• Tony Armstrong, Indiana University executive director for engagement, has been chosen as the Indiana University Research and Technology Corporations new president and CEO.
• Jeff Costantine will retire this fiscal year as president of the Nashville Technology Council. The board of directors has begun the search for a new president.

The University of Missouri System is seeking applicants for the position of intellectual property attorney.

With a blockbuster agenda, the first block of hotel rooms already sold out and a second block in the nearby Intercontinental Suites filling rapidly, SSTI's 12th Annual Conference in Cleveland, Oct. 14-16, is on pace to be a very special event for those TBED practitioners and policymakers who wisely register soon!

The most pressing question in the debate about the United States international economic competitiveness is if the U.S. is successfully pushing to maintain its competitive lead well into the future, not only the question if the U.S. is currently ahead, according to a report released today by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF).

We've been keeping you focused on SSTI's 12th annual conference, coming up Oct 14-16 at the Intercontinental Hotel Cleveland, but believe it or not, we're already working to ensure the 2009 and 2010 are as good or even better!

On Feb. 13, we announced the 2009 conference will be hosted by KTEC, one of the oldest and most successful TBED models in the country. The event will be held in Overland Park, KS on Oct. 20-22, 2009.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have announced a four-year plan to invest approximately $70 million a year in a nationwide network of life science research centers. The Molecular Libraries Probe Production Centers Network will employ high-tech screening methods to identify molecules that can be used as probes to explore the functions of cells. This research is intended to help increase the pace of discovery in the field of chemical probes, which have become a key resource in fighting disease.

Drawing on its high-tech cluster, Provo, Utah garnered the highest score in the 2008 Best-Performing Cities Index released today by the Milken Institute and Greenstreet Real Estate Partners.

The rebounding technology sector boosted several newcomers to the top 10 in the annual ranking of where America's jobs are being created and sustained. Metros that are highly dependent on resource extraction and export-intensive industries also showed success.

On a per student basis, state support for public higher education on average increased 4.2% over the four years of 2003-2006. Over the same time period, enrollment figures increased even more rapidly.

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

Whether it's symptomatic of a tough job market or increased recognition of the economic rewards for obtaining an advanced degree, the number of doctoral degrees awarded and graduate enrollment in the U.S. rose sharply in 2007.

States are increasingly seeking new approaches to maintaining a pipeline of skilled workers, qualified to fill the gaps left by baby boomers retiring in the coming years and college graduates pursuing career options elsewhere.

Cluster strategies show proximity is seen as an important requirement for tacit knowledge flows and the resulting economic development benefits of innovation and entrepreneurship.

As news on the economy turns darker shades of bleak, communities across the country are looking for alternative ways to finance their innovation strategies. Some of their approaches will be the topic of two breakout sessions at SSTI's upcoming conference, Encouraging Regional Innovation. This story looks at one example.