r&d

A recent assessment by the National Research Council (NRC) of  the National Nanotechnology Initiative's (NNI) Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health, and Safety Research concluded the NNI's research plan does not provide a clear picture of the potential risks of nanotechnology, nor does the plan include adequate research goals and comprehensive research needs regarding nanotechnology-specific health and safety issues.The NRC's assessment finds the NNI's stra

SSTI has prepared a table displaying the amount of funding companies spent on R&D in each state from 2002 to 2006, the state's rank in 2006, the percent change over this five-year period, and the rank of that percent change. For the U.S.

Universities in Canada are a major component of the country's science and technology ecosystem, and as gauged by funding, they performed 36 percent of Canada's R&D activities in 2007. In the U.S. comparatively, universities accounted for 13 percent of the R&D performed in the country.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced earlier this month the establishment of five new university-based centers developing interdisciplinary research and education programs in partnership with industry in the areas of biorenewable chemicals, green energy systems, communications networks, medical implants and smart lighting.

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As many stories in this issue of the Digest point out, academic institutions serve a critical role in performing R&D for the nation’s innovation pipeline. While most of the attention of national policymakers is directed toward the size of federal and industrial investments in R&D, the burden of financing the infrastructure to support much of that research activity falls on states and institutions of higher education. And that burden has a steep price tag.

Federal funding of academic science and engineering (S&E) R&D failed to outpace inflation for two consecutive years, according to the latest annual Survey of Research and Development Expenditures at Universities and Colleges from the National Science Foundation (NSF).  The decline in two consecutive years has never occurred before in the survey's 36-year history.

According to National Science Foundation (NSF) data released two weeks ago, companies spent in aggregate $247.7 billion on R&D expenditures performed in the U.S. in 2006. Leading the nation was California, with $58.4 billion in industrial R&D, followed by Michigan ($16.5 billion), Massachusetts ($15.6 billion), New Jersey ($14.6 billion), and Texas ($13.3 billion).
 

Last week, three contracts between North Dakota State University (NDSU) and research partners at two Department of Energy federal laboratories were announced, building research opportunities within the Red River Valley Research Corridor. They included the following:

• A $50,000 contract from Sandia National Laboratories to develop water purification membranes through polymer research;
• A $25,000 contract also from Sandia for solar cell research which will utilize technologies patented at NDSU; and,

How should states determine the focus and location of significant investments into academic research? The process can easily become politicized when more than one research institution, sizable metropolitan area or major industry exist in the state.