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Public
Policy - New & Notable
Calls for Papers for IEEE-USA Sponsored
Conferences
Papers addressing policy and social implications of
technology are encouraged:
DHS Releases H-1B Fraud and Compliance Assessment
The
Department of Homeland Security has released a long-awaited
assessment of H-1B visa fraud, which concluded 21% of H-1b
visa petitions involve some degree of fraud or technical
violation, with fraud rates higher for petitions involving
bachelor's level jobs. 
more
Peha Named Chief Technologist to FCC
Dr. Jon Peha
of Carnegie Mellon University, an IEEE member and former
IEEE-USA Congressional Fellow, has been named Chief
Technologist of the Federal Communications Commission.
more
 Eye
On Washington Newsletter - Sept. 30
New patent reform effort in Senate, defense S&T
appropriations, National Science Board nominees, new NSF
engineering director, new innovation reports and more 
current
Hearing Looks at Cell Phone Usage and Tumor Concerns
On Sept. 23, the House Oversight Subcommittee on Domestic
Policy held a hearing to explore the topic of tumors and
long term cell phone usage.
more
House Resolution Recognizes 50th Anniversary
of Integrated Circuit
On Sept.
22, the House of Representatives approved
H. Res. 1471, which honors the 50th anniversary of the
successful demonstration of the first integrated circuit and
its subsequent impact on the electronics industry. In
floor comments, Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX) said: “On
September 12th, 1958, in a Dallas lab of Texas Instruments,
Jack St. Clair Kilby gathered a small group of coworkers to
unveil a stunning achievement. ....This breakthrough, the
integrated circuit, has revolutionized the world. Jack
Kilby’s work, as well as fellow integrated circuit pioneers
Geoffrey Dummer and Robert Noyce, heralded the beginning of
an all encompassing transformation of modern society. Their
work paved the way for the modern electronics industry.
Electronic devices that once required a small building and
teams of engineers working round the clock, now fit neatly
in a pocket."
NSF Names Peterson as New Engineering Director
Thomas W. Peterson, dean of the College of Engineering at
the University of Arizona, has been selected as the new
assistant director of the National Science Foundation's
(NSF) Directorate for Engineering.
more
Top S&T Officials Begin Stepping Down
On Sept. 16, the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST)
announced that Deputy Director James M.
Turner was leaving the agency to become the Deputy Assistant
Secretary for International Affairs at the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration. On Sept. 23, Vice Adm.
Conrad Lautenbaucher
announced he was stepping down as head of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) effective 31
Oct. On Sept. 24, Dr. Elias Zerhouni
announced that he would be stepping down as Director of
the National Institutes of Health in October.
National Academy Offers Recommendations on S&T Appointments
for the New Administration
Recognizing the increasing importance of S&T to many of the
critical challenges facing the nation, the National Academy
of Engineers has released a report making recommendations to
the new Administration urging rapid appointment of key S&T
positions within the government, along with other steps
designed to improve the process and ensure candidates have
the requisite knowledge and experience.
more
Comparing the Candidates' Innovation
and Technology Policies
The non-partisan Information Technology and Innovation
Foundation (ITIF) has released a report providing a detailed
comparison of the positions outlined by Presidential
candidates John McCain and Barack Obama on important
national innovation and technology policy issues.
more
IEEE-USA President's Column: Silver Tsunami Set to Hit U.S.
Aerospace and Defense Workforce
When the
first baby boomers began to apply for Social Security
benefits in late 2007, some people referred to it as the
leading edge of a "silver tsunami" that could overwhelm the
Social Security system. A similar tidal wave is set to
strike the U.S. aerospace and defense work force.
more
Accelerating Innovation in Biosciences
IEEE-USA
is co-sponsor of "Accelerating Innovation in 21st Century
Biosciences: Identifying the Measurement, Standards and
Technological Challenges," a conference to be held at the
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), on
19-22 Oct. 2008. Space is limited and the registration
deadline is 10 Oct. The conference is hosted by the
NIST and the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute
(UMBI).
more issue
High-Tech Innovations Essential To Improve
Cost and Quality of Health Care
The United States should develop a comprehensive strategy on
the growing need for technological innovations to help
prevent the impending economic crisis in health care and to
improve the quality and convenience of care, according to a
report from the 2007 conference "Economic Strategy for
Health Care through Standards and Technologies," convened by
the Biotechnology Council and NIST with support from
IEEE-USA.
more
WISE
Interns Complete 2008 Program
With Presentations on Capitol Hill
Offshoring is Transforming U.S. Engineering
Offshoring of engineering activities has increased
significantly in recent years across a range of industries,
and will continue to expand in scale and sophistication,
according to a
new
report from the National Academy of Engineering. The
impact of offshoring has been mixed so far, with some
U.S.-based companies benefiting while some individual U.S.
engineers have lost their jobs or experienced slower salary
growth, says the report.
more
Congressional Visits Day Video Highlights
NAE Proposes Key Messages to Improve
Public Awareness of Engineering
A recent
study by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE)
recommends communications messages designed to improve the
public's understanding of engineering, as well as encourage
young people to consider engineering careers. IEEE's
2007 President Leah Jamieson participated in the Academy
study.
more
Science
Committee Report Looks at Globalization
of R&D, Likely Consequences, and Policy Options
Summarizing a series of hearings held in 2007 to explore the
competitiveness and high-tech workforce implications of the
increaseing globalization of R&D, including the shift in
private sector R&D funding overseas.
more
New Reports Assess U.S. Innovation Standing
In new
report, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
(ITIF) finds that the nature of the U.S. innovation system
has changed dramatically over the course of the last 40
years. In the 1970s almost all winners came from
corporations acting on their own, more recently over
two-thirds of the winners have come from partnerships
involving business and government, including federal labs
and federally-funded university research.
more
A June 12
study from the Rand Institute concludes that despite fears
of losing ground that the U.S. remains the dominant leader
in science and technology worldwide, thanks in significant
part to an inflow of foreign students - as well as
scientists and engineers from overseas -- who haves helped
the U.S. build and maintain its worldwide lead.
more
And a study by the
Woodrow Wilson Int'l Center for Scholars outlines
recommendations to enhance the role of the President's
Office of Science and Technology Policy, concluding that an
enhancing the White House's capacity for science and
technology policy-making is critical to addressing the
challenges facing the nation.
more
Silicon Valley Engineer Testifies before Congress on Need to
Retain Talented High-Tech Students and Professionals
Congress should make it easier for foreign graduate students
and engineers to remain in the United States, Silicon Valley
engineer and entrepreneur Lee Colby told a congressional
subcommittee at a 12 June hearing on Capitol Hill.
more
Alexander Proposes "Manhattan Project" For Clean
Energy
In a May 9th address at Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
Senator Lamar Alexander proposed “launching a 5-year
New Manhattan Project to put America firmly on the path to
clean energy independence within a generation.”
more
 Genetic Non-Discrimination Bill
Signed Into Law
Final Congressional passage and President signature of the
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) marks an important step toward obtaining
federal protections against the misuse of genetic
information. IEEE-USA joined with over 300 organizations
comprising the
Genetic Alliance to help encourage passage of this
legislation.
more
Maryland Repeals Computer Services Tax
As its
2008 legislative session came to a close, the Maryland
legislature
repealed a state-wide tax on computer services before
it could take effect. IEEE-USA supported efforts
by Maryland members to advocate in favor of the repeal,
including testimony by IEEE Region 2 Director John Dentler before the Maryland House Ways and Means
Committee.
more
Also
see IEEE-USA's
Eye on Washington
Updated:
09 October 2008
Contact: IEEE-USA GR
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