National Academies to convene session on advancing U.S. competitiveness

The National Academies will convene a meeting of government, industry, research, and education leaders from all 50 states to discuss ways to advance US competitiveness. The discussion will focus on education, research, and innovation; all key action areas identified in its report, "Rising Above the Gathering Storm," which was released earlier this year.

"Convocation on Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing Regions, States, and Cities" will be held on Thursday, Sept. 28, at the National Academies building at 2101 Constitution Ave. NW, in Washington, D.C. ASME is pleased to be a sponsor of the event, and ASME member John W. Ahlen, president of the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority, will chair one of the breakout sessions.

Additional information, as well as registration instructions, may be found at www7.nationalacademies.org/gatheringstorm/.

Melissa Murray Carl covers public policy-related innovation issues for ASME. She can be reached at carlm@asme.org.

 

White House prepares R&D priorities for fiscal 2008

While Congressional appropriators have yet to complete deliberations for next year, White House officials are beginning to prepare the fiscal year 2008 budget that will be presented to Congress in February 2007.

In a six-page memorandum, Office of Science and Technology Policy director John Marburger and Office of Management and Budget director Rob Portman outlined the following priorities for 2008:

• The American Competitiveness Initiative to double the investment in the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy's Office of Science, and the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology over the next 10 years. Additionally, high-impact basic and applied research at the Department of Defense will be a high priority.

• The Advanced Energy Initiative to achieve energy security through scientific and technological breakthroughs in diversifying energy sources, increased vehicle efficiency, and the acceleration of development of domestic, renewable alternatives to gasoline and diesel fuels.

• Homeland Security to develop "new technologies for analysis, information sharing, detection of attacks, and countering chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons."

• National Nanotechnology Initiative to support both basic and applied research in nanoscience, develop instrumentation and methods for nanoscale characterization and metrology, and disseminate new technical capabilities, including those to help industry advance nanofabrication and nanomanufacturing.

• Understanding Complex Biological Systems to enhance knowledge of organisms and larger systems and provide greater insight into the relationship among biological, physiological, and cultural influences on human behavior and decision-making.

The entire document is available for review at www.ostp.gov/html/m06-17.pdf.

Melissa Murray Carl covers public policy-related R&D issues for ASME. She can be reached at carlm@asme.org.

 

Department of Commerce forms innovation measurement team

The Department of Commerce will establish a team of top academic and business experts to lead a review of the measurement of innovation in the U.S. economy. The 15- member Measuring Innovation in the 21st Century Advisory Committee will convene this fall to identify how to improve innovation measurement.

Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez observed, "We've known for years that American ingenuity contributes mightily to historic advances in productivity and our high standard of living. In addition to new products and services, we have seen an enormous impact from more efficient business processes. We need to ensure that we are measuring innovation correctly so that we can understand the impact on the economy."

The recommendations of the Advisory Committee are expected to be released in mid-2007. For additional information, go to www.commerce.gov/opa/press/Secretary_Gutierrez/
2006_Releases/August/04_InnovationRelease.htm.

Melissa Murray Carl covers public policy-related education issues for ASME. She can be reached at carlm@asme.org.

 

Cohen confirmed as DHS Undersecretary for Science and Technology

The U.S. Senate has confirmed retired Navy Rear Adm. Jay Cohen as the Undersecretary for Science and Technology at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Cohen served as the Navy's chief of research from June 2000 until late 2005.

The Science and Technology Directorate is responsible for protecting the homeland by providing federal and local officials with state-of-the-art technology and other resources, including the development of technical standards and supporting U.S. leadership in science and technology. It also serves as the primary research and development arm of DHS.

For additional information, go to www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/
editorial/editorial_0530.xml.

Melissa Murray Carl handles public policy-related research issues for ASME. She can be reached at carlm@asme.org.

 

"Standards Build Partnerships" is theme of World Standards Day 2006

The U.S. celebration of World Standards Day 2006 will be on Wednesday, Oct. 11, at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C. The 2006 theme, "Standards Build Partnerships," draws attention to the strengthening relationship between government and industry in the areas of standards and regulation.

As part of this year's ceremony, the 2006 Ronald H. Brown Standards Leadership Award will be presented to Constance A. Morella, U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. A former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and a senior member of the Committee on Science, Morella is widely recognized for her instrumental role in securing approval of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act, a landmark law that represents a key partnership between the public and private sectors.

For additional information and registration, visit www.wsd-us.org. Advance registration is required.

Anthony R. Quinn covers public policy-related standards issues for ASME. He can be reached at quinna@asme.org.

 

P³ Competition to award $1.25 million to college student teams

The EPA will award $1.25 million in sustainability grants to enable teams of college students to conduct research related to scientific and technical solutions to environmental challenges.

The People, Prosperity and the Planet (P³) Competition will allow as many as 50 grant awards of up to $10,000 each for research and development of sustainable solutions to environmental challenges ranging from agriculture, ecosystems, chemicals, energy, information resources, and water. The awards will be for activities to be conducted during the 2007-08 academic year.

The P³ Competition is open to teams of students attending colleges, universities, and other post-secondary educational institutions. Interdisciplinary teams are strongly encouraged, including representatives from multiple engineering departments and departments of chemistry, architecture, industrial design, economics, policy, social sciences, business, communication, etc.

In spring 2008, the teams will be invited to bring their designs to Washington, D.C., to compete for EPA's P³ Award, which includes an additional award worth up to $75,000 to further develop and implement the project in the field. The competition will be judged by the National Academy of Engineering for design innovation and technical merit, along with relevant social, economic, and environmental considerations that are the keys to sustainable designs.

Information on the P³ program is available at www.epa.gov/p3. The application for the grants competition, as well as information on how to apply, may be found at http://es.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2007/2007_p3_4thannual.html. All applications must be received by Dec. 21, 2006.

Josh Craft covers public policy-related environmental issues for ASME. He can be reached at craftj@asme.org.

 

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