Baldrige Winners Outperform S&P 500 Again
The "Baldrige Index" for 1996 outperformed the Standard & Poor's 500 for the third year in a row, according to a study prepared by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The fictitious index is made up of winners of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
Women & Minorities Progress in S&E Field Limited
Women and minorities continue to take fewer high-level mathematics and science courses in high school; earn fewer bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in science and engineering (S&E); and remain less likely to be employed in S&E jobs than white males.
Guide to NIST Available
The new Guide to NIST, a one-stop information resource on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is now available. The 164-page volume describes hundreds of different research projects, grants, industry outreach programs, services and facilities. The publication updates a 1993 edition. Requests for the guide can be faxed to 301/926-1630. An electronic version will be available online later this year on the NIST home page at http://www.nist.gov
NSF To Change Review Criteria
Criteria used by one of the largest funders of basic research to evaluate research proposals is slated to change in 1997. The National Science Foundation (NSF) is revising the criteria used to evaluate approximately 30,000 proposals per year and is seeking comments on the proposed criteria.
Committee Approves of NSF Cooperative Research Centers
A panel of external evaluators has concluded that the National Science Foundation's State/Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (S/I/UCRC) Program supports NSF's strategic goals. The panel also found that "the development of cooperative research centers involving states, industries and NSF can be an important contributing element to maintaining and developing a competitive US industry."
NSF Partnerships for Innovation Offers Unique Funding for TBED Efforts
Universities play a central role in supporting regional technology-based economic development and only one small federal grant program focuses each funding cycle toward new models for improving university-centered collaborative innovation strategies. The Partnership for Innovations (PFI) Program within the National Science Foundation (NSF) opened a new round of competition last week, offering funding of up to $600,000 for 10-15 successful proposals.
E-Commerce Technology Plan Unveiled in Maryland
Governor Parris Glendening, the Speaker of the Maryland House, and the President of the Maryland Senate have proposed a 12-point technology plan with the goal of making “Maryland the leading e-commerce and digital state in the nation.” The proposals include:
Virginia Offers Unique Web Access Service
Virginia, through its Office of the Secretary of Technology and Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology (CIT), has created a unique collaborative public-private partnership to increase Internet access and e-commerce capabilities for Virginia's businesses. In December, CIT and Virginia Tech launched VirginiaLink, a multi-vendor, broadband telecommunications program providing businesses with inexpensive advanced telecommunications services such as Internet access and voice, data, and video capacity.
Foundations as S&T Partners
At first glance, the Baltimore-based Abell Foundation’s quiet contribution of almost $25 million over the past ten years to support local economic development may not raise much interest from state and federal technology-based economic development professionals across the country. However, the reaction might be different after learning that most of the investment was to emerging businesses in the form of venture capital.
Housing Technology Funds Available
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is offering approximately $1 million in financial assistance for the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing Cooperative Research Program (PATH CoRP). PATH encourages the development of innovative housing components and systems, designs, and production methods as well as projects that reduce the amount of time needed to move quality technologies to the market place.
Dept of Commerce Briefs
1999 Baldrige Winners Announced
Two manufacturers and two service companies have been selected as winners of the 1999 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation's premier award for performance excellence and quality achievement. No award recipients were selected in the new education and health care categories.
People
David Weiss is leaving his post as Maryland State Technology Coordinator.
NSF Connecting Higher Ed and K-12 for Math & Science
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has made a first round of grants to researchers at 31 institutions nationwide under a new program enabling talented graduate students and advanced undergraduates in science, mathematics, engineering and technology to serve as teaching fellows in K-12 schools.
NSF Funds $10 M Center for Bioengineering Ed Technology
A five-university partnership led by Vanderbilt University (TN) will develop bioengineering educational technologies and curricula at a new Engineering Research Center funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Through a five-year, nearly $10-million cooperative agreement, the center will support and enhance the education of a new generation of bioengineers needed to strengthen the industry.
Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentors Honored
Ten individuals and five institutions have received the 1999 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. The mentoring awards honor those whose personal and organizational activities have increased participation of underrepresented groups in mathematics, engineering and science from kindergarten through graduate level.
ATP Announces 37 New Awards for 1999
The Advanced Technology Program (ATP), managed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, has selected 37 projects from the 1999 solicitation to receive awards. Recipients will share $110 million of ATP funding for high-risk R&D projects with the potential to spark important, broad-based economic benefits for the United States. ATP funds will be matched by at least $102 million from private industry.
R&D Share of GDP Grows
Total annual research and development (R&D) expenditures — expected to pass $247 billion in 1999 — have grown 7.2 percent over 1998 levels (adjusted for inflation), according to a recent Data Brief from the National Science Foundation. Growth in R&D expenditures has been accelerating since 1995. The annual real R&D growth for 1995-99 is expected to average 6.1 percent. Almost all of the growth is attributed to a resurgence in industrial R&D.
Powell Retires From ATP Directorship
Dr. Lura Powell, Director of the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) since 1995, has decided to take early retirement from the National Institute of Standards & Technology and pursue career opportunities in the private sector. Because of the voluntary early retirement option deadline, Dr. Powell’s retirement was effective September 30.
Useful Stats: Industrial R&D Intensity by State: 2003
Using statistics from the National Science Foundation’s report Science & Engineering Indicators 2006, SSTI has prepared a table presenting 2003 state rankings for industrial R&D intensity - the ratio of industry R&D to gross state product (GSP).
People
The State of Maryland has created a new Small Business Programs unit as part of the Governor's Office of Business Advocacy and Small Business Assistance.
Maryland Releases Innovation Index
With last week’s release of “The Maryland Innovation and Technology Index 1999,” Maryland became the latest state to release an “S&T report card” as they are also sometimes called. Indices have become popular tools for benchmarking a state’s or region’s comparative position across several technological, economic, and social
Two Positions Available
The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology is seeking to fill two positions at its Gaithersburg headquarters. Both positions — an Evaluation Program Leader and an Evaluation Specialist — will work on MEP program evaluation, economic impact measurement, and data interpretation efforts. Resumes will be accepted until the positions are filled.
People
Anne Armstrong has been named CEO for the Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology.
People
Phil Singerman, the head of the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Adminstration, was named president of the new Maryland Technology Economic Development Corporation.
People
Catherine Renault, managing director of Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology, has accepted a position with Advantage Consulting.