|
Public
Policy - New & Notable
 Eye
On Washington Newsletter -
26 June
Small
Business Innovation, Advance Natural Gas Vehicles, House
approves bills on International Science and Technology
Partnerships, STEM Education Programs in Federal Agencies,
Senator Schumer on immigration reform, first meeting of
Augustine Space Flight committee, recent reports and more.
current
SBIR
Reauthorization Advances to House Consideration
The House
Science and Technology Committee voted to report legislation
that would reauthorize the
Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR), which
is scheduled to expire at the end of July. SBIR
provides R&D funding for small technology businesses.
more
DOE
Announces $3.9B Solicitation for Smart Grid Grants
On June 25,
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that the
Department of Energy is soliciting applications for $3.9
billion in grants to support efforts to modernize the
electric grid, allowing for greater integration of renewable
energy sources while increasing the reliability, efficiency
and security of the nation’s transmission and distribution
system, as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act.
more
NIST
Seeks Public Comment on Standards
Roadmap for National "Smart Grid"
On 18 June, the National Institute of Standards and
Technology released for public review a
report that identifies issues and priorities for
developing technical standards and an architecture for the
U.S. Smart Grid, the planned nationwide network that will
use 21st century information technology to deliver
electricity efficiently, reliably and securely, while
allowing increased use of renewable power sources. Public
comment is sought on the draft report, which sets the stage
for creation of a Smart Grid Interoperability Standards
Framework.
more
IEEE-USA Seeks Improved Visa Processing
for Foreign Students, Scholars and Scientists
IEEE-USA has joined with some 30 U.S. higher education,
science, and engineering organizations to express concerns
about the significant increase in delays experienced by many
international students, scholars and scientists who have
applied for visas to study, conduct research, or attend
conferences in the United States. The statement
proposes steps to improve and expedite the current review
and approval process.
more
Senate Leaders Propose Changes to R&D Tax Credit
On May 8, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus
(D-Mont.) and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), introduced
legislation (S.1203)
to extend and simplify the research and development (R&D)
tax credit, legislation designed to encourage innovation of
new technologies and services that will spur economic growth
at home and American competitiveness abroad. The
Baucus-Hatch proposal would allow the traditional credit to
expire in 2010 and increase the alternative simplified
credit, which is currently set at 14 percent of qualifying
expenses, to 20 percent of qualifying expenses.
more
 Bolden
Appointed To Head NASA
Gen. Charles
Bolden, a former Marine aviator and NASA astronaut, has been
nominated to head the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration. Lori Garver was nominated to serve as
Deputy Administrator.
more
Trew to
Head NSF's Electrical, Communications and Cyber Division
Robert J. Trew, current a professor of electrical and
computer engineering at North Carolina State University,
joins the National Science Foundation (NSF) as director of
the Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems
(ECCS) in the Directorate for Engineering. Trew is an
IEEE Fellow and recipient of IEEE-USA's Harry Diamond
Memorial Award for distinguished technical contributions in
the field of electrotechnology while in U.S. government
service.
more
Science Advisor Discusses Role of Science
in Obama
Administration
In May
14 testimony to the House Science and Technolocy Committee,
White House Science Advisor John Holdren outlined the
President's FY2010 budget request for science and
technology, the expanded role of the OSTP, and plans for the
space program.
more
Senate Hearing Examines Cybersecurity
and the Electrical Infrastructure
Hearing collected testimony on preliminary draft of proposed
legislation to enhance security of the electric grid's
control systems.
more
House
of Representatives Adopts Resolution
Celebrating IEEE's
125th Anniversary
Introduced by Rep. Clifford Stearns, an electrical engineer,
and co-sponsored by House Science Chairman Bart Gordon, the
measure calls attention to IEEE's "Engineering the Future"
Day celebration held on May 13.
more
[C-Span
Video] [How
Your Representative Voted]
White
House Announces Review of
NASA's Human Space Flight Plans
Norm Augustine will lead an independent panel of experts
charged to is to examine ongoing and planned NASA
development activities, as well as
potential alternatives, and present options for advancing a
safe, innovative, affordable, and sustainable human space
flight program in the years following Space Shuttle
retirement.
more
President Releases FY2010 Budget Request
Links
highlight overall themes and specific S&T agency requests:
CRS
Reports Highlight Hot Technology Issues
Prepared by the Congressional Research Service, CRS reports
help inform Members of Congress on issues of current
legislative concern. Selected topics of interest to
the S&T community include:
President Obama Gives Major S&T Address
In
remarks delivered to the National Academies at their Annual
meeting on April 27, President Obama called science "more
essential for our prosperity, our security, our health, and
our environment than it has ever been," and pledged major
investments -- 3 percent of the gross domestic product -- in
research and innovation.
Video
| Remarks
|
Fact Sheet | More
New Resource Page Tracks Recovery Act
S&T Funding Opportunities
The
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) appropriates
billions of dollars in federal support for civilian R&D,
energy-related research, development of the national Smart
Grid, broadband investments, and development of health IT
networks. To help IEEE members track these
opportunities, a new IEEE-USA resource page provides links
to funding notices and related news.
more
IEEE Student Members Tapped For WISE Internships
Milad
Alemohammad (Drexel University), Ian Hoffbeck (Calvin
College), and Stephen McGill (Univ. of Penn) have been
selected to participate in the Washington Internships for
Students of Engineering (WISE) 2009 summer program.
more
Congress Approves Major S&T Investments
in Economic Recovery Legislation
The
House-Senate compromise on the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act includes over $15 billion in R&D, plus
major investments in building the nation's SmartGrid and
broadband infrastructures.
more
House Resolution Honors Engineers
and Their Contributions
In a
celebratory
resolution for National Engineers Week, Congress pledges
to work with the engineering community "to make sure that
the creativity and contribution of that community can be
expressed through research, development, standardization,
and innovation."
more
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
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
Also
see IEEE-USA's
Eye on Washington
Updated:
28 June 2009
Contact: IEEE-USA GR
Webmaster
|
