The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced a $27.5 million, five-year grant to the University of Maryland for a multi-disciplinary research center focused on the interplay of human activity and healthy ecosystems. The grant is the largest ever received by the university and will provide funds for research in environmental sciences, public policy, engineering, computer science and economics.

SSTI Board member Phillip Singerman has been named as the Associate Director for Innovation and Industry Services for the National Institute of Standards and Technology. He will assume this position on January 31.

Alabama Gov.-elect Robert Bentley named former house speaker Seth Hammett as the director of the Alabama Development Office.

Maine Governor Paul LePage named Phillip Congdon as the new commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development. Cogndon is a licensed professional engineer who spent more than 20 years with Texas Instruments in Dallas. He replaces Acting Commissioner Thaxter Trafton.

The fifth installment of SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Maryland, Montana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah. The first four installments are available in the Jan. 5, Jan. 12, Jan. 19 and Jan. 26 issues of the Digest.

Alabama then-Governor-elect Robert Bentley on January 3 named former House Speaker Seth Hammett as director of the Alabama Development Office, replacing Interim Director Linda Swann. He also appointed the president of the Birmingham-based Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, Bill Taylor, to lead efforts to grow and retain existing Alabama industries, while at the same time recruiting new businesses to the state.

Gov. Martin O'Malley last week unveiled details of his proposed $100 million venture fund announced last year during his re-election campaign as an initiative to grow the state's knowledge-based industries, particularly within the life sciences sector (see the June 9, 2010 issue of the Digest).

The Tennessee Biotechnology Association has changed their name to Life Science Tennessee.

Ann Arbor SPARK recently added Bill Mayer as director of their business accelerator team.

TBED People
Anne Barth has been named the executive director of TechConnect West Virginia.

Joann Rockwell MacMaster has been appointed site director for the Arizona Center for Innovation at the UA Tech Park.

Catherine Renault resigned from her position as director of the Maine Office of Innovation effective December 3.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking input from the public and NIH staff on the proposed creation of a new center that would support translational science and consolidate several existing translational research programs. The National Center for Advancing Translations Sciences (NCATS) would support the development of therapeutics and clinical care from basic research discoveries.

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley recently announced a new effort to direct $100 million to public and private venture capital investors. The InvestMaryland program would offer insurance companies tax credits to generate the funds, which would either be invested directly in startup companies or in private venture firms. Governor O'Malley's current proposal would provide $50 million to the Maryland Venture Fund and the other $50 million to venture capital firms.

The Oklahoma Center for Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) will remain a stand-alone entity after a proposal by Gov. Brad Henry to consolidate the agency within the Department of Commerce failed to win legislative approval. OCAST provides funding and resources to help businesses develop and commercialize technologies. The agency is slated to receive $19.15 million in FY11, a 6 percent reduction from the previous year.

JDG Associates, Executive Search Consultants, has been retained by the suburban Maryland-based National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to recruit two key leaders:

• The Director for Innovation and Industry Services will focus on technology transfer and commercialization along with the fostering of public/private partnerships and joint ventures; and,

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland is seeking a dynamic and innovative biomedical/biotechnology expert to provide strategic leadership as the director of the newly created Office of Translational Alliances and Coordination (OTAC). The OTAC is charged with accelerating the translation of basic discoveries and innovations into new diagnostics, devices, and therapeutics, and facilitating the development of new technologies via SBIR initiatives.

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin signed the Oklahoma Aerospace Engineer Tax Credit — reestablishing a tax incentive that was put on moratorium during last year's legislative session. The legislation extends tax credits of $5,000 a year for up to five years to engineers who are hired in Oklahoma. Under the law, companies receive a tax credit equal to 10 percent of the compensation paid to an engineering graduate from an Oklahoma institution of higher education.

Job Corner
i2E has three new career opportunities available in their Oklahoma City office. These positions are designed to work directly with entrepreneurs and grow the support infrastructure of early stage companies in the region.

The positions include:

Four organizations were named winners of SSTI's 2010 Excellence in TBED Award, serving as national models for states and regions investing in science, technology and innovation to grow and sustain their economies and create high-paying jobs.

Craig Dye was named director of the Mtech VentureAccelerator Program, a fast-track, early admission program tied to Mtech's Technology Advancement Program.

The Minnesota High Tech Association announced Margaret Anderson Kelliher, speaker of the Minnesota House, will assume the role of president of the Association beginning in January after she leaves public office.

Steve Biggers, deputy director, Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology has retired after 31 years of service to the state. He has served at OCAST for the last 19 years.

Last week, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley released the results of 18 months of work by the Maryland Economic Development Commission (MEDC), laying out the state's strategy for economic growth over the next five years. MEDC's five-year plan provides many economic development policy recommendations, but lists innovation, commercialization and entrepreneurship as the first three foundations for growth. Part of this strategy includes the implementation of InvestMaryland, a recently passed initiative that would generate more than $70 million for seed and growth stage companies.

In support of Gov. Martin O'Malley's Bio 2020 Initiative, lawmakers increased funding for stem cell research and provided $8 million in tax credits for biotechnology investments in the FY12 budget approved last month. Lawmakers also passed a bill providing a two-year eligibility extension for companies using the biotech tax credit and allocated $2.4 million to fund nanobiotechnology projects.