Important SSTI Weekly Digest Updates

Funding Supplement for Members Only in 2006 As long-time subscribers to the SSTI Weekly Digest know, during the past five years SSTI has published a separate element of the newsletter identifying federal and foundation funding opportunities that support either tech-based economic development directly or scientific inquiry and R&D.

The Funding Supplement began in 2001 as a service to the state and local tech-based economic development organizations (TBED) regularly receiving the Digest. They, in turn, could parse and distribute the funding announcements to their client companies and researchers. It has worked well for that purpose -- dozens of organizations and academic offices across the country redistribute SSTI-generated funding announcements through their own client networks. Our readership grew as hundreds of TBED organizations around the country joined the free subscription service to receive both the Digest and the Funding Supplement.

An unintended phenomenon happened as well, however. Companies began to subscribe to SSTI to receive the Digest and Funding Supplement directly from SSTI. It started off slowly but now numbers in the thousands. Some contact SSTI asking us to help them search for other funding or research opportunities in their specific technical field. Others ask us to help them develop proposals or think we are the ones who make the funding decisions. We refer all of these firms to the appropriate SSTI sponsor and affiliates in their respective states, as our intention was never to become a direct business assistance or TBED service provider.

To address these issues and to help raise revenues to support production of the Funding Supplement, SSTI will distribute the Funding Supplement only to our state sponsors, affiliates and supporters effective Jan. 9, 2006. As one of the oldest and most widely read information sources for the state, regional and federal tech-based economic development community, the SSTI Weekly Digest will remain available as a free e-newsletter for the entire TBED community.

Everyone has the opportunity to continue receiving the Funding Supplement by becoming a member of SSTI. There are three membership categories:

• State Sponsors. These are states' primary state science and technology programs.
• Affiliates. This includes local and regional tech-based economic development programs, universities, trade associations, tech councils, incubators, manufacturing extension centers, research parks, and other tech-based economic development groups providing services to companies.
• Supporters. For-profit and consulting organizations, individuals and all other groups interested in tech-based economic development fit into this category.

More information including benefits and a link to a secure registration form are available a http://www.ssti.org/benefits.htm. If you are unsure of your membership status check http://www.ssti.org/sponsors.htm for a current membership listing. If you have any questions about joining, please contact Noelle Sheets, director of membership services, at sheets@ssti.org or 614.901.1690.

We strongly encourage TBED organizations that have found value in obtaining both of SSTI's e-newsletters over the years to join their peers in financially supporting production of the e-publications.

2005 Digest Survey Reminder

SSTI extends its gratitude to the readers who have already completed the annual survey started last week. We'd like to hear from the rest of you. With the announced changes to the Funding Supplement, we suspect several thousand of you may have opinions and suggestions to share.

All responses must be received by the end of the day, Friday, Dec. 9, to be included in the analysis. With only eight questions, the survey is easy to complete. There is also ample room to suggest topics you'd like to see covered in future issues or news sources you recommend we should review. The survey is web-based and completely anonymous, unless you opt to provide your name at the end.

Please take a few minutes to complete it now: http://www.ssti.org/digestsurvey05.htm (expired)