SSTI Digest

Calling for shared sacrifice among all state agencies, Gov. Haley Barbour outlined his FY11 budget recommendations reducing most agencies by 12 percent below the FY10 appropriation, excluding the Mississippi Development Authority, which would be cut only 5 percent because of its role in job creation. Tech-based economic development programs funded by the Authority are zeroed out in the governor’s proposal, however.

Gov. Barbour recommends $22.6 million in state funds for the Mississippi Development Authority in FY11, $1.2 million less than the FY10 appropriation, which included federal recovery funds. No funding is recommended for the Mississippi Technology Alliance (MTA) or the Enterprise for Innovative Geospatial Solutions, which received a combined $1.4 million last year. MTA is a nonprofit organization that assists emerging companies across the state through access to capital and entrepreneurial support, and the Enterprise for Geospatial Solutions works with industry and university research programs to support geospatial business development and research.

The current downswing in the economy is impacting appropriation levels to public institutes of higher education, requiring universities and colleges to pursue both short-term and long-term solutions to improve their revenues. In a recent survey to its membership, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) found 85 percent of schools experienced a reduction this year in state appropriations compared to the previous year. For almost half of responding public universities, the cut exceeded 10 percent.

In Coping Strategies of Public Universities During the Recession of 2009, the APLU found 70 percent of its membership used federal stimulus funds to manage costs and close existing budget gaps.

Continued future decreases in state revenues may remain a problem for several fiscal periods. According to state-by-state information posted at the website for the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), new budget gaps have opened in at least 31 states since their 2010 fiscal years began.

The United Nation’s World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva recently announced an expansion of its online free searchable patent application database. In addition to containing an existing 1.65 million international patents filed for protection under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) from 30 countries, the database now includes digital information for 1.49 million additional records from the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Israel, South Africa, Singapore, Vietnam, the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), and Cuba. The database is available at: http://www.wipo.int/patentscope/search/en/search.jsf

NorTech, the Northeast Ohio Technology Coalition, seeks applications for a Vice President. Reporting to the president and CEO, and serving as an integral member of the senior management team, the VP will be responsible for the development of several NorTech initiatives including technology commercialization, flexible electronics cluster building, and support on government engagement. It will be important to strategically manage these initiatives and build relationships with key stakeholders, including regional business leaders, board members, chambers, universities, elected officials, and policy makers in order to execute the goals.

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TBED People
Eric Abelquist has been named executive vice president of Oak Ridge Associated Universities and deputy director of the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.

Arn Boezaart, who has been interim executive director of the Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center the past six months, will take over the position permanently.

Melanie Brandt has been hired as chief operating officer for the Technology Association of Georgia.

President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Nicole Y. Lamb-Hale to serve as assistant secretary of commerce for manufacturing and services within the International Trade Administration.

This issue of the Digest unveils a new format and look for the Digest. Shorter but containing more material at the same time, we think this new format will permit you to get the most important news of the week for the TBED community in a format that works best for you. We consider literally hundreds of items each week for the Digest, so we’re particularly excited to introduce the Staff Picks section that will provide you with links to stories, videos, blog posts, etc. that we think you should be aware of. Let us know what you think by e-mailing us at digest@ssti.org.

The Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) recently announced that they are restructuring the funding process for the broadband programs introduced in the Recovery Act earlier this year. Both the Broadband Initiatives Program and the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program will make their investments through a single round of awards, instead of the planned two rounds, in order to streamline the process.The change was made in response to the overwhelming number of applications received by these programs during the first solicitation.

The first round of the grant and loan programs drew 2,200 applications from across the country, seeking almost $28 billion for regional projects, about seven-times more than the $4 billion that was to be awarded. By combining the second and third round of awards, the agencies will both reduce their administrative burden and save applicants the trouble of possibly applying twice for a chance and the remaining funds.

To attract additional federal funds and boost job creation, Michigan legislators passed a bill authorizing the state to spend another $30 million on a program to create alternative energy clusters and support technology commercialization.

The Centers of Energy Excellence program was enacted last year as part of Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s overall job creation and economic stimulus package proposed during her 2008 state of the state address (see the July 7, 2008 issue of the Digest). The Centers, which are administered through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, match base companies with universities, national labs and training centers to accelerate next-generation research, workforce development and technology commercialization. Lawmakers capitalized the program with $45 million for FY 2008-09.

A recent survey found 78 percent of Americans believe innovation will be more important to the U.S. economy in the next thirty years than the previous thirty years. While the importance of innovation is recognized, 81 percent of Americans believe the quality of K-12 math and science education lags behind other countries. The survey of 1,200 U.S. respondents, commissioned by the Intel Corporation and Newsweek magazine, found that 33 percent of Americans said the U.S. will be the global leader in technology innovation during the next 30 years, while 30 percent said Japan, and 22 percent said China. More information on the survey is available at: http://www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/innovation/survey/

Gov. Donald Carcieri signed legislation last week expanding the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (EDC) board and allowing the state to offer the incoming EDC director a three-year contract that extends past the governor’s term, which ends next January. The changes are expected to boost the agency’s effectiveness and attract better candidates for the state’s top economic development position.

Under the new law, the governor will serve as chairperson of the board and will appoint four additional board members for a total of 12. The measure also includes new requirements that the “membership of the board shall reflect the geographic diversity of the state,” and include one member that represents higher education.

Legislation to overhaul the agency was introduced earlier this year by Senate President M. Teresa Paiva- Weed following a report criticizing the agency’s effectiveness and calling for fresh leadership, according to The Providence Journal. Initial plans called for the creation of an oversight committee to monitor EDC’s work. That provision was not included in the final bill.

Underrepresented minorities were awarded 79,097 bachelor’s degrees in science and engineering related fields in 2006, an 18 percent increase from 2002, according to data released this month by the National Science Foundation. In 2006, 14,099 S&E master’s degrees and 1,661 S&E doctoral degrees were awarded to underrepresented minorities, a 32 percent and 12 percent increase, respectively, compared to five years earlier. Out of all science and engineering bachelor’s degrees awarded in 2006, 16.7 percent went to underrepresented minorities, compared to 11.7 percent of all S&E master’s degrees awarded and 5.6 percent of all S&E doctoral degree awarded. Science and Engineering Degrees, by Race/Ethnicity 1997-2006 can be accessed at: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf10300/

Since the 1990s, Maine has done an excellent job investing in R&D to establish a robust research capacity, but little has been done in terms of building a capacity for innovation and entrepreneurship, according to the 2010 Science and Technology Action Plan. The report identifies three main strategies to position the state as a global competitor and create high-paying jobs and economic prosperity.

The roots of Maine’s investment in science and technology are traced back to a $20 million bond approved by voters in 1998 for R&D, which established the Maine Technology Institute, the Maine Economic Improvement Fund, the Advanced Technology Development Centers, and the Maine Patent Program. This support was continued with additional bond investments in 2003, 2005 and 2008. And while those investments have paid off in total R&D performance, the research is not being commercialized or connected to industry in a way that maximizes economic impact to the state, the report finds.

Three main strategies and several actions steps are described in the plan, which calls for $32 million annually to implement the recommendations, including: