IEEE-USA Eye on Washington No. 14, 4 August 2009

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Vol. 2009, No. 14 (4 August 2009)
125 Years of Innovation and Ingenuity

CAPITOL HILL

Congress Honors the 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11 Moon Landing

House Hearing Highlights Women in Science

Hearing Witnesses Tell Congress "Grid Must be Updated"

THE WHITE HOUSE

President Honors Outstanding Early-Career Scientists

FEDERAL AGENCY ACTIVITY

NIST Awards ARRA Dollars to Universities for Research

REPORTS, DOCUMENTS OF NOTE & INFO RESOURCES

Government Accountability Office Reports

Peer-to-Patent Project Releases Second Anniversary Report

Carnegie Commission Report on Improving STEM Education

U.S. STATES

AWARDS & GRANTS

Nominations Open for New Award Recognizing Outstanding Researcher-Entrepreneurs

National Science Foundation

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Opportunities

LATEST IEEE-USA & IEEE ACTIVITIES

IEEE-USA Sponsors Atlanta Conference on Science and Innovation Policy

Past, Current White House Science & Technology Advisers to Speak at STEM Enterprise Workshop

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

CAPITOL HILL

Congress Honors the 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11 Moon Landing

In July, the House passed H. Res. 607, Celebrating the Fortieth Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing. House Science and Technology Committee Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) and Ranking Member Ralph Hall (R-TX) sponsored the resolution, and the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Committee Chairman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and Ranking Member Pete Olson (R-TX) cosponsored. The resolution honors the brave crew of Apollo 11 - Neil Armstrong, "Buzz'' Aldrin, and Michael Collins - along with all of the individuals and organizations who contributed to the achievement.

House Hearing Highlights Women in Science

The House Committee on Science and Technology, Subcommittee on Research and Science Education recently held a hearing on the participation of women in the sciences. Subcommittee Chairman Daniel Lipinski (D-IL) said, "Over the past decades, girls and women have made substantial gains in breaking down barriers in both education and the workforce. However, women's participation rates in certain STEM disciplines remain disproportionately low. According to NSF, although women earned more than half of all science and engineering bachelor's degrees in 2006, they earned only about 20 percent of degrees in engineering, computer science, and physics." This figure is supported by numbers compiled by the American
Institute of Physics Statistical Research Center. Ranking member, Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) echoed Lipinski's sentiment, calling math and science education "essential to the future of American economic competitiveness" and declaring that the "lack of female participation in these areas is a great hindrance that must be remedied." Ehlers also voiced his "dismay" that women only make up 21 percent of physics bachelor's degrees.

Hearing witnesses included Alan Leshner, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS); Marcia Kropf, COO of Girls Incorporated; Sandra Hanson, Professor of Sociology at Catholic University; Barbara Bogue, Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics and Women in Engineering at Penn State College of Engineering; and Cherryl Thomas, President of Ardmore Associates LLC, a construction management company.

Hearing Witnesses Tell Congress "Grid Must be Updated"

The House Science Subcommittee on Energy and Environment explored the roles of both the federal government and industry in transitioning our aging power generation and distribution infrastructure into a smart grid.

"We're working on developing a new grid and a new pattern of energy generation at the same time," noted Subcommittee Ranking Member Bob Inglis (R-SC). "I ... wonder what the proper relationship between private and public investment is in a project like this that serves both interests together."

The U.S.' massive interconnected power grid is a century old and over-burdened. Witnesses unanimously said that modernization is imperative if we are to efficiently and reliably meet growing power needs. A smart grid would function as a two-way communication system offering utilities and consumers more information regarding electricity supply, consumption and price, which would ultimately transform patterns of electricity usage.

In terms of security, some Members expressed concern that by becoming more reliant on a high-tech power grid, the U.S. could actually become more vulnerable to attacks such as electromagnetic pulse (EMP) disruptions. An EMP could be created in a number of ways, but most security concerns focus on the creation of an EMP through the detonation of a nuclear weapon. An offshore detonation at high altitude could disrupt both an entire coast and regions hundreds of miles inland, effectively wiping out a majority of the power grid. While witnesses regarded an EMP attack as a worst case scenario, they also discussed the need for built-in security against more general cyber attacks. To read witness testimony, visit: http://gop.science.house.gov/Hearings/Detail.aspx?ID=160 (View a YouTube video from IEEE conference on SmartGrid. Read IEEE-USA's National Energy Policy Recommendations.)

THE WHITE HOUSE

President Honors Outstanding Early-Career Scientists

President Obama named 100 beginning researchers as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on young professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers. The recipient scientists and engineers will receive their awards in the fall at a White House ceremony.

FEDERAL AGENCY ACTIVITY

NIST Awards ARRA Dollars to Universities for Research

The Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced that it was awarding a total of over $55 million in grants to four universities for the construction of new scientific research facilities. The grants, funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, contribute to four major construction projects to build
state-of-the-art laboratory facilities devoted to a broad range of research topics, including the study of improved construction techniques to reduce losses from hurricanes, improved technologies for aquaculture, better methods and information to help preserve and maintain marine ecosystems, and advanced physics research in areas such as biophysics and nanoengineering. The cost-shared awards include:

* $15 million to the University of Miami (Miami, Fla.) for a Marine Technology and Life Sciences Seawater Research Building, matched by $28.8 million;

* $14.4 million to Auburn University (Auburn, Ala.) for a Center for Advanced Science, Innovation and Commerce, matched by an equal amount;

* $11.1 million to the William Marsh Rice University (Houston, Texas) for the new Brockman Hall for Physics, matched by $33.4 million; and

* $15 million to the University of North Carolina Wilmington (Wilmington, N.C.) for a new facility for the Marine Biotechnology in North Carolina (MARBIONC) program, matched by an equal amount.

REPORTS, DOCUMENTS OF NOTE & INFO RESOURCES

Government Accountability Office Reports

Federal Research: Information on the Government's Right to Assert Ownership Control over Federally Funded Inventions
GAO-09-742, July 27, 2009 Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 26 pages) Accessible Text

Assessing the Reliability of Computer-Processed Data (Supersedes GAO-03-273G)
GAO-09-680G, July 1, 2009 Summary (HTML) Full Report (PDF, 59 pages) Accessible Text

Electronic Health Records: DOD and VA Efforts to Achieve Full Interoperability Are Ongoing; Program Office Management Needs Improvement
GAO-09-775, July 28, 2009 Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 35 pages) Accessible Text Recommendations (HTML)

Electronic Health Records: Program Office Improvements Needed to Strengthen Management of VA and DOD Efforts to Achieve Full Interoperability
GAO-09-895T, July 14, 2009 Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 17 pages) Accessible Text

Energy and Water: Preliminary Observations on the Links between Water and Biofuels and Electricity Production
GAO-09-862T, July 9, 2009 Summary (HTML) Highlights Page (PDF) Full Report (PDF, 14 pages) Accessible Text

Peer-to-Patent Project Releases Second Anniversary Report - The report illustrates the growth that Peer-to-Patent underwent from the first year and details the results from the second year of public collaboration in the patent examination process. As a baseline, the first year data showed that an open network of reviewers could improve the quality of information available to patent examiners by producing relevant prior art for the claimed invention. The second year data, expanded on these results by illustrating that Peer-to-Patent reviewers possessed the time and motivation to voluntarily participate as a community in reviewing more patent applications covering broader subject matter. Most notably, reviewer dedication to the project grew as the project expanded. While Peer-to-Patent gained governmental, national and international notoriety, the USPTO has chosen not to extend the program.

Carnegie Commission Report on Improving STEM Education - Excellent mathematics and science learning for all American students will be possible only if we "do school differently" in ways that place math and science more squarely at the center of the educational enterprise. We need new school models that push the limits of practice at both ends of the instructional spectrum: re-engaging our most disconnected students in academically rigorous math and science education and placing them on pathways to graduation and postsecondary education, and providing opportunities for the most successful students in math and science to accelerate beyond what is traditionally available in high school.

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.

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.

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.

Nominations Open for New Award Recognizing Outstanding Researcher-Entrepreneurs - The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the National Postdoctoral Association announced that they are accepting nominations for the Outstanding Postdoctoral Entrepreneur Award, which recognizes a researcher who has successfully brought his or her discovery to market. Nominees must have completed postdoctoral training in the United States and founded companies to commercialize their scientific discoveries. (To learn more about eligibility requirements for the award, go here.) The winner of the award, which includes a $10,000 honorarium, will be announced at the NPA's annual meeting in March 2010 in Philadelphia. Learn more about the Outstanding Postdoctoral Entrepreneur Award. Click here for the nomination form. Nominations must be submitted electronically or by mail by 2 November 2009.

National Science Foundation - EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: Track-1 (RII Track-1) - The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is a program designed to fulfill the National Science Foundation's (NSF) mandate to promote scientific progress nationwide. The EPSCoR program is directed at those jurisdictions that have historically received lesser amounts of NSF Research and Development (R&D) funding. Twenty-seven states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands are currently eligible to participate. Through this program, NSF establishes partnerships with government, higher education and industry that are designed to effect lasting improvements in a state's or region's research infrastructure, R&D capacity and hence, its national R&D competitiveness. Track-1 (RII Track-1) awards provide up to $4 million per year for up to 5 years to support physical, human, and cyber infrastructure improvements in research areas selected by the jurisdiction's EPSCoR governing committee as having the best potential to improve future R&D competitiveness of the jurisdiction.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Opportunities - 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.

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 Sponsors Atlanta Conference on Science and Innovation Policy - Organized by Georgia Tech, the conference, set for Oct. 2-3 in Atlanta, looks at S&T-related innovation policy, with a topical focus on implications of globalization, workforce issues, and methods and data to assess science and innovation dynamics.

Past, Current White House Science & Technology Advisers to Speak at STEM Enterprise Workshop - Dr. John Marburger, who served as science adviser to former President George W. Bush, will be the keynote speaker during an IEEE-USA STEM enterprise event in Washington October. Kei Koizumi, assistant director for federal research and development at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy will also speak.

"STEM Enterprise: Measures for Innovation and Competitiveness" is designed to measure the impact and effectiveness of all federal, state, private and academic money spent on research and development in the STEM -- science, technology, engineering and math -- enterprise. Work in this area serves as the driving force for economic and social advancement in the United States and worldwide.

Marburger, former director of the Office of Science and Technology, is now a university professor of physics and electrical engineering at Stony Brook (N.Y.) University, where he served as president from 1980-84. Before coming to the Executive Office of the President, he was director of the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, N.Y. While working as a professor of physics and electrical engineering at the University of Southern California, he developed theory for various laser phenomena and co-founded USC's Center for Laser Studies.

Koizumi, who assisted President Barack Obama during the transition as a member of the Technology, Innovation and Government Reform Policy Working Group, works on federal R&D budget issues and tracks funding. He previously served as director of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Research and Development Budget and Policy Program. He was AAAS' principal budget analyst and author of its annual federal R&D spending reports.

Workshop Chair and former IEEE-USA Congressional Fellow Marty Sokoloski and the organizing committee have designed the event as a forum for STEM thought leaders to better measure the outcome and impact of R&D investment on society and quality of life.

"The economic health of the STEM enterprise is important to everyone, and policies put in place should be grounded and derived from basic incorruptible data and measures," Sokoloski said. "This will help us to better plan for a healthy and productive enterprise, future economic growth and steady innovation."

The event will be at George Washington University on 21 October from 8 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Registration is $100 and includes continental breakfast, lunch and coffee breaks.

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.

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