SBIR STUDY UNDERWAY
SSTI has received funding from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense and the National Institute for Standards & Technology (NIST) to complete a study of state SBIR/STTR programs. The project is for the SBIR Working Group of the U.S. Innovation Partnership. As part of the study, SSTI will be interviewing state SBIR/STTR assistance providers and federal SBIR program managers over the next several weeks on a range of issues.
1998 VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS CONTINUE 1997'S RECORD PACE
Price Waterhouse recently announced that venture capital investments in the first quarter of 1998 hit $3.6 billion, just slightly below the all-time high of $3.7 billion set in the fourth quarter of 1997. Compared to the first quarter of 1997, investments increased 54%. These findings were released in the Price Waterhouse Venture Capital Survey, a quarterly report of venture capital investments throughout the United States.
SMALL BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR NAMED
Ross Youngs, president of Univenture, Inc. of Columbus, Ohio, has been named the National Small Business Person of the Year. Youngs was selected from a field of 53 Small Business Administration (SBA) small business winners representing the fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam.
COLWELL CONFIRMED AS NEW NSF DIRECTOR
Rita Colwell was confirmed by the Senate on May 22 as the new National Science Foundation (NSF) Director. She is expected to be sworn in within a few weeks. Dr. Colwell was the President of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute and former President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She has a Ph.D. in marine microbiology from the University of Washington.
Maine Legislators Pass R&D Initiatives
Maine lawmakers have passed an R&D investment package to increase the state's research and development capacity. The package includes a $20 million bond issue that must be approved by the voters in November.
The bond initiative would provide:
Tennessee Creates New Organization to Lead S&T Efforts
The State of Tennessee has created a private, not-for-profit corporation--- the Tennessee Technology Development Corporation---to stimulate economic development through Tennessee's science and technology resources.
The corporation's responsibilities include:
MEP to Help Small Manufacturers with Year 2000 Issues
The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) and its nationwide network of centers are stepping up efforts to help smaller manufacturers avoid being bitten by the "millennium bug." The Stamford, Conn.-based GartnerGroup, a leading authority on information technology issues, has reported that as of 1997, 88 percent of all companies with fewer than 2,000 employees had not yet started Year 2000 remediation projects.
People
Dr. Eugene Wong has been named assistant director for engineering at the National Science Foundation. As the head of NSF's engineering directorate, he will oversee a $320 million annual budget. His most recent position was with a start-up California company.
People
Dr. Eugene Wong has been named assistant director for engineering at the National Science Foundation. As the head of NSF's engineering directorate, he will oversee a $320 million annual budget. His most recent position was with a start-up California company.
People
Durand Smith, the director of the New Mexico Department of Economic Development's Science and Technology Division, has returned to the private sector. Marsha Oldakowski is serving as acting director of the division.
People
Patrick Neary, executive director of Wyoming's Science, Technology & Energy Authority, has also returned to the private sector. Jeff Suddeth is serving as interim director.
People
Bill Eads, the Tennessee governor's science and technology advisor, has announced his retirement.
Hearing Held on National Science Policy Study
Continuing to solicit input for the National Science Policy Study, Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) held an April 22 House Science Committee hearing on "The Irreplaceable Federal Role in Funding Basic Research." This was the fifth hearing Ehlers has held as he gathers information to complete the National Science Policy Study.
OCAST Opens Commercialization Center and Seeks Executive Director
The Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) has announced the launch of the Oklahoma Technology Commercialization Center (Tech Center).
Northwestern University Seeks Associate Vice President for Strategic Initiatives
Northwestern University invites nominations and applications for the new position of Associate Vice President for Strategic Initiatives. The person who fills this position will develop and implement initiatives that will enhance the University=s research enterprise.
Reporting to the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, the Associate VP will:
GAO Issues Report on SBIR Program
When the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program was reauthorized in 1982, Congress mandated that the General Accounting Office (GAO) report on certain aspects of the program. GAO has now issued the final report, Federal Research: Observations on the Small Business Innovation Research Program, under that charge.
Texas Unveils Science & Technology Strategic Plan
Texas' Science and Technology Council recently released a science and technology strategic plan. The Council's vision is to make Texas the nation's leader in science and technology in the 21st century. The plan's premise is that technology is the economic force driving much of the state's current wealth and job creation. The report develops a series of recommendations with the intent of developing the research capacity and human resources Texas will need to ensure economic prosperity in the next century.
Geringer Appoints Wyoming Business Council
Wyoming has begun the process of restructuring its economic development programs. Nine state programs and boards will be transferred to the Wyoming Business Council by July 1. The Council, created by the legislature earlier this year, is a 15-member private sector board of directors that will direct economic development activities in Wyoming. Governor Jim Geringer announced the board appointments earlier this month.
STC Releases Study of Student Migration Patterns
College tuition rates and a state's success at retaining its high school graduates for college attendance — both of which can be affected by state policy makers and university administrators — are strong predictors of a state's success in keeping its own recent college science and engineering graduates and in attracting graduates from other states, according to a study from the Southern Technology Council (STC).
Universities as Catalysts for Economic Growth Workshop
The National Business Incubation Association (NBIA) is sponsoring a workshop entitled "Building University Engines for Academic Excellence, Technology Commercialization and Entrepreneurship." The workshop will he held on May 30, 1998 in Philadelphia, PA.
NSF: R&D Activity Concentrated in Small Number of States
A recently released data brief from the National Science Foundation, entitled Six States Account for Half of the Nation's R&D, analyzed the distribution of research and development activity by state and found most of the activity is concentrated in a small number of states.
Newest Advanced Technology Education Center Opens
The grand opening on April 9 of a new technology education center in the Seattle area marked a milestone for the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Program. The new Northwest Center for Emerging Technologies (NWCET) is the second major ATE center NSF has supported in the fields of information technology and telecommunications.
Illinois 1997 High Tech Yearbook Released
The Illinois 1997 High Tech Yearbook is a first-ever annual report documenting the people, organizations and infrastructure driving the high technology industry in Illinois. The report was recently released by the Illinois Coalition and KPMG Peat Marwick, in cooperation with the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago.
The Yearbook is the latest addition to a growing number of states or regions that are developing technology indexes.
GAO, Commerce Disagree on Findings
BUT AGREE MORE INFO, DATA NEEDED ON IT LABOR
The General Accounting Office recently released its comments on a U.S. Department of Commerce study of the availability of information technology workers.
Technology Transfer Act Moves Forward in House
A bill that would revise Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) provisions has passed the House Subcommittee on Technology. The amended version of the Technology Transfer Commercialization Act of 1997
(H.R. 2544) now moves to the House Science Committee for further consideration.