IEEE-USA Eye on Washington No. 9 2009

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Vol. 2009, No. 9 (8 May 2009)
125 Years of Innovation and Ingenuity

CAPITOL HILL ACTIVITY

House Resolution Recognizes IEEE

EXECUTIVE ACTIVITY

OSTP Seeks Recommendations From Scientists

REPORTS & DOCUMENTS OF NOTE

Kauffman Foundation: Entrepreneurship Still on the Rise

AARP Study on Career Changes by Older Workers

U.S. STATES WATCH

AWARDS & GRANTS

2009 Collegiate Inventors Competition is Now Accepting Applications

LATEST IEEE-USA & IEEE ACTIVITIES

IEEE-USA Unveils Online 2008 Annual Report

IEEE Launches Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Project P2030: Intel Corporation to Host First P2030 Meeting

IEEE-USA Stimulus Webpage

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

CAPITOL HILL

House Resolution Recognizes IEEE

Thanks to IEEE-USA Washington staffer Vin O'Neill for working with Congressman Stearns on this one!

H. RES. 413

Supporting the goals and ideals of `IEEE Engineering the Future' Day on May 13, 2009, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 6, 2009

Mr. STEARNS (for himself, Mr. GORDON of Tennessee, Mr. HALL of Texas, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. EHLERS, and Mr. ROHRABACHER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Science and Technology

RESOLUTION

Supporting the goals and ideals of `IEEE Engineering the Future' Day on May 13, 2009, and for other purposes.

Whereas IEEE is the world's largest technical professional society, with more than 375,000 members, including more than 210,000 members in the United States;

Whereas IEEE members are engineers, scientists, and other professionals whose technical interests are rooted in electrical and computer sciences, engineering, and related disciplines;

Whereas IEEE's core purpose is to foster technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity;

Whereas IEEE traces its roots to the founding of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) on May 13, 1884;

Whereas renowned inventor and entrepreneur Thomas Alva Edison was a founder of AIEE;

Whereas notable presidents of the IEEE and its founding organizations include Alexander Graham Bell, Charles Proteus Steinmetz, Lee De Forest, William R. Hewlett, and Ivan Getting;

Whereas AIEE merged with the Institute of Radio Engineers in 1963 to form IEEE;

Whereas IEEE maintains a vast library of technical publications;

Whereas more than 100,000 technical professionals attend the more than 300 conferences sponsored or cosponsored by IEEE each year;

Whereas IEEE is a leader in the development of international standards that support many of today's products and services, with an active portfolio of nearly 1,300 standards and projects under development;

Whereas IEEE provides learning opportunities within the engineering sciences with the goal of ensuring the growth of skill and knowledge among the technical profession;

Whereas IEEE provides a forum for professionals to interact, collaborate, and generate new ideas and concepts;

Whereas IEEE seeks to attract the best and brightest to use their skills and experience and apply technology to benefit society and help solve humanitarian issues;

Whereas `IEEE Engineering the Future' Day will be held by IEEE on May 13, 2009, to recognize the contributions and impact that IEEE, its members, and engineering and technology professionals have made and to raise public awareness of the diverse opportunities available in different technology fields;

Whereas revolutionary advances in information technology, biotechnology, nanotechnology, and other fields are reshaping the global economy; and

Whereas the United States must continue its efforts to maintain its leadership in science, technology, and innovation: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) recognizes the importance of engineering and technology to meeting our Nation's most pressing challenges;
(2) congratulates IEEE on its 125th anniversary; and
(3) supports the goals and ideals of `IEEE Engineering the Future' Day.

EXECUTIVE ACTIVITY

OSTP Seeks Recommendations From Scientists

Barack Obama pledged to Science Debate - a concerned citizens initiative signed by IEEE-USA and cosponsored by the AAAS, the Council on Competitiveness, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine - that he would "restore the science integrity of government and restore transparency of decision-making..." The president has referred to this pledge several times since, most recently in his speech to the National Academies of Science. On March 9, the president formally asked the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to make recommendations on how the executive branch can meet this pledge. The OSTP has opened a public comment period regarding this directive, giving you the opportunity to share your thoughts on what the next steps should be. Comments are due by Wednesday, May 13.

The OSTP is looking for recommendations on the six issues President Obama identified in his memo:
1. hiring and keeping qualified scientists
2. defining new policies to ensure integrity
3. using "well-established scientific processes" like peer review
4. disclosing scientific findings
5. ensuring that principles of scientific integrity are being adhered to
6. adopting additional policies like whistleblower protections

The OSTP is accepting comments via email and through their blog, here. Their original request for input can be found here (pdf). Many organizations in Washington will be giving their opinions of what the OSTP plan should entail. It is important for scientists and other science supporters to be included in that process, and for you to indicate to the White House how science and scientific integrity affect your work, your families, and your communities. If you are interested in more background information, visit the scientific integrity site at the Union of Concerned Scientists here.

REPORTS & DOCUMENTS OF NOTE

Government Accountability Office Reports

Global Positioning System: Significant Challenges in Sustaining and Upgrading Widely Used Capabilities GAO-09-325, April 30, 2009 Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 61 pages) Recommendations (HTML)

Information Security: Cyber Threats and Vulnerabilities Place Federal Systems at Risk GAO-09-661T, May 5, 2009
Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 21 pages)

Kauffman Foundation: Entrepreneurship Still on the Rise

The latest Kauffman Foundation Index of Entrepreneurial Activity shows that the level of entrepreneurial activity in the U.S. increased slightly from 2007 to 2008; approximately 530,000 new businesses started up each month in 2008, representing a .02 percent increase over 2007.

AARP Study on Career Changes by Older Workers

In 1999, IEEE-USA teamed up with AARP's Public Policy Research Institute to assess employer attitudes about the employability of mid-career and older engineers. On a related note, AARP's Public Policy Institute just published the results of a new 10 year, longitudinal assessment of the extent, nature and causes of career change by older workers and its impact on their income, health and happiness. Key findings include:

-- Nearly two-thirds of workers who change jobs (and 27 percent of all older workers) switch occupations
-- Late life occupational change is more common among men than among women
-- Defined benefit pension plan coverage significantly reduces the likelihood that older workers will change jobs
-- Retirees who take new jobs are nearly twice as likely to move into new occupations than re-employed workers who had been laid off

Podcasts from The National Academies The National Academies provides podcasts on subjects in all areas of science, engineering, medicine, and technology.

Sounds of Science: Findings from National Academies reports - This informative and entertaining weekly series of audio podcasts puts a spotlight on the high-impact work of the National Academies. Focusing on a wide range of critical issues in science, engineering, and medicine, these short 10-minute episodes are a quick and easy way to tune in to all the key findings and important recommendations made by the Academies.

Engineering Innovation - The weekly Engineering Innovation podcast from the National Academy of Engineering highlights exciting developments in engineering and provides technical context to stories in the news. The 40-second episodes demonstrate how engineers are making an impact -- in energy, health, the environment, sports, and more.

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

National Science Foundation

Science of Science and Innovation Policy Program (SciSIP) - SciSIP 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. Deadline: 9 September 2009

2009 Collegiate Inventors Competition is Now Accepting Applications - The 2009 Collegiate Inventors Competition is now accepting applications! This prestigious program shines a spotlight on deserving researchers and innovators early in their careers in an effort to provide support and inspiration to those who have tremendous potential to make the world healthier, the economy stronger, and the planet safer. Go to www.invent.org/collegiate for more information and to download the application.

Grand Prize $25,000

Top Undergraduate Prize $15,000

Top Graduate Prize $15,000

Up to 12 Finalists will be selected to advance to the final judging round. Each will 1) receive an all-expense trip to the final judging round and awards ceremony 2) meet and present their work to a distinguished panel of judges and 3) receive a $2000 cash prize per team. Advisors to the Grand Prize, Top Undergraduate and Top Graduate Prize winners will also be awarded a cash prize. The presenting sponsors of this year’s Competition are the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Abbott Fund.

You can find an informational brochure on the 2009 CIC at: http://www.invent.org/collegiate/pdfs/09_CIC_ebrochure.pdf . You can view video from last year's Award's ceremony at http://www.invent.org/collegiate/video/index.htm.

Questions? Please email collegiate@invent.org or call Joyce Ward at 800.968.4332, ext. 6951 for guidance on the advisor requirement, invention summary, the patent search or any other parts of the application. Not sure whether your project is actually an "invention", call or email collegiate@invent.org. Don't miss this incredible opportunity. All applications must be postmarked by June 16, 2009.

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.

LATEST IEEE-USA & IEEE ACTIVITIES

Public Policy Priority Issues (111th Congress, 1st Session, 2009)
Position Statements - The statements identify important technical or engineering career-related aspects of public policy issues deemed to be of concern to or affecting IEEE's U.S. members; and make specific public policy recommendations for the consideration of Congress, the Executive Branch, the Judiciary, representatives of State and Local Government, and other interested groups and individuals, including IEEE members.

IEEE-USA Unveils Online 2008 Annual Report

In 2008, IEEE-USA President Russell J. Lefevre and the IEEE-USA Board of Directors reaffirmed four strategic goals: promoting innovation and competitiveness; supporting K-12 math and science education to encourage technical literacy and to train future technologists; offering increased member value in products and services; and providing career-long continuing education to maintain a competitive U.S. work force, as well as to preserve careers. The annual report includes detailed sections on Dr. Lefevre's activities as IEEE-USA president; 2008 U.S. presidential election-year involvement; U.S. congressional briefings; U.S. government fellowships/Washington Internships for Students of Engineering; joint activities with and in support of other IEEE organizational units; e-books; student professional awareness conferences; and completion of the IEEE's new Washington Office. Previous IEEE-USA reports are available online as well.

IEEE Launches Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Project P2030: Intel Corporation to Host First P2030 Meeting

The IEEE announced a groundbreaking smart grid initiative for the power engineering, communications and information technology industries with the project approval of the IEEE 2030 Guide for Smart Grid Interoperability of Energy Technology and Information Technology Operation with the Electric Power System (EPS) and End-Use Applications and Loads (P2030). Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) will host the first IEEE P2030 meeting, open to individuals and organizations interested in shaping the smart grid guide, at its headquarters in Santa Clara, CA, June 3-5, 2009.

Leveraging the technical breadth of the IEEE and its open standards development process, IEEE P2030 will provide a knowledge base for understanding and defining smart grid interoperability of the electric power system with end use applications and loads. It will involve the integration of energy technology and information and communications technologies, which is necessary to achieve seamless operation for electric generation, delivery, and end-use benefits that will permit two-way power flow with communication and control.

The IEEE P2030 kick-off meeting will be held on June 3-5, 2009, at Intel Corporation headquarters in Santa Clara, California. It will consist of a general session for all delegates, and three breakout sessions focused on Power Engineering Technology, Information Technology and Communications Technology. Registration for in-person meeting attendance is now closed as the 150 meeting room limit has reached capacity. Individuals can register for remote attendance by accessing the registration site online at: https://web.memberclicks.com/mc/quickForm/viewForm.do?orgId=iecs&formId=59246.

To view more information, please visit: http://standards.ieee.org/announcements/intel_p2030.html

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 at George Washington University, Washington, D.C. (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 activities of the federal, academic and private sectors, both nationally and globally. STEM 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. The IEEE-USA STEM workshop will 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.

* 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?

* 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?

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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