Brookings Institute found that the top exporting U.S. metros also were significantly more innovative. In this study, innovation was defined by the rate of patent production. Metros with regional clusters also were more likely to export than those without strong regional clusters. The report recommends that U.S. metros should develop metropolitan export initiatives that focus on innovation to increase their export capabilities and modernize their economic development strategy from 20th century thinking to 21st century action on export oriented economic growth.

Metros with strong manufacturing bases tend to have a larger share of their Gross Metro Product (GMP) tied to export. The Midwestern metros were among the most export oriented of the top 100 metros. The Southern and Western metros followed and were similar in terms of exports as a share of GMP. Not a single Northeastern city made the top 20 metros when measuring exports by share of GMP.

As the world's economies rebound, governments are investing heavily in innovation and research infrastructure. Australia and Ireland, for example, will fund significant investment in national innovation strategies. Australia will commit $1.1 billion to develop national clusters in targeted sectors, and Ireland will attempt to become the "innovation hub" of Europe.

Australia
Under the Super Science Initiative, Australia's government will provide approximately $1.1 billion for three targeted research areas:

• Space and astronomy
• Marine and climate science
• Future industries (e.g., nanotech and biotech).

These investments will fund collaborative agreements between universities, government agencies, independent research institutes and business. Of the $1.1 billion, $901 million will be invested into research infrastructure. The Super Science Imitative also will fund 100 "Super Science Fellowships" across the three targeted research areas. Infrastructure projects were identified in the Strategic Roadmap for Australian Research Infrastructure in September 2008.

Canadian universities and affiliated hospitals disclosed and reported 1,613 new inventions in 2008, a 20 percent increase over the previous year, according to a new report from Statistics Canada. These same institutions reported that 19 new spin-off companies were created using university intellectual property in 2008, bringing the total number of spin-off companies to 1,242 since 1999. The reported value of research undertaken at Canadian universities and hospitals reached an estimated $2 billion in 2008, a 55 percent increase over 2007. Read the report ...

U.S. graduate enrollment in science and engineering (S&E) increased by 3.3 percent in 2007 over comparable data from the previous year, according to the latest data from the National Science Foundation (NSF). This marks the largest increase since 2002 and follows several years of stagnant enrollment numbers. Female enrollment grew by 3.4 percent, slightly more than the 3.2 percent growth for men. Growth in Asian, Black, Hispanic, American Indian and "other"/multiracial enrollment outpaced growth among whites.

Between 2006 and 2007, the largest relative increases in enrollments took place in social science graduate programs. Sociology, other social sciences, and the history and philosophy of science had the largest increases. Among the natural sciences, psychology, biology, mathematics and computer sciences posted significant growth. In engineering, civil, "other" and biomedical engineering outpaced the other fields.

Ray Gilley resigned as chief executive of the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission after nine years on the job. Gilley was responsible for helping lure the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute to Central Florida.

Peter Ginsberg joined the North Carolina Biotechnology Center as vice president of Business & Technology Development.

Leslie Smith was hired as the first general manager of TechTown, Detroit's research and technology park. A Detroit native, Smith previously served as director of business acceleration for the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

Deputy Director Jonathan Taylor will fill the position of director of the Texas Emerging Technology Fund following the resignation of Alan Kirchhoff earlier this month.

EDA will implement a new grant approval process starting in FY2011, which is intended to improve competiveness, transparency and efficiency. The new process includes continuous technical assistance and customer service, quarterly rounds of funding, enhanced responsivenessand competitive selection framework. Only Public Works, Economic Adjustment and Global Climate Change Mitigation Incentive Fund (GCCMIF) investments will be made under the new system. The first funding cycle deadline will be Dec15. Assistant Secretary John Fernandez will host a webinar —Improving EDA's Approval Process — on Nov 4, at 2 p.m. to discuss EDA's new grant approval process and answer questions. More information regarding EDA's new grant approval process is available at: http://www.eda.gov/InvestmentsGrants/Grant%20Process.xml.

Twenty universities and organizations received $100,000 grants to support R&D and small business innovation under the U.S. Small Business Administration's FAST program. The program is designed to stimulate economic development among small, high-tech businesses through federally-funded innovation and R&D programs such as the SBIR and STTR programs. The project and budget periods are for 12 months beginning Sept. 30, 2010, according to a press release. Connecticut Innovations, Inc., Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Kentucky Science and Technology Corp., and Virginia Center for Innovative Technology are among the awardees. A complete list of recipients is available at: http://www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/sbir/SBIR_2010-FAST-AWARD_RECIP.html

California's next governor will inherit a dire budget situation and an unemployment rate that is above the national average. While the two main candidates vying for the job offer different visions for enhancing California's economy, both plans set forth policies and incentives to encourage renewable energy development and deployment and provide resources to support entrepreneurs. Jerry Brown (D) has a clean energy jobs plan that he says will produce half a million jobs in research, development, manufacturing, construction, installation, and maintenance over the next decade. His opponent, Meg Whitman (R), would enact tax cuts in targeted areas to support job growth, including increasing the R&D tax credit and eliminating the small business startup tax.

Jerry Brown (D)

Two candidates vying for Georgia governor unveiled proposals to create technology jobs and invest in biomedical R&D. Democratic nominee Roy Barnes would expand the scope of the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) to build on programs that accelerate technology transfer. Barnes credited the organization with a 20-year track record of helping create high-value companies based on university research. Republican nominee Nathan Deal would expand access to capital for biotechnology startups and create a Certified Capital Company (CAPCO) program to help fuel R&D. Georgia's current governor, Sonny Perdue, is term-limited in 2010. Both candidates offer job plans that aim to advance the state's position as a leader in the biotechnology industry.

Roy Barnes (D)

Roy Barnes, who served one-term as Georgia's governor from 1999 to 2003, announced last month proposals to strengthen the state's technology and biomedical infrastructure as part of a comprehensive jobs plan that also includes capital access programs for small businesses and a manufacturing supply chain initiative to support industry clusters within the state.

Recent graduates and grad students will have access to new resources aimed at helping them launch high-tech businesses and commercialize new technologies under the Government of Canada's new Scientists and Engineers in Business Initiative. The program will award $50 million over four years to nonprofit organizations, including postsecondary institutions, to provide business skills development, such as training workshops, and seed financing or advisory support services to entrepreneurs pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics endeavors. The idea is to improve the success rate of startup companies in southern Ontario by helping entrepreneurs develop business and management skills. Read the press announcement.