IEEE-USA Eye on Washington, No. 4 2009

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Vol. 2009, No. 4 (4 March 2009)
125 Years of Innovation and Ingenuity

CAPITOL HILL ACTIVITY

Congressional Praise for Informal Science Education

House Science Committee Hearing Highlights Need to Reform Export Controls

The Stimulus Plan: A Detailed List of Spending

House Unanimously Approves Legislation Reauthorizing Nanotech Initiative

EXECUTIVE ACTIVITY

Obama Orders Swift Action on Appliance Efficiency Standards

National Inventors Hall of Fame Announces 2009 Inductees

Obama Administration Releases FY 2010 Budget Overview

REPORTS & DOCUMENTS OF NOTE

GAO Identifies Space Shuttle as "Urgent Issue" for Obama Administration

U.S. STATES WATCH

U.S. Moves to Number One in Wind Production

AWARDS & GRANTS

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

LATEST IEEE-USA & IEEE ACTIVITIES

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

IEEE-USA Now Accepting 2010 Government Fellowship Applications LAST CALL for 2010 Fellows

Winners of IEEE-USA's Video Competition Announced

New York Middle School Wins IEEE-USA Best Communications System Award, Florida School Captures IEEE-USA-Sponsored Third Place

IEEE-USA Commends Congress, Administration for Investing in Science & Technology to Create Jobs, Bolster U.S. Innovation & Competitiveness

CAPITOL HILL ACTIVITY

Congressional Praise for Informal Science Education

The Subcommittee on Research and Science Education held a hearing to explore the potential role of informal science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in engaging students to pursue further scientific knowledge. Witnesses from various fields discussed their own efforts to promote scientific inquiry outside of the classroom, as well as the findings of a recent National Academies report, Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places, and Pursuits. Hearing witnesses generally agreed with the conclusions of the National Academies' report, which found that science learning takes place throughout the life span and across venues in non-school settings. The report also stressed the need to effectively evaluate and assess informal STEM education, in order to improve informal STEM programs. The witnesses explained that this can be a very difficult task, since the public tends to go to places like museums, science centers and zoos on their free time and do not typically fill out evaluations, or take exams.

House Science Committee Hearing Highlights Need to Reform Export Controls

In a hearing of the House Science and Technology Committee, a panel of expert witnesses unanimously agreed that the current system of U.S. export control policies, under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations, are outdated and must be reformed.

"Export controls are crucial and necessary to prevent the proliferation of militarily-useful technologies from falling into the wrong hands, and it's critically important that we continue, to the best of our abilities, to deny the transfer of these technologies to our adversaries," said Ranking Member Ralph Hall (R-TX). "However, in today's global marketplace, it's equally important that export control regulations recognize technologies that are no longer ours alone to control, and to permit the rapid sharing of emerging R&D technologies with our friends and allies. It is clear to me that the current export control regime fails to meet these standards."

Recently, studies by both government and non-governmental institutions have called for re-examining national security controls in light of their impacts on global scientific, technological, and economic competitiveness. In early February, the National Academy of Sciences released, Beyond Fortress America, a report recommending significant changes to ITAR restrictions in order to foster openness and engagement, and to ensure a robust R&D enterprise to help sustain our nation's economy. Based on the findings of this report and a number of other scholarly studies, Congressman Hall concluded, "The current system has no transparency, and as a result, export licensing is bogging down the very same R&D enterprise that made our economy the largest in the world."

The Stimulus Plan (The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act): A Detailed List of Spending

As you know, the U.S. Congress passed the economic stimulus bill (House vote = 246 to 183, Senate vote = 60 to 38). Want to know what's in it? You could read the whole thing (1,071-page gorilla). Or you could reserve those hours in your life for something more pleasurable and read this: http://www.propublica.org/special/the-stimulus-plan-a-detailed-list-of-spending

"The ideal project is one that keeps on giving, and that is exactly what scientific research does. In his Inaugural Address, President Obama said 'we will restore science to its rightful place.' This legislation places science at the center of short-term job creation and long-term economic growth." -– Rush Holt on science funding in the economic recovery bill.

House Unanimously Approves Legislation Reauthorizing Nanotech Initiative

The House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 554, legislation reauthorizing the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). This multi-agency coordinating body is responsible for overseeing federal nanotechnology research. The bill promotes efforts to bring products using these advanced technologies to the market. Additionally, it aims to foster nanotechnology education partnerships in order to engage and prepare students to pursue education in nanotechnology. The NNI was signed into law in 2003 as PL 108-153.

EXECUTIVE ACTIVITY

Obama Orders Swift Action on Appliance Efficiency Standards

5 FEB: President Barack Obama issued a memorandum instructing the Department of Energy to take all necessary steps to finalize new appliance efficiency standards as quickly as possible. The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA) set certain deadlines for DOE to set energy efficiency standards for a broad class of residential and commercial products. In 2005, DOE was sued for allegedly failing to meet the deadlines and other requirements of the EPCA. In November 2006, DOE entered into a consent decree, under which DOE agreed to publish the final rules for 22 product categories by specific deadlines, the latest of which is 30 June 2011. In addition, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) directed DOE to establish energy standard for additional product categories, including the CAFE standard for automobiles.

Although DOE has made progress on meeting its consent decree, the agency remains subject to deadlines on 15 of the 22 product categories, as well as a number of additional product categories added by the EISA. President Obama directed DOE to focus its efforts on the five energy efficiency rules with deadlines prior to 8 August 2009, and to prioritize its efforts, tackling first the standards that will result in the greatest savings, while still meeting all applicable deadlines. The President says that the efficiency standards will avoid the use of "tremendous amounts" of energy. "We'll save through these simple steps, over the next thirty years, the amount of energy produced over a two-year period by all the coal-fired power plants in America."

National Inventors Hall of Fame Announces 2009 Inductees

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the integrated circuit, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Acting Director of the USPTO John Doll joined members of Congress and officials of the National Inventors Hall of Fame in honoring the 2009 class of inductees. All those recognized are inventors of advances related to or enabled by integrated circuit technology. The inductees will be inducted at a ceremony at the Computer Museum in Mountain View, CA on 2 May 2009. The 2009 inductees are:

Martin M. (John) Atalla (1924- ) MOS transistor
Alfred Y. Cho (1937- ) Molecular beam epitaxy
Ross Freeman (1948-1989) Field programmable gate array
Dov Frohman-Bentchkowsky (1939- ) EPROM
George Heilmeier (1936- ) Liquid crystal display
Jean Hoerni (1924-1997) Planar process
Larry Hornbeck (1943- ) Digital micromirror device
Dawon Kahng (1931-1992) MOS transistor

John Macdougall (1940- ) Ion implantation
Ken Manchester (1925- ) Ion implantation
Carver Mead (1934- ) VLSI method for designing chips
Gordon Moore (1929- ) Semiconductor production
Gordon Teal (1907-2003) Silicon transistor
Frank Wanlass (1933- ) Complementary metal oxide semiconductor—CMOS
Robert Widlar (1937-1991) Linear integrated circuits

Obama Administration Releases FY 2010 Budget Overview

"Investments in science and technology foster economic growth, create millions of high-tech, high-wage jobs that allow American workers to lead the global economy, improve the quality of life for all Americans, and strengthen our national security." A New Era of Responsibility: Renewing America's Promise

The White House released a 142-page document overview of the President's FY 2010 budget request. While the details on his
$3.6 trillion request will not be available until April, A New Era of Responsibility: Renewing America's Promise makes many references to science. For example, a summary of the National Science Foundation funding is available here. Visit the White House website for complete summary tables.

REPORTS & DOCUMENTS OF NOTE

National Academies Press

Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Two Years Later (2009)

The Sounds of Science Podcast from the National Academies - Examples of recent broadcasts include:

China and India: Emerging Technological Powers (Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:21:56)
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/podcasts/soundsofscience/~3/372168680/nax79chinaindia.mp3

Changing the Conversation: Improving Public Understanding of Engineering (Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:50:22)
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/podcasts/soundsofscience/~3/321507311/nax72changingco.mp3

Innovation in Global Industry (Fri, 23 May 2008 14:16:48)
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/podcasts/soundsofscience/~3/299251391/nax67innovation.mp3 (The debate over offshoring of production, transfer of technological capabilities, and potential loss of U.S. competitiveness is a long-running one. Prevailing thinking is that the world is flat that is, innovative capacity is spreading uniformly; as new centers of manufacturing emerge, research and development and new product development follow. Innovation in Global Industries challenges this thinking.)

National Science Foundation

Open Access to Scientific Papers May Not Guarantee Wide Dissemination - New research challenges assumption that having research published in open access journals and other free sources leads to more exposure and citations

Government Accountability Office

Overseas U.S. Government Personnel Involved in Efforts to Protect and Enforce Intellectual Property Rights GAO-09-402R (February 26)

National Airspace System: FAA Reauthorization Issues are Critical to System Transformation and Operations, by Gerald L. Dillingham, Ph.D., director, physical infrastructure issues, testimony before the Subcommittee on Aviation, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. GAO-09-377T (February 11) Highlights

Presentations By The Acting Comptroller General:

GAO's Work on Today's High Risk Issues and Long-Term Challenges, by Gene L. Dodaro, acting comptroller general, before the Arizona Society of CPAs, in Phoenix, Arizona. GAO-09-382CG, February 6, 2009

Challenges Facing the New Administration and the 111th Congress, by Gene L. Dodaro, acting comptroller general, before the AGA 2009 Leadership Conference, in Washington, D.C. GAO-09-383CG, February 19, 2009

GAO Identifies Space Shuttle as "Urgent Issue" for Obama Administration

One of the most pressing issues confronting the next NASA Administrator will be the planned retirement of the space shuttle.
The previous administrator, Michael Griffin, who left the agency on January 20, strongly favored the retirement of the shuttle by 2010. While there has been much congressional concern about a scheduled five year gap between the shuttle's retirement and its replacement, efforts to shorten this gap by increasing funding have been unsuccessful.

Last year, Government Accountability Office identified thirteen "Urgent Issues" that needed the prompt attention of the Obama Administration and the new Congress. In describing these issues, which include the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, homeland security, and the oversight of financial institutions and markets, GAO stated, "Many of the urgent policy concerns identified here are critical and time sensitive and require prioritized federal action. They are issues that require a focus from the transition team and new administration because if they are not dealt with, they could have great implications for life, well being, or the confidence of citizens in government, or because they have key quickly approaching dates where a decision must be made or actions taken. Consequently, these issues are not necessarily the most important issues in the long term, but rather those that must be dealt with immediately." The GAO states:

"Retirement of the Space Shuttle - A decision that must be made soon whether to retire the Space Shuttle in 2010, as currently planned, or to extend its life in view of limited options for supporting the International Space Station. Already, shuttle contracts are being phased out and shuttle facilities are being closed or transferred to contracts supporting new development efforts. A decision in favor of extending the shuttle may offer the best course for the future of the International Space Station, as (1) the recent conflict between Russia and the Republic of Georgia has called into question the wisdom of relying on Russian space vehicles to ferry U.S. crew and cargo to and from the station during a 5-year gap in U.S. human space flight capability, and (2) it still appears that other vehicles being developed to support the station - including those from commercial suppliers as well as NASA - may not be ready when anticipated. However, extending the shuttle could also have significant consequences on the future direction of human space flight for the United States. Specifically, NASA is counting on the retirement of the shuttle to free up resources to pursue a new generation of space flight vehicles that is anticipated to come online in 2015.

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.

U.S. Moves to Number One in Wind Production

The U.S. wind energy industry shattered all previous records in 2008, installing 8,358 megawatts (MW) of new generating capacity and placing the United States above all other nations in terms of installed wind power capacity. U.S. wind capacity increased by 5o percent, bringing it to a total of 25,170 MW, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), enough to push the United States above Germany, the previous leader for installed wind power capacity. According to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), Germany had 22,247 MW of wind capacity at the start of the year, but added only 1,665 MW in 2008, bringing it to 23,903 MW, more than 2,000 MW short of the new U.S. total. Overall, global wind power capacity increased by 28.8 percent in 2008, with more than 27,000 MW of new generating capacity, increasing the global wind power capacity to 120,791 MW.

Currently, only China appears able to challenge the U.S. lead, as the rapidly growing country added 6,300 MW of wind turbines in 2008 to more than double its installed wind power capacity for the fourth year in a row. China's total wind power capacity is only 12,210 MW—less than half of the U.S. wind capacity—but if the country continues to accelerate in its pursuit of wind power, it could quickly catch up to the U.S. total.

Despite the gloom of the current financial crisis and the possible negative effects on continued growth, at least one organization remains bullish on global wind power growth. The Energy Watch Group, which bills itself as an international network of scientists and parliamentarians, notes that global wind power capacity has experienced exponential growth since the early 1990's, and the group expects the trend to continue. As wind power becomes more competitive with competing sources of electricity, the group sees rapid growth fueled by access to new wind energy resources, greater access to power grids, and an emerging world market for wind turbines and components. The group recently released a study that explores four different scenarios for global power consumption and wind power generation, and each scenario projects that wind power will eventually capture half of the market share for new power plant installations, with the date of that accomplishment ranging from 2017-2033. By 2025, the four scenarios result in renewable energy providing 23-65 percent of the world's electricity needs. For information on wind industry activity in the states, visit AWEA.

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

Science of Science and Innovation Policy (SciSIP) (Full Proposal Deadline Date : September 9, 2009) The Science of Science & Innovation Policy (SciSIP) program supports research designed to advance the scientific basis of science and innovation policy. Research funded by the program thus develops, improves and expands models, analytical tools, data and metrics that can be applied in the science policy decision making process. For example, research proposals may develop behavioral and analytical conceptualizations, frameworks or models that have applications across a broad array of SciSIP challenges, including the relationship between broader participation and innovation or creativity. Proposals may also develop methodologies to analyze science and technology data, and to convey the information to a variety of audiences. Researchers are also encouraged to create or improve science and engineering data, metrics and indicators reflecting current discovery, particularly proposals that demonstrate the viability of collecting and analyzing data on knowledge generation and innovation in organizations.

Small Business Innovation Research Program Phase I Solicitation FY-2010 (SBIR) - The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program stimulates technological innovation in the private sector by strengthening the role of small business concerns in meeting Federal research and development needs, increasing the commercial application of federally supported research results, and fostering and encouraging participation by socially and economically disadvantaged and women-owned small businesses. Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time): June 09, 2009

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/.

The USPTO also is seeking nominees for the National Medal of Technology and Innovation Nomination Evaluation Committee. The selection process is administered on behalf of the Department of Commerce by the USPTO. There are currently four vacancies on the committee. The Evaluation Committee reviews and evaluates all nominations for the Medal. Committee members are senior executives and distinguished experts in fields of science, technology, and business. Members are appointed by the Secretary of Commerce for three-year terms and are eligible for one reappointment. To make a nomination for the Evaluation Committee, send an email to the National Medal of Technology and Innovation program manager (NMTI@uspto.gov) and include a resume, curriculum vitae or biography, along with contact information. The deadline to submit nominations is 31 March 2009.

LATEST IEEE-USA & IEEE ACTIVITIES

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., on Thursday and 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 will be 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. For more information, see http://www.ieeeusa.org/calendar/conferences/stem/

IEEE-USA Now Accepting Government Fellowship Applications

Each year, IEEE-USA sponsors three qualified IEEE members to serve as government fellows: one Engineering & Diplomacy Fellow and two Congressional fellows. The fellows spend a year in Washington, serving as advisers to the U.S. Congress or key U.S. Department of State decision-makers. IEEE-USA's Government Fellowships link engineers with government, providing a mechanism for IEEE-USA members to learn firsthand about the public policy process through personal involvement.

The congressional fellowship consists of an appointment to the personal staff of a U.S. Senator or Congressman, or to the professional staff of a Congressional Committee. The Fellow along with the Congressional sponsor and IEEE-USA, negotiates a starting date, although IEEE-USA recommends that Fellowship terms run from January 1st to December 31st. For an application Kit for the 2010 Congressional Fellowship Program, visit: http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/govfel/cfapply.asp

The State Department fellowship begins in January of each year and offers an opportunity for an engineer to provide technical expertise to the State Department, and help raise awareness of the value of engineering input while learning about and contributing to the foreign policy process. For an application Kit for the 2010 Engineering & Diplomacy (State Department) Fellowship Program, visit: http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/govfel/state.asp

Fellows must be U.S. citizens.The postmark application deadline for 2010 Fellowships is 13 March 2009. For more information, visit: http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/govfel/default.asp

Recent Policy Communications: http://ieeeusa.com/policy/policy/index.html

Public Policy Priority Issues - 111th Congress, 1st Session (2009): http://ieeeusa.org/policy/issues/index.html

Position Statements: http://ieeeusa.com/policy/positions/index.html - 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. They make specific public policy recommendations and provide recommended approaches for consideration by the U.S. Congress, Executive Branch officials, the Judiciary, representatives of State and Local Government, and other interested groups and individuals, including IEEE members. Check out the new positions statements approved in November 2008 . Many more are Under Review by committees.

IEEE-USA In The News: http://ieeeusa.org/communications/inthenews/default.asp.

Winners of IEEE-USA's Video Competition Announced

Coinciding with Engineers Week 2009, IEEE-USA announced $5,000 in scholarship awards to five undergraduates at four U.S. universities, who entered the organization's 2009 "How Engineers Make a World of Difference" video competition. The winners are: first prize ($2,000), Samantha Caldwell, University of Texas-Austin; second prize ($1,500), Ben Toler and Emile Frey, Louisiana Tech University-Ruston; third prize ($1,000), Paul Curtis, Indiana University at Purdue University Indianapolis; and honorable mention ($500), Matt Elder, Rutgers University.

The four entries were deemed most effective in reinforcing for an 11-to-13-year-old audience how engineers improve quality of life. The three-judge panel included: Andrew Quecan, a Ph.D. candidate in electrical engineering at Stanford University (and former IEEE WISE guy!); Suzette Presas, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Nate Ball, mechanical engineer and host of PBS' "Design Squad." According to chief judge Quecan, "the ability of the video to reach the targeted audience was a key factor in determining the winners."

First prize winner Samantha Caldwell plans to complete her bachelors and master's degrees at UT-Austin. She cites a goal "to design a vehicle to operate without gasoline and use biofuels electricity or a different source of green energy."

Second-prize winners Ben Toler and Emile Frey from LTU-Ruston are repeat winners in 2009, having garnered the first prize in 2008. Frey is applying to the University of New Orleans to enter its film program. Toler is pursuing his master's and doctorate in nuclear engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio. Third-prize winner Paul Cutis at IUPUI is planning to attend graduate school to study computer engineering.

The video competition is designed to be replicated in IEEE Student Sections both in and outside of the United States. IEEE-USA will launch its third 2010 video scholarship competition in September. To view all of this year's award entries, go to http://www.youtube.com/user/ieeeusavideo.

New York Middle School Wins IEEE-USA Best Communications System Award, Florida School Captures IEEE-USA-Sponsored Third Place

Farnsworth Middle School of Guilderland, N.Y., won the ninth-annual IEEE-USA Best Communications System Award at the National Engineers Week Future City Competition National Finals in Washington, DC. Farnsworth was recognized for the most "efficient and accurate communications system." The team included students Zubin Mukerjee, Abigail Schooner and Joseph Sipzner; engineer-mentor Robert Sipzner, PE; and Tom McGreevy, the school's technology education teacher. Robert Sipzner is a civil engineer. Farnsworth earned its trip to the nation's capital by winning the New York (Albany) regional competition last month. Its city, "Cibola," is set in 2237.

A hand-held "Personal Education Device," or PED, is the featured element of Farnsworth's communications system. The PED utilizes a contact lens to reconstruct important events into a video to help students learn. In addition, students can go on virtual field trips through holographic imaging. The holograms also allow youngsters to transport themselves virtually so they can communicate with others anywhere in the world. IEEE-USA President Gordon Day presented Farnsworth team members with plaques. The students will later each receive a $100 U.S. Savings Bond.

IEEE-USA also sponsored the third-place award in the National Finals' overall competition. St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School of Miami finished third and won $2,000 for its science and technology program. The team, which captured the Florida regional competition, was comprised of students Susana Becerra, Nicole Fernandez-Valle and Lauren Rodriguez; engineer-mentor Maria Fernandez-Porrata; and teacher Susy Chu. Day presented them their awards for their city, "Vai Verde," set in 2275.

The Future City Competition, which was created in IEEE-USA's former Washington office in 1992 and staged for the first time a year later, is designed to promote technological literacy and engineering to middle school students. Under the guidance of an engineer and teacher, the children create their own vision of a future city, working first on computer and then constructing three-dimensional scale models. See www.futurecity.org for additional information.

IEEE-USA Commends Congress, Administration for Investing in Science & Technology to Create Jobs, Bolster U.S. Innovation & Competitiveness

IEEE-USA President Gordon Day commended Congress and the administration for investing in science, technology, energy, and education in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

"IEEE-USA strongly endorses these much-needed investments in research and our science and technology infrastructure," Day said. "We believe the investments will help stimulate education, innovation and economic development across the country, saving or creating jobs now and building a stronger America for the future."

Energy projects and programs will receive billions of dollars to improve energy efficiency, develop a "Smart Grid," provide incentives to electrify transportation and develop energy storage technology. The spending is consistent with IEEE-USA's latest energy policy recommendations (http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/positions/energypolicy.pdf).

The law also takes important steps toward achieving universal access to broadband data services through the Federal Communications Commission, the Department of Commerce and the Department of Agriculture. IEEE-USA recently restated its commitment to this initiative in http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/positions/broadband.pdf.

The package also directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop standards for a national health information network, something IEEE-USA has long championed. http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/positions/NHINinteroperability.html

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 during the year he served as an IEEE-USA government fellow, working as a staffer for 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 also 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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