IEEE-USA Eye on Washington, No. 5 2009

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Vol. 2009, No. 5 (9 April 2009)
125 Years of Innovation and Ingenuity

CAPITOL HILL ACTIVITY

After the Spring Recess: Appropriations

House hearing on Coordination of International Science Partnerships

House Approves Budget, Including Commitment to Science and Technology Funding

H-1B Visa Applications Slow; Debate Over Limits Continues; Obama Administration Makes Immigration Bill a Priority

By Investing in Engineering, Delaware Invests In its Future

NASA Inspector General Resigns

Some Recent, Interesting Legislation

EXECUTIVE ACTIVITY

Obama Names New Chair to FERC; NIST & EPRI to Develop SmartGrid Standards

New U.S. Trade Representative Says Office Will Be More Responsive

White House Initiates Plan to Fix Beleaguered Spy Satellite Programs

Legislation Would Federalize Cybersecurity

REPORTS & DOCUMENTS OF NOTE

U.S. STATES WATCH

AWARDS & GRANTS

USPTO Announces Call for Nominations for National Medal of Technology and Innovation

LATEST IEEE-USA & IEEE ACTIVITIES

IEEE Student Members Tapped For WISE Internships

IEEE-USA Energy Fly-In 15-16 June 2009

IEEE-USA Stimulus Webpage

IEEE-USA Workshop, "STEM Measures for Innovation and Competitiveness"

CAPITOL HILL ACTIVITY

After the Spring Recess: Appropriations

When Congress returns from its spring recess on April 20th, appropriators will begin hearings to draft the FY 2010 funding bills. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science - a key subcommittee for science funding, chaired by Alan Mollohan (D-WV), with Frank Wolf (R-VA) as the Ranking Member - plays a major role in determining the budgets for the NSF, NASA, and NIST. Both Mollohan and Wolf have been very supportive of increased science funding.

The subcommittee takes an interesting approach to S&T funding by holding a series of less traditional hearings early in the budget cycle. The hearings consist of more wide-ranging discussions between witnesses and the members. The first hearing (Science Overview) featured National Academy of Sciences President Ralph Cicerone. Former NASA Associate Administrator Lennard Fisk and the Associate Executive Director of the American Mathematical Society, Samuel Rankin appeared at the second hearing (The Place of NASA & the National Science Foundation in the Overall Science Enterprise). Norman Augustine, chairman of the committee responsible for the "Rising Above the Gathering Storm" report, appeared at the third hearing which focused on the S&T position of the U.S. in the three years since the National Academies first released the report.

Chairman Mollohan described the subcommittee's important and difficult responsibility to strike the right balance in the investment of tax dollars in competing government programs - within agencies, between different fields - and between research and education. In the hearings, Mollohan explored the following:

--Should there be an "endpoint" in the growth of science budgets?
--Should some types of research be emphasized over others, and should Congress make "essential facilities investments?"
--Should science agencies such as NASA (particularly its science program) and NOAA also receive significant budget increases?
--What are the likely impacts of the $3 billion given to NSF in the economic stimulus bill?
--Is conservatism "a defining characteristic of the peer review process?"
--Is it appropriate for the DOE Office of Science to fund basic research since that is the focus of NSF's mission?

Mollohan also asked a series of questions about the status of space biology and space physical sciences, and the consequences of fluctuating funding on researchers. Mollohan stated that NASA's aeronautics program "has been neglected" and that science has "become very much an international collaborative process," and he is interested in identifying and retaining students who go into science

House hearing on Coordination of International Science Partnerships

The House Science & Technology, Research and Science Education Subcommittee held a hearing on Coordination of International Science Partnerships. Last year the subcommittee held two hearings on the topic of international science and technology cooperation: one on the role of federal agencies, including the Office of Science and Technology Policy; and the second on the role of non-governmental organizations, including universities. Dr. Brian Baird (D-Wash.), Dr. Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.) and Mr. Russ Carnahan (D-MO) also hosted a roundtable and participated in a workshop on the subject which AAAS hosted.

Chairman Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill) stated in his opening statement, "I want to thank Dr. Baird for making international cooperation a priority for the Subcommittee. I concur with him that the new Administration gives us a tremendous opportunity and a fresh outlook for both science and foreign policy. We have a chance to take advantage of our preeminence in science and technology to strengthen diplomatic ties, help ensure that decision makers around the world have access to the best scientific advice, and leverage other country's resources to tackle common challenges in energy, climate, water resources and health." To read the hearing charter and see a list of witnesses as well as the questions that the hearing addressed, visit: http://democrats.science.house.gov/Media/File/Commdocs/hearings/2009/Research/24mar/Hearing_Charter.pdf

Related legislation includes:

HR 1736 - To provide for the establishment of a committee to identify and coordinate international science and technology cooperation that can strengthen the domestic science and technology enterprise and support United States foreign policy goals.

HR 1709 - To establish a committee under the National Science and Technology Council with the responsibility to coordinate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education activities and programs of all Federal agencies, and for other purposes.

House Approves Budget, Including Commitment to Science and Technology Funding

"I look forward to working with Chairman Spratt and the Administration to ensure we end up with a fiscally responsible budget that will put our nation back on track, especially creating—and keeping—jobs. Investments in science, technology, and education can help us restore our economic competitiveness by meeting our growing need for energy we produce at home, understanding and mitigating climate change, and ensuring that we have a both a workforce prepared for the jobs of the future and the good jobs for them to take." --Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN)

The House of Representatives approved H.Con.Res.85, setting budget levels for FY 2010 through 2014. Passage was divided along party lines, all republicans voted against the resolution.

"The funding outlined in the budget resolution will give Congress the ability to keep the promises that it made in the America COMPETES Act, as well as provide NASA the support it needs to fulfill the missions the nation has asked of it," said Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN). Budget levels for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and Department of Energy Office of Science are included along with:

--a deficit-neutral reserve fund for increasing energy independence - including investment new energy technologies and training of workers for "green collar" jobs; and

--a focus on promoting American innovation and economic competitiveness, which read that the "House should provide sufficient investments to enable our Nation to continue to be the world leader in education, innovation, and economic growth as envisioned in the goals of the America COMPETES Act."

Chairman Gordon also submitted written testimony to the House Appropriations Committee Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittee on FY10 Appropriations funding.

H-1B Visa Applications Slow; Debate Over Limits Continues; Obama Administration Makes Immigration Bill a Priority

Every April 1st, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS, formerly known as the INS) begins accepting applications for H-1B visas, the category of immigrant visas supposedly reserved for highly skilled workers and valid for six years. Only 65,000 are available each fiscal year, an additional 20,000 are reserved for applicants with a master's degree or more from a U.S. college or university. In the past, USCIS has been deluged with applications exceeding these caps within the first few filing days. Not this time. During the first five-days of the 2009 filing period, USCIS received application petitions for about half of the 65,000 regular H-1B visas available for FY 2010. Applications fell just shy of the 20,000-cap for H-1B applicants with advanced degrees.

While the numbers show a drop from years past, both proponents and critics of the H-1B program warn that the early figures do not suggest that the cap is appropriate. Lawmakers have perennially argued over whether to raise the level of available H-1B visas. The current level was set in 2004. A series of bills from past Congresses attempted to either permanently or temporarily restore the previous 195,000-visa quota. Bills to raise the cap are almost absent this year, save for one (HR 1791) by Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) which exempts foreigners with doctoral degrees from U.S. institutions from the H-1B cap, provided that the degree is in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics field.

In general, the 111th Congress has moved in the opposite direction on H-1Bs. To protect American jobs, they approved language as part of the economic stimulus measure (PL 111-5) that restricts the ability of any company receiving government funds under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to hire H-1Bs. Critics of the program say that the political climate, and the lower number of early applicants, are cause to restrict the program even further.

"This is a sign that there is no need for the H-1B workers this year," said Kim Berry, president of the Programmers Guild, which has campaigned against the H-1B program. But supporters of the program say it's way too soon to be casting final judgment on demand for the visas — or the potential benefit they could provide to recovery efforts.

"Even though we're filing less, we could still reach the cap levels," said Rebecca Peters, director of legislative affairs at the American Council on International Personnel, which supports an expansion of the H-1B program. "We're trying to recover and meet President Obama's call to create 4 to 5 million jobs over the next three years like energy, health care, and education – that's going to require H-1B talent."

Lawmakers are not convinced. Senators Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) are expected to reintroduce a bill after the Easter recess to combat fraudulent hiring practices and ensure that employers adhere to obligations that they pay equal wages and advertise all jobs to American workers first. That's probably enough, some experts say, to settle the cap debate once and for all.

"My guess is we wouldn't come close to hitting the cap if you did all these things," said former IEEE-USA Vice President for Career Activities and current assistant professor of public policy at Rochester Institute of Technology Ron Hira. Hira, who authored the book Outsourcing America, said, "I think half the H-1Bs wouldn't pass muster."

Whatever Congress does this year, according to administration officials Obama plans to speak publicly about immigration in May and will convene working groups over the summer, including lawmakers from both parties and a range of immigration groups, to discuss possible legislation for this fall. Obama would like to address the addressing the U.S. immigration system, including looking for a path for illegal immigrants to become legal.

IEEE-USA has long held that the U.S. needs balanced immigration reform. Both immigrant and non-immigrant admissions programs are needed to help U.S. employers and U.S. workers compete and be successful in "knowledge-based, technology-driven global markets. Instead of increasing our national dependence on temporary visa programs, IEEE-USA recommends that permanent (immigrant) admissions programs be the preferred source of supply for professionals in science, technology,
engineering and math (STEM) fields who may be needed to satisfy labor market demands that cannot be met through enhanced education and training opportunities for American workers." Read our full position statement here: http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/positions/Immigration0607.pdf

By Investing in Engineering, Delaware Invests In its Future

Senator Edward Kaufman (D-Del.) would like to raise awareness about the role that engineers and scientists play in improving the quality of life in the United States. A recent article highlights some of the ways that Delaware is investing in engineers and scientists. A new study from the Manufacturing Institute identifies Delaware as one of the most innovative states in the U.S. The authors lsit Delaware high in part because of the quality of the workforce and because of education -- two key drivers of innovation. Read, "By Investing in Engineering, Delaware Invests in Its Future." Kaufmann holds the belief that we must place a greater emphasis on the role of engineers, scientists, and innovation in our economy.

NASA Inspector General Resigns

The NASA Inspector General Robert Cobb sent a letter to President Obama resigning from his post, effective April 11th. Committee on Science & Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) said, "Mr. Cobb was not up to the job. But the end result can't just be the removal of an ineffectual IG. We need to put in place a strong IG. NASA is too important an agency, with too important a mission, to risk letting waste and abuse run rampant due to lax oversight."

"This is an opportunity for President Obama to return NASA to its original mission, to make it the 'right stuff' agency again," said Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Brad Miller (D-NC). "A scientific agency should not be political in the way NASA became in the last eight years."

The Committee first called for the removal of Mr. Cobb in 2007. Chairmen Gordon and Miller sent a letter to President Obama in February asking him to 'ensure Mr. Cobb's expeditious removal and replacement with an inspector general who can rebuild the NASA OIG [Office of the Inspector General] into the highly competent, thorough, and independent operation that both NASA and the American taxpayer deserve."

Some Recent, Interesting Legislation

HR 1730 - Sponsor: McNerney, Jerry (D-Calif.)
Official Title: A bill to amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 with respect to electric vehicle infrastructure.

S 679 - Sponsor: Collins, Susan (R-Maine)
Official Title: A bill to establish a research, development, demonstration and commercial application program to promote research of appropriate technologies for heavy duty plug-in hybrid vehicles, and for other purposes.

HR 1709 - Sponsor: Gordon, Bart (D-Tenn.)
Official Title: A bill to establish a committee under the National Science and Technology Council with the responsibility to coordinate science, technology, engineering and mathematics education activities and programs of all federal agencies, and for other purposes.

H.R.1775 - Sponsor: Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.)
Official Title: To provide support to develop career and technical education programs of study and facilities in the areas of renewable energy.

IEEE-USA's policy committees are reviewing these and other new bills, and will provide input to the sponsors consistent with our public policy position statements.

EXECUTIVE ACTIVITY

Obama Names New Chair to FERC; NIST & EPRI to Develop SmartGrid Standards

Jon Wellinghof is now the chairman of the the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He says that he will focus on increasing the amount of energy produced from renewables, and upgrading the electricity grid.

As part of the Obama Administration's commitment to moving the nation toward energy independence, NIST has contracted with the Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (EPRI) to help it develop an interim "roadmap" for determining the architecture and initial key standards for an electric power Smart Grid.

The planned Smart Grid is a nationwide network that uses information technology to deliver electricity efficiently, reliably and securely. To facilitate progress toward a modernized electric-power system that is cleaner, more resilient and accommodates alternative sources of energy, Congress assigned NIST "primary responsibility to coordinate development of a framework that includes protocols and model standards for information management to achieve interoperability of Smart Grid devices and systems."

EPRI will assist in identifying issues and priorities for developing permanent interoperability standards. Headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, EPRI is an independent, nonprofit, noncommercial organization that conducts research and development relating to the generation, delivery and use of electricity.

"The Smart Grid is a cornerstone of national efforts to achieve energy independence, save consumers money and curb greenhouse gas emissions," said NIST Deputy Director Patrick Gallagher. "This contract is a significant step in the urgent effort to identify and develop standards that will ensure a reliable and robust Smart Grid."

EPRI also will support consensus-building activities that will provide the basis for the initial slate of Smart Grid standards. NIST will soon announce a three-phase plan that will result in an end-of-year submission for approval of standards to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which has jurisdiction over interstate distribution and sales of electric power.

New U.S. Trade Representative Says Office Will Be More Responsive

The U.S. top trade negotiator pledged "enhanced" and quicker enforcement of U.S. rules in trade disputes with foreign countries — a promise aimed in part at lawmakers who have criticized the office in the past. A day after imposing duties on Canadian softwood lumber imports, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk (and former Dallas mayor) said in a speech at Howard University that the use of trade laws to address disputes does little "if it takes three, four, five years for that to work through the system." During the Bush administration, members of Congress complained that the chief trade negotiator's office took too long to deal with disputes U.S. companies had with their international competitors.

Kirk said his office would undertake an "enhanced focus on enforcing our existing laws," and that the administration would ask the World Trade Organization to intervene in disputes as a "last resort." Nonetheless, Kirk said the administration will "not retreat" from global trade, and stressed how important it is to the U.S. economy, particularly in job creation.

White House Initiates Plan to Fix Beleaguered Spy Satellite Programs

Obama signed off on a joint Pentagon and intelligence community plan for next-generation spy satellites. The mostly classified plan would include new, redesigned "electro-optical" satellites, which collect data from across the electromagnetic spectrum, as well as the expanded use of commercial satellite imagery. Although the cost is classified, most estimates place it in the multibillion-dollar range. U.S. spy satellite programs have been bedeviled by disputes in Congress, escalating costs, missed deadlines, and technological foibles.

"Our proposal is an integrated, sustainable approach based on cost, feasibility and timeliness that meets the needs of our country now and puts in place a system to ensure that we will not have imagery gaps in the future," National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair said in a news release. If Congress agrees to fund the plan, its implementation would begin in the coming months and be complete in about a decade.

Legislation Would Federalize Cybersecurity

The Senate looking to increase U.S. defenses against cyberattacks by crafting proposals to empower the government to set and enforce security standards for private industry for the first time. New legislation will broaden the focus of U.S. cybersecurity efforts to include not only military networks but also private systems that control essentials such as electricity and water distribution. At the same time, the bill would add regulatory teeth to ensure industry compliance with the rules.

Co-sponsors, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), drafted a bill with White House input. While the White House indicated it supported some key concepts of the bill, there has been no official endorsement. Many of the proposals are based on recommendations of 2008 study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Currently, government responsibility for cybersecurity is split: The Pentagon and the National Security Agency safeguard military networks, while the Department of Homeland Security provides assistance to private networks. Previous cybersecurity initiatives have largely concentrated on reducing the vulnerability of government and military computers to hackers. A 60-day federal review of the nation's defenses against computer-based attack is already underway, and the administration has signaled its intention to incorporate private industry into those defenses in an unprecedented way.

Addressing what intelligence officials describe as a gaping vulnerability, new legislation (S.778) also calls for the appointment of a White House cybersecurity "czar" with unprecedented authority to shut down computer networks, including private ones, if a cyberattack is underway. Jim Dempsey, vice president for public policy at the Center for Democracy and Technology, which represents private companies and civil liberties advocates, said that mandatory standards have long been the "third rail of cybersecurity policy." Dempsey said regulation could also stifle creativity by forcing companies to adopt a uniform approach.

REPORTS & DOCUMENTS OF NOTE

National Academies Press

Partnerships for Emerging Research Institutions: Report of a Workshop - Constituting one-third of all U.S. institutions of higher education, emerging research institutions (ERIs) are crucial to sustaining the nation's technological competitiveness through innovation and workforce development.

An Assessment of the Small Business Innovation Research Program at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is one of the largest examples of U.S. public-private partnerships. Founded in 1982, SBIR was designed to encourage small business to develop new processes and products and to provide quality research in support of the many missions of the U.S. government, including health, energy, the environment, and national defense. In response to a request from the U.S. Congress, the National Research Council assessed SBIR as administered by the five federal agencies that together make up 96 percent of program expenditures. This book, one of six in the series, reports on the SBIR program at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and finds that the program is making significant progress in achieving the Congressional goals for the program. Keeping in mind NASA's unique mission and the recent significant changes to the program, the committee found the SBIR program to be sound in concept and effective in practice at NASA. The book recommends programmatic changes that should make the SBIR program even more effective in achieving its legislative goals.

National Science Foundation

NSF GRADUATE STEM FELLOWS IN K-12 EDUCATION (GK-12): This program provides funding for graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines to bring their leading research practice and findings into K-12 learning settings. Through collaborations with other graduate fellows and faculty from STEM disciplines, teachers and students in K-12 environments, and community partners, graduate students can gain a deeper understanding of their own research and place it within a societal and global context. The GK-12 program provides an opportunity for graduate students to acquire value-added skills, such as communicating STEM subjects to technical and non-technical audiences, leadership, team building, and teaching while enriching STEM learning and instruction in K-12 settings. This unique experience will add value to the training of U.S. graduate students and will energize and prepare the students for a broad range of STEM careers in a competitive globalized marketplace. Furthermore, the GK-12 program provides institutions of higher education with an opportunity to transform the conventional graduate education by infusing and sustaining GK-12 like activities in their graduate programs.

Government Accountability Office

3 APR: GAO Announces Appointments to Health Information Technology Policy Committee - Gene Dodaro, Acting Comptroller General of the United States and head of the GAO announced the appointment of 13 members to the Health Information Technology Policy Committee, a new advisory body established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The committee will make recommendations on creating a policy framework for the development and adoption of a nationwide health information technology infrastructure, including standards for the exchange of patient medical information.

Climate Change: Observations on Federal Efforts to Adapt to a Changing Climate GAO-09-534T March 25, 2009 Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 14 pages)

Clean Coal: DOE Should Prepare a Comprehensive Analysis of the Relative Costs, Benefits, and Risks of a Range of Options for FutureGen GAO-09-465T March 11, 2009 Summary (HTML) Full Report (PDF, 9 pages)

2010 Census: Communications Campaign Has Potential to Boost Participation GAO-09-525T March 23, 2009 Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 18 pages)

Challenges Facing the New Administration and the 111th Congress GAO-09-510CG March 12, 2009

Information Technology: Census Bureau Testing of 2010 Decennial Systems Can Be Strengthened GAO-09-262 March 5, 2009 Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 39 pages)

Information Security: Securities and Exchange Commission Needs to Consistently Implement Effective Controls GAO-09-203March 16, 2009 Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 27 pages)

Information Technology: Challenges Remain for VA's Sharing of Electronic Health Records with DOD GAO-09-427T March 12, 2009 Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 18 pages)

National Cybersecurity Strategy: Key Improvements Are Needed to Strengthen the Nation's Posture GAO-09-432T March 10, 2009 Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 18 pages)

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: GAO's Role in Helping to Ensure Accountability and Transparency for Science Funding GAO-09-515T March 19, 2009 Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 12 pages)

NASA: Projects Need More Disciplined Oversight and Management to Address Key Challenges GAO-09-436T March 5, 2009 Summary (HTML) Full Report (PDF, 7 pages)

NASA: Assessments of Selected Large-Scale Projects GAO-09-306SP March 2, 2009 Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 78 pages)

US STATES ACTIVITIES

If you like to keep up with what's going on in state politics, StateLine.org provides a good overview of the activities in all 50 state legislatures.

AWARDS & GRANTS

AAAS GrantsNet Express - A weekly American Association for the Advancement of Science listing of science funding opportunities from private foundations and organizations, and new U.S. government grant announcements in the sciences. AAAS will send GrantsNet by e-mail to AAAS member subscribers.

Grants.gov - The President's 2002 Fiscal Year Management Agenda established grants.gov as a central storehouse for information on over 1,000 grant programs. The site provides access to approximately $400 billion in annual awards. Most agencies, such as the DOE's Office of Science, use only grants.gov to list all funding opportunities. Other funding opportunities of interest include the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and NASA.

National Science Foundation - For information on all NSF Engineering Active Funding Opportunities, visit: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_list.jsp?org=ENG

USPTO Announces Call for Nominations for National Medal of Technology and Innovation

Nominations Also Now Accepted for Medal Nomination Evaluation Committee - The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is seeking nominations for the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. The Medal, presented each year by the President of the United States, is the nation's highest honor for technological achievement. The nominations can be made for an individual, a team of up to four individuals, a company or a division of a company. The honorees are selected for their outstanding contributions to the nation's economic, environmental and social well-being through the development and commercialization of technological products, processes and concepts; technological innovation; and development of the Nation's technological manpower. The deadline for nominations is 29 May 2009. To make a nomination, go to http://www.uspto.gov/nmti/.

LATEST IEEE-USA & IEEE ACTIVITIES

IEEE-USA In The News

Public Policy Priority Issues - 111th Congress, 1st Session (2009)

Position Statements - IEEE-USA position statements identify important technical and/or engineering career-related aspects of specific public policy issues deemed to be of concern or affecting IEEE's U.S. members. The statements make specific public policy recommendations and provide recommended approaches for the consideration of the U.S. Congress, Executive Branch officials, the Judiciary, representatives of State and Local Government, and other interested groups and individuals, including IEEE members.

Recent Policy Communications

6 APR: Coalition letter to President Obama expressing support for continued strong investments in federal S&T programs, including those at NIST and DoD basic research.

1 APR: IEEE-USA, along with 200 companies and associations (large and small), co-signed a letter to President Obama calling for easier and more affordable access to high quality health care. IEEE-USA was included among the signatories as a result of continuing staff participation in the activities of the Washington-based Small Business Coalition for Affordable Health Care.

31 MAR: Letter to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee forwarding IEEE-USA's national energy policy recommendations.

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.

IEEE-USA Energy Fly-In 15-16 June 2009

IEEE-USA invites any IEEE member with an interest in Energy Policy to come to Washington on 15 and 16 June for our First Annual Energy Fly-In. This unique event will give IEEE members an unparalleled opportunity to directly influence the direction of Energy Policy in Washington. Qualifications for participation in the IEEE-USA Energy Fly-In are as follows: You must live in the United States and be an IEEE member, and you must care about energy policy issues.

IEEE-USA Stimulus Webpage -The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) (Public Law 111-8) appropriates significant federal funding for technology-related programs in areas identified by IEEE-USA as being of high priority for strengthening the nation's innovation infrastructure and ensuring its long-term economic competitiveness. To stimulate the economy, funds are being distributed as quickly as possible, using existing federal programs as funding outlets where possible. This webpage provides information and links on these funding opportunities as a resource for IEEE members and their companies. Additional information is available on-line at Recovery.Gov. Members should also look to funds distributed through their respective state governments

IEEE-USA Workshop, "STEM Measures for Innovation and Competitiveness" - IEEE-USA is organizing a workshop, "STEM Measures for Innovation and Competitiveness," at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. (Thursday & Friday, 22-23 October 2009). We encourage experts in these areas to participate and submit papers for presentation. The science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) enterprise includes
the research & development (R&D) activities of the federal, academic and private sectors, both nationally and globally. It is accepted as the driving force for worldwide economic and social advancement. National policies and planning influencing the health and productivity of this enterprise should be derived from basic incorruptible, unbiased data and measures.

Some of the questions we wish to address include:

* Is the workforce data on the number of workers that are employed, unemployed and underemployed
complete, nonexistent, or questionable and controversial?

* Should earmarks in any federal agency allotment be counted as part of the R&D budget? What is the amount of the industrial input to the R&D budget and its contribution to basic, applied and develop-mental research? What are the return on investment of R&D and its impact on society and quality of life?

* How can we measure and assess the STEM outcome/productivity? Is bibliometric data sufficient to measure this, both in quantity and quality? What data exists to follow interactions among federal, academic and private STEM entities?

* Finally, can there be a federal, for-profit, non-profit or academic body that can produce unbiased reports and recommendations for national STEM enterprise policy employing the products mentioned above?

The IEEE-USA STEM workshop is constructed and organized to address these important questions and work toward viable solutions. We believe STEM policy should be based on arguments fully supported by concrete data and rigorous analysis.

Former IEEE-USA Government Fellows Available to Speak to Sections - Several former IEEE-USA Congressional Fellows including Tom Fagan, Marty Sokoloski, Emily Sopensky and George Hanover are available to speak to your section meetings or other IEEE meetings in the United States. The fellows provide recounts of their experiences as IEEE-USA's Congressional and State Department fellows. For example, George Hanover discussed the innovation and competitiveness issues that he worked on while serving as an IEEE-USA congressional fellow on the staff of the Environment, Technology and Standards Subcommittee of the House Science Committee. George also served on the personal staff of Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), a member of the House Science Committee. George discussed an engineer's perspective on the "government process" and the IEEE-USA's involvement in that process. If your section is interested in having one of the former government fellows speak to your group about the program, how the legislative process works in Washington, and how IEEE-USA is influencing it, please contact Erica Wissolik at e. wissolik @ ieee. org. For more information on the IEEE-USA Government Fellows Program, please visit: http://ieeeusa.org/policy/govfel/default.asp

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What's New @ IEEE-USA's Eye on Washington highlights important federal legislative and regulatory developments that affect U.S. engineers and their careers. In addition to this biweekly newsletter, subscribers receive legislative bulletins and action alerts on IEEE-USA priority issues, including: retirement security, employment benefits, research & development funding, computers and information policy, immigration reform, intellectual property protection and privacy of health/medical information.

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