What's New @ IEEE-USA - Eye On Washington

Vol. 2009, No. 13 (10 July 2009)
125 Years of Innovation and Ingenuity

CAPITOL HILL

Bipartisan Group of Members to National Academies, 'Assess the Condition of U.S. Research Universities'

THE WHITE HOUSE

NSF Awards $399,939 to Study Science Impacts of Economic Stimulus Package

FEDERAL AGENCY ACTIVITY

US Joins International Renewable Energy Agency

DOE Delivers Recover Act Funds: $288 Million for Weatherization & $153 Million for State Energy Programs

DOE Offers $59 Million in Loan Guarantees for Wind Power, Energy Storage

And Still More DOE Money, These Dollars to Support Smart Grid Technologies

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke Takes Key Step to Address Patent and Trademark Office Challenges

REPORTS, DOCUMENTS OF NOTE & INFO RESOURCES

U.S. STATES

AWARDS & GRANTS

NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics  (S-STEM)

IEEE-USA Awards

LATEST IEEE-USA & IEEE ACTIVITIES

IEEE-USA Awards

IEEE-USA Honors NASA on 40th Anniversary of Lunar Landing

IEEE-USA Stimulus Webpage

Got an Idea For an IEEE-USA E-Book?

Former IEEE-USA Government Fellow News - Dr. Sherry Gillespie

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CAPITOL HILL

Bipartisan Group of Members to National Academies, 'Assess the Condition of U.S. Research Universities'

On June 22nd, four Members of Congress - Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Chairwoman of the Senate Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations; Lamar Alexander (R-TN), a former U.S. Secretary of Education and Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference; and Representatives Bart Gordon (D-TN) and Ralph Hall (R-TX), the respective Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Science and Technology - asked the National Academies to assess the competitive position of our research universities, both public and private. In a letter to the Ralph Cicerone (President of the National Academy of Sciences), Harvey Fineberg (President of the Institute of Medicine) and Charles Vest (President of the National Academy of Engineering), the members asked that an Academies panel determine "the top ten actions that Congress, state governments, research universities, and others could take to assure the ability of the American research university to maintain the excellence in research and doctoral education needed to help the United States compete, prosper, and achieve national goals for health, energy, the environment, and security in the global community of the 21st century."

A similar congressional request in 2005 led to the Academies recommendations contained in the report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm. Those recommendations were the basis of the America COMPETES Act, which created a blueprint for improving the teaching of math and science, and doubling funding for basic research at the NSF, the Department of Energy's Office of Science, and NIST.

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THE WHITE HOUSE

NSF Awards $399,939 to Study Science Impacts of Economic Stimulus Package

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded $399,939 for two research projects designed to use the science initiatives funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to advance understanding of the impact of science investments. Researchers at the University of Virginia get $199,951 to study the impact of stimulus funding on employment in science and engineering fields, while the University of Michigan receives $199,988 to develop a database of the investments in and outcomes of social science projects funded by the ARRA.

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FEDERAL AGENCY ACTIVITY

US Joins International Renewable Energy Agency

The United States officially joined the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) last week, increasing the number of countries participating in the organization to 136. IRENA was initially founded on January 26 with 75 member nations, and its membership now includes most of Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, as well as Australia, Greenland, India, Japan, and parts of South America. The new agency will engage governments around the world in promoting a rapid transition toward the widespread and sustainable use of renewable energy on a global scale.

U.S. participation is an important element of the Obama Administration's effort to support clean energy technologies and the development of the low-carbon economies needed to address climate change. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that the United States will work closely with other signatories, IRENA's leadership, and members of Congress to ensure that IRENA's work augments and complements other renewable energy efforts. U.S. Ambassador Reno Harnish signed the IRENA statute at the second session of the IRENA Preparatory Commission in Egypt.

Member nations chose Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, as the location for the interim headquarters of IRENA; Bonn, Germany, will host IRENA's center for technology and innovation and Vienna; and Austria, will host a liaison office for IRENA's cooperation with other organizations that are active in the field of renewable energy. The members also chose Ms. Hélène Pelosse as the first head of the agency. Ms. Pelosse designed the renewable energy plan for France and was involved in renewable energy negotiations with the European Union.

The U.S. is also expanding efforts closer to home. Last week, DOE hosted the first U.S.-Canada Clean Energy Dialogue Roundtable at its headquarters in Washington, D.C., bringing together clean energy leaders from private industry and from the U.S. and Canadian governments to help decide how we can work together to develop clean energy technologies and combat climate change. President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper established the U.S.-Canada Clean Energy Dialogue in February, with the specific goals of expanding clean energy research and development; developing and deploying clean energy technologies; and building a more efficient electricity grid. Specific areas for further bilateral cooperation under the Clean Energy Dialogue include renewable and energy efficiency technologies, carbon capture and sequestration, and smart grid technologies.

DOE Delivers Recover Act Funds: $288 Million for Weatherization & $153 Million for State Energy Programs

DOE recently delivered more than $288 million in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to seven states -Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, and New Hampshire - allowing them to dramatically expand their weatherization assistance programs. The programs improve the energy efficiency of the homes of low-income families, helping the residents lower their energy bills. The states may spend up to 20 percent of the funds to hire and train new workers. The new spending will help the states achieve their collective goal of weatherizing 91,000 homes, creating new green jobs while helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The funds represent 40 percent of the total weatherization funds available to those states under the Recovery Act and follow the award of 10 percent of the funds in March to support planning and ramp-up activities. The second half of the weatherization funds will be released when the states meet the reporting, oversight, and accountability milestones required by the Recovery Act.

Additionally, DOE delivered more than $153 million in ARRA funds to Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, New York, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to support energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Under DOE's State Energy Program, states and territories have proposed plans that prioritize energy savings, create or retain jobs, increase the use of renewable energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The funds will support loan and rebate programs, education and training efforts, energy audits, building retrofits, smart meter installations, renewable energy projects, and incentives for hybrid and alternative-fueled vehicles.

The funds are part of the Obama Administration's national strategy to support job growth while making a historic down payment on clean energy. The Recovery Act appropriated $3.1 billion to the State Energy Program, giving priority to achieving national goals of energy independence while helping to stimulate local economies.

DOE Offers $59 Million in Loan Guarantees for Wind Power, Energy Storage

DOE offered $59 million in conditional loan guarantees to Nordic Windpower USA, Inc. and Beacon Power Corporation. Nordic Windpower has been offered $16 million to support the expansion of its assembly plant in Pocatello, Idaho, to produce its 1-megawatt N1000 wind turbine. Beacon Power, an energy storage company, was offered $43 million to support the construction of a 20-megawatt, flywheel-based energy storage plant in Stephentown, New York, that will help ensure the reliable delivery of renewable energy to the electricity grid.

Nordic Windpower's N1000 wind turbine employs two blades and a patented teeter-hub technology that dampens loads, resulting in a lightweight turbine that is at least 10 percent less costly to manufacture, install, operate, and maintain than competing systems. The wind turbine blades can flex at the hub, partially dissipating the loads from turbulent winds before they reach the drivetrain. This makes Nordic's turbines more reliable than more rigid designs, while enabling the turbines to achieve structural integrity at a lower cost. The teeter-hub design also makes it possible to deploy two blades, rather than three. This reduces installation cost, because the blades can be attached to the hub and nacelle on the ground and lifted into place with a single crane operation.

And Still More DOE Money, These Dollars to Support Smart Grid Technologies

DOE issued solicitations in late June for $3.9 billion in grants to support the development and demonstration of smart grid technologies. Smart grid technologies involve adding communication capabilities and control systems to the electrical grid. Just as the Internet drastically changed how people use their home computers, adding communications to the power grid is expected to change how people use electricity, resulting in improved home energy management for the homeowner, greater demand control for the utility, and a more reliable power grid overall. Smart grids are also expected to better accommodate the use of renewable energy, all forms of on-site power production, and electric vehicles.

DOE's new solicitations include a $3.3 billion Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for the Smart Grid Investment Grant Program, which is intended to enable smart grid functions on the nation's electrical grid as soon as possible. The cost-shared grants will support the manufacturing, purchasing, and installation of existing smart grid technologies that can be deployed on a commercial scale, with a maximum award of $200 million. Applications are due on August 6. DOE also issued an FOA for $615 million to identify and develop new and more effective smart grid technologies. The Smart Grid Demonstration Program will support demonstrations of the innovative use of emerging technologies in the power grid, with a maximum award of $100 million. Applications are due on August 26. Both solicitations are funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Download the FOAs by searching the public opportunities on FedConnect for reference numbers DE-FOA-0000058 for the Smart Grid Investment Grant Program and DE-FOA-0000036 for the Smart Grid Demonstrations Program.

As DOE works to help deploy the smart grid, the U.S. Commerce Department is working to develop the technical standards that will govern its construction. A smart grid will require smart electric meters, smart home appliances, and utility systems to work together. The system must allow for upgrades to handle electric vehicles and new power sources, and be secure against outside tampering. Standards will also aim to avoid utility investments in technologies that may quickly become outmoded. As the first step to creating smart grid standards, the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released a 290-page report, prepared by the Electric Power Research Institute, to identify the issues and priorities for developing such standards. NIST released the report in mid-June and opened it to public comment with a Federal Register notice on June 30. Comments are due by July 30.

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke Takes Key Step to Address Patent and Trademark Office Challenges

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced the appointment of former USPTO official and long-time patent professional Nicholas Godici to look at ways to strengthen the management structure of the USPTO and provide an up-to-date assessment of the challenges the office faces. Godici, hired by current Acting Under Secretary for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director John Doll at Locke's request, will work with USPTO officials to identify areas of concern and to assist in the transition to a new director. He will serve as a consultant for a period of up to 180 days. On June 18th, President Obama nominated David Kappos, a patent professional with more than 20 years of experience, to be the next USPTO director.

Nicholas Godici worked at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for 33 years. He began as a patent examiner and eventually rose through the ranks to become Commissioner for Patents from 2000-2005. In that capacity, he was responsible for managing all aspects of the patent business organization. From January-December 2001, he also served as the Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Acting Director of the USPTO. He represented the United States in several international negotiations involving intellectual property issues and agreements with other countries. Godici currently serves as an executive advisor with the intellectual property law firm Birch, Stewart, Kolasch and Birch, where he specializes in intellectual property consulting. Godici received his bachelor’s degree in engineering mechanics from Penn State University and his certificate of advanced public management from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.

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REPORTS, DOCUMENTS OF NOTE & INFO RESOURCES

Government Accountability Office Reports

GAO Enlists New Technologies to Report Its Findings - The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), known as the “investigative arm of Congress,” has established a presence on YouTube and Twitter to help users of such sites stay informed about GAO’s work. GAO has posted many of its videos, including those from its Recovery Act and Transition web pages, on the YouTube channel, a free online video sharing service increasingly used by federal agencies as a communication tool. The main featured video is “More Than Numbers,” a recruitment video based on news coverage of GAO’s work. GAO is also providing links back to the underlying reports or testimony to assist viewers interested in reading more about the agency’s findings, conclusions, and recommendations.

Through its Twitter account, GAO alerts individuals when a GAO product is issued. The agency has created two Twitter feeds, one for reports and testimony and another for legal products. To follow GAO work, users can go to one of these links, set up their own Twitter account, and then automatically receive notices whenever GAO releases a product.

More than 50 federal agencies and several members of Congress now use Twitter, a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows users to send and read each others’ updates, as part of their public outreach efforts.

National Science Foundation

A list of all recent NSF engineering discoveries

The National Academies Podcasts 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.

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U.S. STATES

Stateline.org 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.

Stateline.org's annual report on state trends and policy, "State of the States 2009" is now available. The report is full of helpful graphics and maps, in addition to reports on the most significant developments in the 50 states.

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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

NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics  (S-STEM) - This program makes grants to institutions of higher education to support scholarships for academically talented, financially needy students, enabling them to enter the workforce following completion of an associate; baccalaureate; or graduate-level degree in science and engineering disciplines. Grantee institutions are responsible for selecting scholarship recipients, reporting demographic information about student scholars, and managing the S-STEM project at the institution. The program does not make scholarship awards directly to students; students should contact their institution’s Office of Financial Aid for this and other scholarship opportunities. Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (optional) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):

August 11, 2009 (for the September 14, 2009 competition)
July 14, 2010 (for the August 12, 2010, competition)
July 13, 2011 (for the August 11, 2011, competition)

IEEE-USA Awards

***The deadline for nominations for all IEEE-USA Awards is 31 July 2009. ***

Do you know someone who should be recognized for their contributions to IEEE or the engineering profession? If you do, you can get involved in the IEEE-USA Awards nomination process. This year we're making the nomination process easier. Nominations for professional awards can be entered and submitted online at: www.ieeeusa.org/volunteers/awards/forms.html

IEEE-USA Awards are given to recognize professionalism, technical achievement, and literary contributions to public awareness and understanding of the engineering profession in the United States. Professionalism is characterized by efforts which advance the standing of members in the professions served by IEEE. Example activities are:

• Promotion of science and math education in pre-college education
• Promotion of professional awareness with college students
• Educating members on non-technical skills to advance and maintain their careers
• Educating the public on the positive impact of the professions served by IEEE

IEEE-USA awards include:

• www.ieee.org/portal/pages/about/awards/index.html
• www.ieee.org/portal/pages/about/awards/othawd.html

New for 2009 - IEEE-USA Establishes New Award for Leadership in Entrepreneurial Spirit

IEEE-USA has established the IEEE-USA Entrepreneur Achievement Award for Leadership in Entrepreneurial Spirit to honor individual IEEE members for furthering entrepreneurial growth and spirit in the United States. The award recognizes members whose perseverance and visionary efforts have created "a successful business that has commercialized technology products or services," and "advanced society through commerce and community improvement."

"U.S. high-tech entrepreneurs are at the forefront of creating quality jobs in the United States and advancing U.S. competitiveness," said IEEE-USA Entrepreneurial Activities Committee co-Chair Mauro Togneri. "We established this award because we think these entrepreneurs should be recognized for the key role they play in strengthening the U.S. economy."

Nominations are open to all IEEE members who demonstrate the entrepreneurial spirit, support IEEE's goals and improve the image of engineers or the engineering profession.

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LATEST IEEE-USA & IEEE ACTIVITIES

IEEE-USA In The News Recent IEEE-USA Letters to Congress & the Administration

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 Honors NASA on 40th Anniversary of Lunar Landing

IEEE-USA is honoring NASA on the 40th anniversary of the lunar landing on 20 July 2009 in a commemorative print publication and through public radio announcements.

One tribute appears as an advertisement in "The First Giant Leap for Mankind: A Publication Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11," which has been distributed to NASA facilities and contractors, government agencies, professional and trade associations, as well as to the general public at NASA visitor centers.

In it, IEEE-USA stated: "Members of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, working for NASA and its industry contractors, helped make those historical first steps with Apollo 11 a reality. And 40 years later, engineers, computer scientists, and allied professionals are still helping to push back the frontiers of space while developing new technologies that fuel our economy and create jobs here on earth."

To view the ad, go to: http://www.ieeeusa.org/communications/promolibrary/files/Apollo11_ad.pdf.

On 20 July 1969, NASA's Apollo 11 mission was the first in which man set foot on the moon. After Commander Neil Armstrong descended the lunar module Eagle, he declared, "That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." He was followed by Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr. The third member of the crew, Michael Collins, remained in lunar orbit aboard the command module Columbia.

In addition, during July, IEEE-USA is highlighting the 40th anniversary and recognizing the role of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., through IEEE-USA's weekly promotional announcements on WETA-FM, Washington's "all classical" public radio station, with some 400,000 local listeners.

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.

Got an Idea For an IEEE-USA E-Book?

If you've got an idea for an e-book that will educate your fellow IEEE members on a particular topic of expertise, e-mail your e-book queries and ideas to IEEE-USA Publishing Manager Georgia Stelluto.

IEEE-USA Workshop, "STEM Measures for Innovation and Competitiveness" 22-23 October 2009 IEEE-USA is organizing a STEM workshop at George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 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.

Former IEEE-USA Government Fellow News

Dr. Sherry J. Gillespie has joined Defined Business Solutions, LLC as the Vice President of Technology Management. DBS President Catherine Ortiz said Gillespie offers direct and deep experience in advanced technology management, policy development, and global research initiatives. "Dr. Gillespie has an impressive, established reputation in the industry with a 30-year history of international collaborations, university partnerships, cross-discipline industry projects, and industry-wide joint development initiatives," said Ortiz.

In 2008, Dr. Gillespie served as an IEEE-USA Congressional Fellow on the staff of Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) where she produced legislation for the Senate Armed Services Committee on the acquisition of semiconductors for the Department of Defense and supported Senator Lieberman's innovation agenda.

Dr. Gillespie's previous work included directing leading-edge projects in wireless communications, advanced memories, chip patterning, nanotechnology and strategic materials. While in the industry, she led significant collaborations with Nanjing University (China) in dielectric materials research; with Matsushita Electric Corp. (Japan) in ferroelectric materials development; and, with the University of Buenos Aires (Argentina) in the emerging area of molecular electronics, a strategic alliance for research.

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Top of Page | What's New@IEEE | IEEE-USA

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.

You can change your IEEE-USA Eye on Washington subscription status by using the forms at http://www.ieeeusa.org/communications/emailupdates/default.asp

Copyright © 2009, The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.  Permission granted to copy for personal use or for non-commercial republication with appropriate attribution.