What's
New @ IEEE-USA - Eye On Washington
Vol. 2006, No. 2 ( 30 January 2006)
This newsletter includes:
1)
CAPITOL HILL WATCH
-
365 Days in A Year? Not if You're A Member of
Congress
-
Senators File Bipartisan Bill Package to Boost U.S.
Competitiveness
-
The Future of the R&D Tax Credit??
-
Communications Bills Expected To Move This Year
2) WHITE HOUSE & EXECUTIVE
AGENCY WATCH
3) REPORTS, SPEECHES &
DOCUMENTS OF NOTE
-
Survey Finds That American Voters Understand That STEM
Education = Competitiveness
-
Lemelson-MIT: Teens and Innovation
-
Public Opinion on America’s Innovation Future
4) U.S. COURTS ACTIVITY
5) U.S. STATES WATCH
-
What's Your Governor Saying About Jobs, Innovation, the Economy…?
6) AWARDS & GRANTS
7) CONFERENCES, FELLOWSHIPS,
PROGRAMS & INTERNSHIPS FOR ENGINEERS, and STUDENTS and
SCHOLARS OF ENGINEERING
- WISE Program Seeks
Senior Science & Technology Public Policy Advisor to
Engineering Students (Nine Week Summer Position)
8) LATEST IEEE-USA ACTIVITIES
-
Track IEEE-USA's
Progress
- Mark Your Calendar
for Congressional Visits Day
9) U.S. COMPETITIVENESS & INNOVATION:
WHO'S DOING WHAT TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE?
10) OTHER ITEMS OF POSSIBLE
INTEREST
1) CAPITOL HILL WATCH
-
365 Days in A Year? Not if You're A Member of
Congress
This is an election year. I promise to not continually
remind you of that, but the reality is that this fact will
affect everything Congress tries to do in 2006. And it can't
be ignored; the election compresses the entire year. Both
the House and the Senate have set a target adjournment date
of 6 October. That gives them six months to do their stuff
before the heat of the campaigns and elections (might) turn
many of them into lame-ducks. Election Day occurs on
Tuesday, 7 November, and losing an election would mean
little influence during those last two months in office.
Getting anything done
in the available six months seems a
pipe dream when you consider that holidays and recess
will whittle that time down to about only 60 days that can
be devoted to legislative business. But, wait. You must also
delete Mondays and Fridays from the count. Members like to
travel back to their districts over the weekends and have
made a habit out of not working on Mondays and Fridays.
It all makes one wonder, what's happened
to our professional full-time legislature? With less than 60 days, how can they
be sure to accomplish the usual complex and contentious items, such as the U.S.
budget? House and Senate appropriators expect an aggressive schedule, beginning
budget markups in May in the House and June in the Senate, and aiming to
complete the appropriations bills individually. But much depends on GOP leaders'
floor agenda.
Before tackling issues and laying out an election year agenda, Senate Majority
Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) plans to hold closed-door Republican Conference
meetings to assess his party's pulse. Once thing is for sure, the lobbying
reform legislation – a result of the shenanigans of Washington lobbyist Jack
Abramoff – will take center stage for now. Following a vote on that issue,
Congressional hopes include:
-- The Senate turning to the FY 2007
budget resolution in late March or early April.
-- Immigration and border security - A
top priority for the President, but an issue that has divided the Republican
Conference.
-- U.S. competitiveness - The leaders
would also like to address the country's lagging competitiveness with other
countries by boosting education initiative, changing tax policies and
investing in R&D. Click here
for information on the first big 2006 bills on this issue.
--Health care reform - The new Medicare
prescription drug benefit suffered a rocky start earlier this month, but GOP
leaders plan to dive right back into health care reform and promote
market-oriented proposals designed to rein in soaring insurance costs for
employers and the federal government while boosting the number of Americans
with some type of health coverage. Additional proposals will likely include
expanded tax breaks for individuals purchasing health insurance, deductions
for taxpayers who buy their own coverage and an expansion of tax incentives
for health savings accounts (HSAs), which allow consumers who purchase
high-deductible health plans to set aside pre-tax dollars to cover their
routine health care costs. Getting this type of legislation through Congress
in '06 could prove difficult since they are still being called upon to
reduce the deficit.
--Proposals to accelerate the use of
computerized medical records - Senator Frist and Hillary Rodham Clinton
(D-NY) pushed a 2005 bill (S 1418)
encouraging the standardization and widespread use of electronic medical
records. In the House, similar legislation (HR 4157)
is a priority for Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.) Nathan Deal (R-Ga.).
--Energy prices -- Senate Energy and
Natural Resources Chairman Pete Domenici said that congressional concern
over Iran and high energy prices might prompt legislation aimed at improving
energy independence and reducing global warming -- except that election-year
pressures could get in the way. "If this was a regular year, I would say
this would be a really exciting energy year. Three hearings will be held on
energy independence that will highlight energy prices and Iran's threats to
withhold its oil from global markets. Domenici is also optimistic about a
renewed effort to authorize oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge. "We've got to find a way to take one more shot at that," he
said. The provision was dropped from the FY06 budget reconciliation bill in
the face of opposition from moderate Republicans and Democrats.
Now we know only that the rest of January
and early February will see the debate and vote on Supreme Court nominee Samuel
Alito in the Senate, and debate over the extension of the USA PATRIOT Act and
the tax reconciliation package. In early February, the Senate is scheduled to
spend two weeks debating and voting on legislation to change asbestos litigation
rules.
The appropriations measures could eat up
most of June and July before senators leave town for a month-long August recess.
At the same time as all this is going on, Cngress will be faced with
supplemental requests – additional funding for unseen needs - for military
operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, foreign aid and post-hurricane Gulf Coast
rebuilding.
-
Senators File Bipartisan Bill
Package to Boost U.S.
Competitiveness
25 JAN: Senators Pete Domenici (R-NM), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM),
Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), and Barbara Mikulski (D-Md),
introduced a package of three bills aimed at helping
America maintain its leading edge in science and technology.
The package, entitled the Protect
America's Competitive Edge Act (PACE)
implements 20 recommendations contained
in a recent report by the National
Academy of Science titled "Rising Above
the Gathering Storm." Provisions will
include doubling federal funding for
basic research; competitive, merit-based
scholarships for future math and science
teachers; visa reform for foreign
science and mathematics students; and an
extension of the research and
development tax credit.
Domenici, Bingaman and Alexander met
with the President in December to urge
him to consider ways to implement the
NAS recommendations in the
Administration's budget. White House
Chief of Staff Andrew Card said he read
the report and found it compelling.
"We are taking a very close look at it
in the Administration," he said. "We are
very forward leaning in believing it is
the right issue to address."
"Mr. Card is right. This is the right
issue and now is the time. We intend the
bipartisan bills we will introduce next
week to compliment budgetary efforts by
the Administration. I expect at least
one of these bills to be referred to my
committee and plan on a prompt hearing
and swift mark-up," Domenici said.
"It's clear that the president and his
advisors share our concern about the
prospects of losing our competitive edge
in the global economy. It's my
hope that the administration's budget
reflects this concern by making a
significant increase in our nation's
investment in science and technology,"
Bingaman said.
"The White House's interest in the
Augustine Report is very good news,"
Alexander said. "My hope is that the
President makes keeping America's
brainpower advantage a focus of his
State of the Union message and of his
three remaining years in office. This is
the way to keep America on top."
"A country that doesn't innovate, stagnates. I am
pleased to see movement at all levels of our government
to support these important initiatives," Mikulski said.
The NAS report,
compiled at the request of Senators Bingaman and
Alexander, concludes the United States' world economic
leadership will erode in the coming years if the United
States doesn't proactively seek to improve the
scientific and technological expertise of its workforce.
Read a Section-by-Section summary of the PACE bills
here.
-
The Future of the R&D Tax Credit??
Congress is again deciding on the
future of the R&D tax credit. Since its creation, the credit
– based on the belief that federal subsidies for research
will spur innovation that companies will not otherwise
pursue because the market does not reward innovative
research – has been renewed 10 times. Congress is poised to
pass another one-year extension. Also, a bipartisan Senate
group has proposed doubling the percentage of research costs
covered by the credit.
But some feel the tax credit needs reform,
not just an extension. The R&D Tax Credit Coalition lists members as diverse as
a maker of golf equipment, Jim Beam, and Playmotion Inc., which exists so that "as
many humans as possible can experience the magical wonder of play."
Maybe excluding
fun from our federal S&T dollars would seem mean. And tax policymakers don't
like to judge the worthiness of business activity based on the resulting
societal benefits. Besides, fun is a necessary part of a quality life. But
when Hewlett-Packard, Monsanto, Raytheon, Northup Grumman, and General Motors
must join forces in a
coalition to win congressional
backing for the "alternative simplified credit," because, as they complain,
they can't benefit from the regular R&D credit because of the way the credit is
structured, one must wonder.
Lawmakers designed the credit to spur spending on
innovative research, not to reward them for research
they would undertake even without the credit. So they
created a base period of 1984-1988. The tax credit
reimburses companies for 20 percent of qualified
research expenditures they incur above their research
spending level over that base period.
That base period is
particularly unfavorable to defense contractors, since
it coincides with the peak of the defense buildup under
former President Reagan. Industry officials say current
procurement levels do not support the level of research
that would be needed to qualify for the regular credit.
You will likely hear
debate over whether the federal government is spending
enough to foster research and development in the United
States, especially in the face of mounting global
competition and our slipping innovative edge. This would
raise the reform question which could be answered by a
plan to focus federal dollars on basic and applied
research rather than product development. That would
make funding the expensive credit more palatable to
those who want the U.S. to regain its innovative edge.
You will also hear manufacturers and high-tech firms
once again bemoan the constant, one-year cycle of
renewing the R&D credit, which they say creates
uncertainty for business. They will most likely call for
permanency. IEEE-USA did. Read
IEEE-USA's new position statement on the tax credit.
-
Communications Bills Expected To Move This Year
Telecom rewrite:House
Energy and Commerce Committee lawmakers are negotiating
a third draft of a telecom bill. Contentious issues include:
"network neutrality," which prohibits blocking or impeding
competitors on high-speed networks; telecom interconnection
standards; and franchise fees for telecom firms offering
video. The committee anticipates the third and final draft
early this year.
Digital television: The House votes Feb. 1 on
legislation to end analog broadcasts Feb. 17, 2009,
ushering in the DTV era. The measure would let the
government spend $1.5 billion to subsidize boxes for
converting digital signals to be viewed on analog sets.
Senate Commerce also will consider legislation to
mandate anti-piracy technology for DTV devices.
Universal service: Draft legislation in the Senate is
being finalized to overhaul the $7.1 billion universal
service fund that lowers phone costs in rural and
low-income areas. The measure, to be introduced this
month or in February, aims to strengthen and expand the
program. Another Senate bill also aims to bolster the
fund.
Two other Senate
bills also aim to reform USF. One would halve the fund,
while the other would permanently exempt USF from
government accounting rules that bar federal agencies
from spending unbudgeted funds without congressional
authorization. USF is operating under an exemption to
the accounting rules that expires in December. A House
companion bill also would make the exemption permanent.
A comprehensive USF
bill on the House side is planned for next month. And
Energy and Commerce Chairman Joe Barton (R-Tex.) may
draft a bill that, among other things, would revamp the
fraud-plagued $2.25 billion e-rate portion of the fund,
which lowers Internet connection costs for schools and
libraries.
Indecency: Senate
Commerce Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Ak.) has floated draft
legislation, already approved by the House, to raise
"indecency" penalties for broadcasters. But Stevens
recently said the penalties would be too strict and
faulted the draft for not tackling cable TV indecency. A
pending Senate measure aims to curb indecent and violent
broadcast programming, and another one would impose a
$500,000-a-day fine on cable operators who fail to
provide family-friendly programming tiers.
Video franchising:
Senator John Ensign (R-Nev.) hopes his legislation to
let the Bells and other video providers obtain
nationwide franchises will be woven into broader
legislation envisioned by Stevens. A related Senate bill
and a House companion measure would exempt video
providers from obtaining local franchises while still
requiring franchise fees.
E911: Senate
legislation filed last spring would require "enhanced
911," or E911, capability for Internet telephone
customers. A House counterpart also is pending. But
provisions allowing companies to seek waivers for up to
four years prompted Senator John (Jay) Rockefeller
(D-W.Va.) to block action in late 2005.
Internet telephony:
In 2004, House and Senate companion bills that would
largely shelter Internet telephony from regulation
spawned debate on telecom reform.
Cellular phone records: Senate legislation introduced
earlier this month would prohibit the resale of
customers' cell-phone records. At least two related
House bills are planned, thanks in large part to recent,
high-profile news about sales of such records.
(Source: National Journal)
S. 2196 (Clinton - D-NY) The “Advanced Research
Projects Energy Act (ARPA-E) Act - To authorize the
Secretary of Energy to establish the position of Assistant
Secretary for Advanced Energy Research, Technology
Development, and Deployment to implement an innovative
energy research, technology development, and deployment
program. The “Advanced Research Projects Energy Act (ARPA-E)
Act.
Protecting America's Competitive Edge Acts 2006 (S.
2197,
S. 2198 and
S. 2199 - referred to from
now on as the PACE Acts.
1) Protecting America's Competitive Edge through Energy
(PACE-Energy)
2) Protecting America's Competitive Edge through
Education and Research (PACE- Education)
3) Protecting America's Competitive Edge through Tax
Incentives (PACE-Tax)
-
Section-by-Section Summary
-
Senate Press Release
2) WHITE HOUSE & EXECUTIVE AGENCY
WATCH
On Tuesday, January 31, the President delivers his annual
State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress.
Following the speech, there will be a Democratic response
given by the newly-sworn governor of Virginia, Tim Kaine.
Transcripts will be made available at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/president/ and at
http://www.c-span.org/executive/stateoftheunion.asp.
3)
REPORTS, SPEECHES & DOCUMENTS OF
NOTE
-
Survey Finds That American Voters Understand That STEM
Education = Competitiveness
12 JAN:
The Business Roundtable released research telling us that
Americans increasingly recognize that our status as the
world's economic superpower is threatened. After four
months of focus groups, interviews with opinion leaders and
three national voter polls,
the roundtable concluded there is widespread public
recognition of the growing competitiveness crisis in this
country and strong national support for policies designed to
strengthen America’s capabilities in mathematics and
science.
The roundtable,
comprised of CEOs of roughly 160 leading U.S. corporations,
places considerable emphasis in its policy recommendations
on encouraging today's young people to pursue careers
drawing on math and science skills -- areas in which the
U.S. is seen to be slipping internationally. The findings
also encourage increased federal support for science and
technology, specifically basic research, but to a lesser
degree.
More Americans believe China will be the world's greatest
economic power in 20-30 years -- when children born today
are beginning their professional careers. Only 26 percent of
the surveyed opinion leaders and 32 percent of voters
thought the U.S. would still hold this distinction. Those
opinion leaders and voters selecting China for the answer
numbered 39 percent and 45 percent, respectively.
Nearly two-thirds of voters believed secondary education was
failing to prepare graduates for the demands of college and
the working world, and 86 percent agreed that the country
must increase the number of workers with a background in
science and math, else America’s ability to compete in the
world economy will be severely diminished.
Only 5 percent of
parents said they would try to persuade their child toward
careers in science, technology, engineering or math, while
65 percent said they would allow the child to pursue
whatever career path he or she prefers. Twenty-seven percent
said they would encourage the child to pursue a science,
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) career, but
balance it with the child’s preference.
If American-born
residents of the U.S. are not going to be future scientists
and engineers, then the need to attract highly-skilled
foreign-born workers would seem to be an appropriate
priority. But again, the public is split, with 44 percent of
voters positive and 40 percent negative. Sixty-eight percent
of opinion leaders, on the other hand, see highly educated
foreign-born workers in the U.S. as positive contributors to
U.S. competitiveness.
The roundtable
concludes, "Americans know that the U.S. risks falling
behind and understand the relationship between education and
competitiveness. They support an increased emphasis on
improving science, technology, engineering and math
education and recognize the need to increase the number of
workers with a background in these fields. However, most
Americans do not intuitively link education, immigration and
basic research as connected parts of the overall solution."
To view a summary of
the research findings,
click here.
To view a copy of the research presentation,
click here.
To view a copy of the surveys,
click here.
-
Lemelson-MIT: Teens and Innovation
American teenagers are optimistic about the power of
technology and innovation to help solve pressing world
problems. That’s one take-away from a new survey of American
teenagers, sponsored by the Lemelson-MIT program. They are
also optimistic about their own abilities to thrive in the
current marketplace. More than 70% believe that they have
learned the key skills of problem-solving, teamwork, and
creativity via their high-school education. However, few
teens felt they were well-prepared to deal with financial
issues. Only 32% felt they had learned how to budget money.
The survey asked teens to select their preferred careers,
and arts and medicine topped the list. Engineering was third
most popular choice, but few girls (only 4%) noted this
option. In contrast, twenty-four percent of boys selected
engineering as their top career choice. To learn more about
the Lemelson-MIT Innovation Index survey of American
teenagers, visit
http://web.mit.edu/invent/n-main.html
-
Public Opinion on America’s Innovation Future
A new poll shows that average Americans are also greatly
concerned about the U.S.'s future competitive positions. The
poll and a series of focus groups, led by Peter D. Hart
Associates and the Winston Group, asked participants
(opinion leaders and voters) to provide their views on
America's ability to sustain its scientific and
technological superiority through this decade and beyond.
When asked to identify the world's economic leader in 20-30
years, 45 percent of voters identified China. Thirty-two
percent selected the U.S. Interestingly, the survey saw a
split in the intensity of concern about these competitive
challenges. Thirty-three percent of opinion leaders cited
improving innovation capacity as America's Number One future
challenge. Only 18 percent of voters shared this view.
However, there was consensus around the critical importance
of improving education. A majority of all groups believe
this is the key to enhancing American competitiveness. To
view the results of the Business Roundtable’s survey on
"Innovation and Competitiveness: Addressing the Talent Gap,"
visit
http://www.businessroundtable.org/pdf/20060112Two-pager.pdf
4) U.S. COURTS ACTIVITY
None at this time.
5) US STATES WATCH
-
What's Your Governor
Saying About Jobs, Innovation, the Economy…?
Maine -
Governor John Baldacci, State-of-the-State Address, Jan. 18, 2006
"As part of my
economic plan, last fall I presented the State Science and Technology Plan that
calls for Maine's annual investment in research and development, including both
private and public funding, to reach $1 billion by 2010. Maine currently ranks
10th in the nation in non-profit R&D activity, but we need to do more to
compete. My budget includes a down payment – matching money for marine research
in the Gulf of Maine and for new businesses launched by the University of Maine.
"Now more than ever, we must continue
strategic investments in research and development and infrastructure. After
today, I'll be proposing additional investment tools ...
"... Later this month, I will submit
'Connect Maine' legislation to further expand the availability and quality of
broadband and wireless phone service throughout the state."
Massachusetts -
Governor Mitt Romney,
State-of-the-Commonwealth Address, Jan. 18, 2006
"We asked employers why our growth is
below what it could be. They acknowledge our advantages but they say we have
some problems, too. Our payroll taxes are costing us jobs. We have almost no
sales force to call on companies around the nation, and few incentive programs
for move-ins or expanding employers. They say our permitting process is a
nightmare. The legislature has rejected my economic development reforms in the
past. But the economic stimulus bill I proposed a year ago is still under
consideration; it is time to reverse these disadvantages."
New Hampshire - Governor John Lynch,
State-of-the-State Address, Jan. 18, 2006
"Companies that innovate create jobs. That
is why I am asking you to support Sen. Odell's legislation to provide a tax
credit for research and development. It is a small investment, with a
potentially big payoff for our economy and our citizens."
New Jersey - Governor Jon Corzine,
Inaugural Address, Jan. 17, 2006
"With a new public-private partnership,
focused on economic development, the Edison Innovation Fund, we can renew in
this century what happened in the last – when vision, initiative and talent
transformed rustbelt New Jersey into powerhouse New Jersey: a global leader in
inventions, medicines and the then high-tech industries that gave our citizens
the highest median income in the nation.
"As a trailblazer in stem cell research,
we can save and improve the quality of countless lives."
New Mexico - Governor Bill Richardson,
State-of-the-State Address, Jan. 17, 2006
"We will create the Advanced Energy
Manufacturing Tax Credit. This will encourage cutting edge advanced energy
technology firms to make New Mexico their homefostering a clean high-wage
industry, creating good jobs, and protecting our natural resources.
"We should double the funding for the
Economic Development Partnership, which has already been responsible for 10
relocation deals, nearly 3,500 high-wage jobs, and $123 million in new
investment in the two years since it began."
Utah - Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr.,
State-of-the-State Address, Jan. 17, 2006
"Today it is time to invest in the next
generation of world-renown Utah innovation and ideas ... USTAR – the Utah
Science, Technology, and Research Initiative – will capitalize on the unique
resources of our State, such as the Utah Population Database, Genomics,
Informatics, Personalized Medicine, and the talented faculty and students at the
University of Utah and Utah State University ...
This session, I ask you to pass the legislation sponsored by Senator Al Mansell
and Representative David Clark to make USTAR a brilliant reality!"
Virginia - Governor Tim Kaine, Address
to the Joint Assembly, Jan. 16, 2006
"In addition to attracting new business
and supporting existing firms, we must also look to the connection between
higher education and economic strength to help the regions of the state that
face the greatest economic challenges ...
"... To honor
the work done over the last two years by the Southside community and to take an
important step forward towards economic recovery in the region, I have proposed
bipartisan legislation to create the New College Institute in Martinsville. The
Institute will be the center of gravity for a collaboration of other higher
education institutions and the foundation for a stand-alone college in the
future. It will open its doors to students in the fall of 2007 and will be a
solid complement to the graduate-level Institute for Advanced Learning and
Research in Danville.
"In addition, I
strongly support the major investment in higher education research offered in
the introduced budget. The success of this proposal will further accelerate
Virginia’s leadership role in the new knowledge-driven economy of the 21st
century."
Wisconsin - Governor Jim Doyle,
State-of-the-State Address, Jan. 17, 2006
"And so, even though Washington obviously
has no plan for manufacturing, we do have one in Wisconsin. With technology,
training, trade promotion, and new investment, we are working to revolutionize
and modernize Wisconsin manufacturing … and expand opportunities for middle
class families ...
"... Even as we
invest in and modernize core industries like manufacturing, agriculture and
tourism, we are also growing new ones … like biotechnology, information
technology, and nanotechnology.
"And Wisconsin – the
birthplace of stem cell research – is giving millions of families hope that one
day diseases like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Juvenile Diabetes may be
conquered. These breakthroughs in medical science can transform our economy and
open doors to new industries we've only dreamed of.
"In less than a
decade, the market for stem cell products could reach $10 billion and create
100,000 jobs. Tonight, I offer an ambitious goal for our state – to capture 10
percent of this market by 2015.
"To that end, I'm
directing the Department of Commerce to dedicate at least $5 million to find,
fund, and recruit companies turning stem cell technology into high paying jobs.
I'm asking Forward Wisconsin to launch a new effort to brand our state as the
stem cell leader. And I'm asking you to pass legislation supporting the
Biomedical Technology Alliance in Southeast Wisconsin.
6) AWARDS &
GRANTS
The
American Association for the
Advancement of Science has a service
called
GrantsNet Express.
Each week GrantsNet will provide a 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. The weekly emails will include:
—
New science funding programs, divided into opportunities for
postdocs/graduate students and undergraduates
—
Submission deadlines for funding
opportunities scheduled in the upcoming week
—
New listings of funding
for science-related grant programs from U.S. government
agencies
To register, visit
http://www2.sciencecareers.org/promos/grantsubmit.asp
The Department of Energy, Office of Science announced that
it was extending the nomination deadline for the E.O.
Lawrence Award. The Lawrence Award recognizes scientist and
engineers at mid-career (those who received their Ph.D.s in
or since 1985). For further information please read,
http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/documents/EO.pdf.
7) CONFERENCES, FELLOWSHIPS,
PROGRAMS & INTERNSHIPS FOR ENGINEERS, and STUDENTS &
SCHOLARS OF ENGINEERING
An engineer once changed careers to serve as Calvin
Coolidge's
Vice President. As vice president, Charles Dawes
influenced the public policy process and won a Nobel Peace
Prize for his efforts. Dawes might be an extreme example,
but that doesn't mean engineers can't influence the public
policy process in other ways. If you don't want to run
for office but would like to take a year off from your
regular job, IEEE-USA is now accepting applications for the
2007 government fellowship program that links engineers with
government. Our 2006 fellows have arrived in DC and
are working on issues such as space & aviation, and
telecommunications reform. For more information on what past
fellows have learned and experienced, see
http://ieeeusa.com/policy/govfel/cfalumni.html.
The deadline is 20 February 2006 and application materials
are available at:http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/govfel/default.asp
- WISE Program Seeks Senior
Science & Technology Public Policy Advisor to Engineering Students (Nine
Week Summer Position)
An outstanding individual capable of
teaching and mentoring engineering students on the interaction between
engineering, technology, and public policy is sought to serve as
Advisor-In-Residence (AIR) for the 2006 WISE Program (Washington Internships for
Students of Engineering). For more information, please visit:
http://www.wise-intern.org/advisor.html View a PDF of the announcement,
here:
http://www.wise-intern.org/FMR/WISEAdvisor.pdf
8) LATEST IEEE-USA
ACTIVITIES
-
Track IEEE-USA's Progress
Review IEEE-USA's year-to-date progress in working for the
IEEE's U.S. members at the new IEEE-USA Year-in-Review Web
page. Check out what IEEE-USA activities and programs helped
the IEEE's U.S. members in 2004 at the new IEEE-USA Annual
Report online. And find out what's on IEEE-USA's agenda
through 2009, with the new, online IEEE-USA Strategic &
Operational Plan.
For the IEEE-USA Year-in-Review, go to:
http://www.ieeeusa.org/about/yearinreview.asp
For the IEEE-USA Annual Report, go to:
http://www.ieeeusa.org/about/Annual_Report/2004.pdf
For the IEEE-USA
Strategic & Operational Plan, go to:
http://www.ieeeusa.org/volunteers/strategicplan/index.html
Also, full listing of
IEEE-USA lobbying activities can be found on our web
site at:
http://ieeeusa.com/policy/policy/index.html
-
Mark Your Calendar for Congressional Visits Day
The annual CVD has been set for 28-29 March, and
is expected to bring over 250 scientists, engineers,
researchers, educators, and technology executives to
Washington to raise visibility and support for science,
engineering, and technology.
Registration form.
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9) U.S. COMPETITIVENESS & INNOVATION:
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IEEE-USA
What's New @ IEEE-USA's Eye
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