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SSTI Digest
People in S&T
New York Governor Pataki has nominated Dr. Russell Bessette to serve as the Executive Director of the New York Office of Science and Technology (NYSTAR). His appointment is subject to confirmation of the New York State Senate. Dr. Russell Bessette is a clinical professor at the SUNY Buffalo School of Medicine's Department of Surgery, the Executive Director of Research at the Buffalo Technology Transfer Center at Sisters Hospital in Buffalo and a reconstructive plastic surgeon at the Head and Neck Center at Sisters Hospital.
People in S&T
Governor Pataki appointed Dr. Roland Schmitt, president emeritus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, as chairman of the NYSTAR advisory board.
People in S&T
Dr. Paul Hale has been named the Executive Director of the Vermont Technology Council. Among other tasks, Dr. Hale is working on the state’s EPSCoT award in cooperation with the Vermont EPSCoR Program.
People in S&T
SSTI bids a warm farewell to Deb Tharp, who has accepted a full-time position with Battelle Memorial Institute in the Technology Partnership Practice group.
Tech Initiatives Proposed for New Jersey
Governor Christie Whitman has announced New Jersey Jobs for a New Economy, a multi-million dollar package of technology-related initiatives to make New Jersey more competitive in the creation of high technology jobs.
Among the plan's proposals are the following technology-related investments:
$3.5 M Offered for Rural Business Opportunity Grants
Effective Monday, January 24, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin accepting funding applications under the new Rural Business Opportunity Grants Program (RBOG). The program was authorized in the 1996 Farm Bill to fund sustainable economic development in rural communities with exceptional needs. RBOG funding may be used to support the following types of technical assistance for business development and economic development planning:
State Legislative Round Up
With the start of the new year, a number of state legislatures are reconvening. Quite a few states have significant research, science, and technology issues on their legislative calendar, including the following:
Nebraska
Governor Mike Johanns has proposed the creation of a tax credit for a variety of industries, including R&D firms, to encourage job creation, higher wages and investment in rural Nebraska. The plan would offer an income tax credit equal to five percent of the compensation paid for new employment and an additional income tax credit equal to ten percent of the new investment. While development projects in the entire state are eligible, those projects in the most distressed areas would have to meet lower investment or job creation thresholds to receive the credit.
New Approaches to State S&T: Georgia's Yamacraw Mission
One year ago this month, in the midst of a booming economy, Georgia Governor Roy Barnes announced a new $100 million, five-year initiative to advance the state’s position in the research and production of key components of the global economy. The Yamacraw Mission, named after one of the state’s first colonial settlements, focuses on research, education, and economic development in microchip design and high-bandwidth communications.
R&D Spending to Grow in 2000
R&D expenditures are expected to increase by more than eight percent this year to a total of $266 billion, according to the latest Battelle-R&D Magazine research and development forecast. The report predicts increases in R&D funding by industry, universities, and other non-profit organizations, while federal research funding is expected to remain static.
Buoyed by the strong economy, industrial commitment to R&D is expected to lead all other sectors in growth, increasing by more than ten percent in 2000. Industrial R&D is anticipated to total $187 billion in 2000, comprising 66 percent of the nation’s total research investment. With $66 billion in expenditures, federal R&D will account for 29 percent of the total. The balance of $12.6 billion, or 5 percent of the total, will be provided by universities and other nonprofit organizations.
California Governor Names S&T Chief
California Governor Gray Davis has appointed Joseph A. Raguso as Deputy Secretary for Strategic Technology for the Trade and Commerce Agency. Mr. Raguso currently serves as President and CEO for the San Diego Regional Technology Alliance (SDRTA), a position he has held since 1997. Mr. Raguso will begin serving in his new capacity on January 31.
From 1996 to 1997, Mr. Raguso was manager of the Science and Technology Policy and Projects for the University of California, San Diego. From 1994 to 1996, he served as acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for the United States Department of Commerce.
Additional NASA SBIR Phase II Awards Granted
NASA has announced the selection of 25 additional 1998 Phase II R&D recipients under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. The new awards bring the total for the 1998 NASA SBIR Phase II awards to 128.
Twenty-five firms in 12 states were selected for the new awards. Four of the companies selected are considered disadvantaged firms and three are women-owned firms. Each project may receive up to $600,000 over a two-year period.
The state distribution of these new awards is available on the NASA SBIR Website: http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/SBIR/sbir98/98ph2/add98state.html
Technology and Education Studies Available Online
The Department of Education has posted 13 white papers presented during its July 1999 Conference on Technology. The conference and papers focused on evaluating the effectiveness of technology in education. Among the titles are two covering the experiences of Idaho and West Virginia: "The Idaho Technology Initiative: An Accountability Report to the Idaho Legislature on the Effects of Monies Spent through the Idaho Council for Technology in Learning" and "WEST VIRGINIA STORY: Achievement Gains from a Statewide Comprehensive Instructional Technology Program." The papers, conference agenda and "spotlight schools" can be viewed at: http://www.ed.gov/Technology/TechConf/1999/