Facing a projected budget deficit of more than $600 million, Gov. Tim Kaine told lawmakers the state must invest more money in research and commercialization efforts to accelerate Virginia’s progress in key areas.

 

A complete description of this opportunity and others is available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.

Browsing the business section of a bookstore may yield dozens of titles purporting to explain the process of innovation. This newsletter and most others serving the nation’s policymakers and science and technology communities have covered reports calling for a national innovation strategy. Unfortunately, most meetings on the subject have to begin by developing a working definition of the term innovation that most can accept.

It’s no secret that research and education are important to a state’s economy, but for many poorer states, they may be even more vital than previously believed. A few recent studies suggest that increasing the number of patents and the education level of residents in a state could be a valuable first step in overcoming persistent poverty.

With the goal of supporting partnerships that unite the efforts of local school districts with science, mathematics, engineering and education faculties of colleges and universities, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has released the first request for proposals (RFP) for the $160 million Math & Science Partnerships (MSP) initiative. Involvement of additional stakeholders, especially states, is highly encouraged, according to the RFP.

While 2002 marks the 20th anniversary of the creation of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, it also may be remembered as the first time an agency successfully finagled its way out of SBIR's requirement that 2.5 percent of extramural R&D be awarded to small technology companies.

Between 10 and 15 Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC) will be funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in early 2002. In a recently released request for proposals, NSF indicates that it has $24 million available for the centers.

Research and development activity in the nonprofit sector share of total U.S. R&D held steady at 3 percent from 1973 to 1997, according to a February 15 Data Brief prepared by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The Data Brief reports on the first survey of nonprofit R&D activity since 1973.

Partnerships for Innovation (PFI), a National Science Foundation (NSF) program started just last year, has released its Program Solicitation for FY 2001. The program will support 10-15 new government-university-industry partnerships that explore new approaches to support and sustain innovation. An academic institution must be the lead for the partnership 



The program was designed to: 

The deepest mine in the U.S. has been selected by the National Science Foundation as site of its Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory. Also known as the “Homestake” in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the site contains 375 miles of tunnels, some extending more than 8,000 feet into the earth.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) projects U.S. spending for R&D in 2006 will be 6 percent higher than it was in 2005, once all figures are compiled for all sources of funds surveyed: industry, the federal government, universities, colleges and other nonprofit institutions.

The National Science Foundation has released the 2004 results of its annual survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development series. The report provides a breakdown of federal R&D obligations by R&D and R&D plant for federal agency, type of performer, character of work, field of science and engineering, and geography.

The Virginia Institute for Defense and Homeland Security has named Hugh Montgomery, Jr. as the consortium's first director, effective July 1.

Meeting short-term budget demands are consuming more and more of state, local and academic tech-based economic development practitioners' time. However, keeping an eye on the long-range funding picture is critical for sustained success. One of the most important federal sources for supporting the research enterprise is the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The new executive director of the Virginia Piedmont Technology Council is Gail Milligan.

The Board of Directors for Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) announced last week their selection of Peter Jobse as the new president of CIT. Jobse has been CIT’s executive vice president and chief operating officer since joining the organization in October 2002.

A strategic plan issued in 2002 by the Fifth Planning District Regional Alliance in Virginia may officially have completed the first phase when the Alliance recently awarded $273,342 in grants and earmarked funds.

Complete descriptions of these opportunities and others are available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.

Armed with professional advice from mentors in scientific fields and free access to sophisticated design and engineering software, teachers and students from Hawaii, Kansas, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Vermont and Virginia will participate in a national competition to solve a real-world engineering challenge defined by the aviation industry.