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SSTI Digest
North Carolina Charts a New Innovation Framework
North Carolina is a nationally-recognized center for basic research due to its sustained investment in higher education and TBED-related projects. Many in the state believe, however, that North Carolina is not translating as much of that research throughout its innovation economy as it should be. Advancing Innovation in North Carolina, a new report from the North Carolina Board of Science and Technology, argues that in order to have a truly prosperous high-tech economy, North Carolina will have to increase the adoption of new technologies throughout rural regions of the state and improve its performance in areas not related to its higher education system, including the availability of capital and percentage of R&D workers as a share of the workforce.
Recent Research: Nanotech Safety, Risk and Accountability Issues Raised by National Academies
A recent assessment by the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Nanotechnology Initiative's (NNI) Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health, and Safety Research concluded the NNI's research plan does not provide a clear picture of the potential risks of nanotechnology, nor does the plan include adequate research goals and comprehensive research needs regarding nanotechnology-specific health and safety issues.The NRC's assessment finds the NNI's strategy for environmental, health, and safety research is lacking in accountability because no single organization or person has responsibility for health and safety results.
The NNI is the coordination mechanism for the nanotechnology-related activities of various federal agencies, each with their own research and regulatory responsibilities. The NNI does not have the authority to make budgetary or funding decisions. According to the report, the aggregate R&D funding for FY 2007 through 12 reporting agencies was $1.43 billion.
Hawaii Expected to Limit Tax Credits for Technology Investments
Hawaii's tax credits for research and investment in high-tech companies have cost the state more than $747 million since it was instituted in 1999 through the end of 2007, according to the study. The Department found that the state's investment has yielded only one full-time job at the associated firms per $535,000 in credits. In response to the report and the state's tightening fiscal situation, Governor Linda Lingle announced that more restriction would be put on these credits under the upcoming biennial budget.
Useful Stats: Department of Energy R&D Obligations per State 2001-2005
Energy issues are anticipated to be a central focus of the Obama Administration. Its first budget request, expected in late February for FY 2010, will show if money for R&D will follow that focus. Which states stand to gain most from an increased emphasis on energy research?
Looking at historical energy obligations is not a crystal ball for the future, particularly as newer, alternative energies take on increased importance. However, historical spending does show where some of the infrastructure is in place to support an initial surge in energy research spending. Just as some states were better positioned to capture the early increases in biomedical research spending when the research budget doubled for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), there will most likely be early winners in an Energy R&D blitz as well.
NY Governor Proposes TBED, Economic Development Agency Consolidation
Angel Investing Down 10% Percent in 2008, But Some Investors Remain Optimistic
Investment by angel groups declined at least ten percent this year, according to the Angel Capital Association's (ACA) annual survey of angel group leaders. In January and February, about 55 percent of these leaders predicted that both their number of deals and total invested dollars would increase in 2008. Half of them now admit that their predictions for the year were overly optimistic. Still, many investors reported healthy activity during the year and many expect better results next year.
ACA estimates average angel group investment in 2008 to be $1.72 million, down from $1.94 million last year. The average number of closed deals shrunk 16 percent from 2007 to 6.1 per group. Meanwhile the average deal size grew to $280,936, up six percent. The change mimics the increasing preference for fewer and larger deals among venture capital firms.
Michigan State University Wins $550 Million Nuclear Physics Facility
The Department of Energy announced it has chosen Michigan State University (MSU) as the future home of the next big thing in nuclear physics, a $550 million Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). FRIB research will involve experimentation with intense beams of rare isotopes-short-lived nuclei not normally found on earth. That research is expected to advance critical applications in the areas of materials science, medicine, and stockpile stewardship.
University of Texas System Combines Support for Teaching and Commercialization Excellence with $15 Million Initiative
The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently approved $15 million in funding for three programs that will support innovation and extraordinary effort among its faculty. Two of these programs will make awards for teaching excellence, one for faculty at the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) and the other for teaching at the system's other eight universities. The third program will support a Center for Technology Commercialization at UT Austin to accelerate technology transfer and new venture creation. Each of these programs will receive $1 million annually for the next five years for awards and operations.
The two awards programs will recognize faculty for outstanding contributions to undergraduate education and will serve as an incentive compensation program to improve instruction. These one-time awards will range from $15,000 to $30,000. The Board plans to recognize at least 30 faculty members each year.
Scotland Universities to Direct Nearly 11 Percent of Funding on Pursuing Innovation
The Scottish Government announced last month a funding plan for the university system that directs more than 10 percent of current funding into a new Horizon Fund created to make targeted investments in research, technology transfer, and entrepreneurial development.
The funding proposal is part of an overall plan to expand the role of universities in helping the country recover from the current economic downturn. The plan was based on recommendations from a joint university taskforce established last year by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning. The Future Thinking Taskforce set forth challenges for both the Scottish Government and Universities Scotland, which represents the country's 20 institutions of higher education.
Corrections
In the "TBED People and Organizations" column of the Dec. 10 Digest, Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry was incorrectly identified as the new chairman for the Southern Growth Policies Board. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour serves as chairman for the organization and will host the 2009 annual meeting June 7-9 in Biloxi, MS. More information is available at: http://southern.org/conference/conf.shtml. SSTI apologizes for the error.
North Dakota Surplus Prompts Additional Spending for TBED Initiatives
National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility Impact Report Released, Kansas Preferred Site
This week, the Department of Homeland Security released its environmental impact statement comparing several locations nationwide regarding the future site of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF). After considering factors such as environmental, economic, technical, security and safety concerns, the preferred site is situated on the campus of Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas.