In this issue:
VOTE ON ASME’S 2011-2012 PUBLIC POLICY PRIORITIES!
Your help is needed in establishing the top five federal public policy agenda issue priorities for ASME to address during the legislative session for 2011 – 2012. ASME's Public Policy Agenda is a compendium of federal issues of concern to the Society put together from the results of a survey issued every two years by the ASME Government Relations team. ASME's 2009-2010 Public Policy Agenda is available to review at http://files.asme.org/asmeorg/newspublicpolicy/govrelations/17695.pdf
It might come as no surprise to you, but out of the 435 members in the U.S.
House of Representatives and the 100 in the U.S. Senate, only 11 have engineering
backgrounds. Policy decisions should be backed with sound science, engineering
and economics, so the Public Policy Agenda is a very important tool for the
Society as it will drive government relations activities and programs at the
federal level. This includes position
statements issued by ASME and its various groups and divisions, which are
available to review.
All ASME members can vote on the issues that they believe are having the biggest impact on ASME and engineers in general by completing our online policy survey at http://asme.checkboxonline.com/ppca1.survey. It will only take 10 minutes to fill out the survey.
As a thank you for taking this survey, you will have the option of being included in a drawing for one of three amazon.com gift cards valued at $100. Winners will be selected at random from all eligible entries. Employees and contractors of ASME and their immediate families (spouses and children) are not eligible to win. Void where prohibited.
As a member, your participation – your vote! – is vital to ensuring that ASME’s Public Policy Agenda represents your priorities to federal policymakers. Thank you in advance for completing the survey. We greatly appreciate your involvement in public policy issues that affect mechanical engineers and the engineering profession. Please share this email with other ASME members.
HOUSE SCIENCE MOVES AMERICA COMPETES REAUTHORIZATION BILL OUT OF COMMITTEE
Lawmakers this week in the House Science and Technology (S&T) Committee took the first step toward a broad reauthorization for the bipartisan America COMPETES Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-69), which authorized the gradual doubling in funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This bill was only authorized for three years however, and was set to expire at the end of the current fiscal year, making a reauthorization bill, for five years this time, imperative for retiring Committee Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) and his colleagues.
Thus, the Committee approved an amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 5116, “The America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010,” a bill introduced on earlier this month by Science and Technology Committee Chair Bart Gordon (D-TN). Chairman Gordon patiently waded through almost sixty amendments before the final measure was approved by a vote of 29 to 8.
Introducing the measure, Chairman Gordon observed “Investments in science, innovation, and education will help ensure that the U.S. maintains our scientific and economic leadership long into the future. I also believe that investing in research and development will add jobs to our communities.”
In short, this bill would:
- Support short-term programs like Innovative Technology Federal Loan Guarantees to address the immediate need of small- and medium-sized manufacturers to access capital to make necessary updates to become more efficient and stay competitive;
- Support mid-term programs like Regional Innovation Clusters to strengthen regional economies and advance the work done in a given field by leveraging collaboration and communication between businesses and other entities;
- Invest in basic research through reauthorization of the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science and the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST);
- Reauthorize the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy (ARPA-E) to pursue high-risk, high-reward energy technology development; and,
- Authorize Energy Innovation Hubs to help advance the U.S.’s transition to a clean energy economy.
Although this legislation adopts the same goals as the original COMPETES bill, there are some additions to it that make it different from the original. First, the COMPETES reauthorization authorizes the DOE Innovation Hubs for the first time, a favorite of Energy Secretary Steven Chu, that were created as part of the fiscal year (FY) 2010 budget. Second, the COMPETES reauthorization authorizes an Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship within the Department of Commerce, something that Secretary Locke created earlier this year, as well as a provision for loan guarantees for innovation clusters and for high technology manufacturing. It proposes a new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education program to be collaborated between the NSF and DOE that has some strikingly similarities to the forlorn RE-ENERGYSE program that was proposed in both FY 2010 and FY 2011, but has not been funded. Finally, this legislation also outlines funding levels for all the programs under the umbrella of the DOE Office of Science, something that was not contained in the original bill.
Although there was broad consensus on the fundamental goals of the COMPETES reauthorization, Chairman Gordon still found himself with a number of amendments to debate and consider. After voting down several amendments to reduce the authorization levels to three years, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) managed to gain sufficient support for an amendment to reduce the authorization for the ARPA-E program from ten years to five, which lines up with its funding outline. The total appropriation is $3.15 billion for ARPA-E from FY 2011 until FY 2015, this slightly below the $3.4 billion that was authorized in H.R. 5116, before the manager’s amendment.
A summary of the six titles of the bill is available at http://science.house.gov/press/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=2809.
The entire bill as approved may be viewed at http://democrats.science.house.gov/Media/file/Commdocs/markups/2010/Full/28apr/Amendment_in_the_Nature_of_a_Substitute.pdf.
For more information please visit http://science.house.gov/press/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=2806
HOUSE HEARING HIGHLIGHTS US SPACE INDUSTRY CHALLENGES
The House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces heard testimony last week on the Obama Administration’s interim Space Posture Review report and the Fiscal Year 2011 National Defense Authorization Budget Request for national security space activities. While the full Space Posture Review will not be completed until later this year, Defense Department officials expressed concern about the decline of the US space industrial base, echoing comments from former NASA officials and commercial space sector representatives at recent NASA oversight hearings.
In written testimony, Ms. Betty Sapp, Principal Deputy Director of the National Reconnaissance Office, wrote that, “Maintaining a healthy space industrial base is a matter of critical importance to our national security. In the history of the space age we have rarely been so reliant on so few space industry suppliers. Many suppliers are struggling to remain competitive as demand for highly specialized space components dwindles due to a niche government customer-base.” Ms. Sapp noted that R&D investment in particular has suffered over the last several years and that the government’s space industry suppliers will continue to face continuity challenges in keeping manufacturing lines up and running.
The Committee’s Ranking Member, Rep. Michael Turner (R-OH), expressed his concern about the industrial base for rocket launch technology, tying launch concerns in the Defense community to the Administration’s proposed changes for NASA’s Constellation Systems human spaceflight program. An additional sign of Congressional concern about US space policy last week was expressed by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND), who introduced a version of the 2011 Budget Resolution – yet to be debated by the Senate - which increased NASA’s budget by $700 million over the President’s request.
To review witness testimony as well as an archived webcast of the Subcommittee’s hearing, please visit: http://armedservices.house.gov/hearing_information.shtml
Paul Fakes handles public policy-related research and development (R&D)
issues for ASME. He can be reached at fakesp@asme.org
DOE ANNOUNCES 20TH ANNUAL NATIONAL SCIENCE BOWL
The Department of Energy has recently announced that students from 68 high school teams and 37 middle school teams will compete this weekend for championship titles in DOE’s 20th annual National Science Bowl in Washington, DC. The participating teams, from 42 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, will be quizzed on a range of science disciplines including biology, chemistry, earth science, physics and astronomy, as well as math; and vie for trophies and prizes, including $1,000 for their schools’ science programs, as well as an all-expense-paid research trip for the high school champion to study the ecosystems of Belize in Central America.
“The National Science Bowl is one important way to encourage our talented young people to direct their talents towards careers in science, mathematics, and our nation’s next technology revolution,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu.
Middle school question and answer competition activities begin on Saturday, May 1st at 9:30 AM at the National 4-H Conference Center in Chevy Chase, MD. High school team competition will begin on Saturday, May 1st at 3:30 PM with solving hands-on science problems. The high school question and answer competition begins Sunday, May 2nd at 10 AM. Also, on Sunday, May 2nd middle school teams will race model solar cars they have designed and built in a science bowl competition at the Bethesda Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, MD. Championship rounds will begin Monday, May 4th at 9:30 AM in the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. and will be followed by an awards ceremony.
Created in 1991, the National Science Bowl encourages students to excel in mathematics and science and to pursue careers in these fields. DOE supports mathematics and science education to help provide a technically trained and diverse workforce for the nation. The National Science Bowl is the nation’s largest academic competition of its kind.
For the full listing of middle school and high school teams and for additional information about the National Science Bowl visit http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/nsb/media.htm
Robert Rains handles public policy-related energy issues for ASME. He
can be reached at Rainsr@asme.org
NSF: U.S. COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES INVESTED $51.9 BILLION FOR R&D
IN 2008
According to recent data from the NSF, U.S. colleges and universities spent $51.9 billion on research and development (R&D) in 2008,. Entitled “Academic R&D Expenditures: FY 2008,” this report provides the results of NSF's annual survey of colleges and universities covering their separately budgeted R&D expenditures in science and engineering fields. The statistical tables provide spending data by type of institution, funding agency and field of research. Data also is included on expenditures for research equipment and for research at federally-funded R&D Centers (FFRDCs).
Turning to states, California led the country in overall R&D expenditures, spending $7 billion in 2008. Other top spenders include New York, Texas, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Every state except Alaska increased its R&D spending between 2003 and 2008. South Dakota colleges and universities led the nation in R&D spending growth during that period, increasing expenditures by 83.7 percent. Maine, Hawaii, North Dakota and North Carolina round out the top five states for growth in R&D expenditures.
Of the $51.9 billion spent on academic R&D in the U.S. in 2008, $31.2 billion originated from the federal government. State and local governments provided $3.4 billion of funds used for national academic research spending, industry sources provided $2.9 billion and institutional sources provided $10.4 billion. Alaska led the country in percentage of R&D funds from federal sources; however, federal support for the state decreased from 2007 levels while R&D expenditures fell overall. Washington, DC, Colorado, Vermont and Massachusetts were the other top spenders of federal R&D dollars.
“Academic R&D Expenditures: FY2008” is available to read at: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf10311/pdf/nsf10311.pdf
Paul Fakes handles public policy-related research and development (R&D)
issues for ASME. He can be reached at fakesp@asme.org
NIST JOINS TASK FORCE TO STUDY NEXUS BETWEEN INNOVATION AND PRIVACY
POLICY
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has joined a Commerce-Department-wide Internet Policy Task Force in order to identify leading issues in the U.S. affecting the private sector’s ability to realize the potential for economic growth and job creation through the Internet. The task force was announced last week by Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.
“Because of the vital role the Internet plays in driving innovation throughout the economy, the Department has made it a top priority to ensure that the Internet remains open for innovation while promoting an environment respectful of individual privacy expectations,” Locke said. “In these difficult economic times, nothing is more important to American prosperity than jumpstarting our engine of innovation.”
The Task Force is comprised of staff members from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the International Trade Administration (ITA), NIST and the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO), and will be coordinated through the Commerce Department’s Office of Policy and Strategic Planning.
In addition, by a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) published in the Federal Register, the Commerce Department is seeking public comment from all interested parties on the impact of current privacy laws in the United States and around the world on the pace of innovation in the information economy, i.e., do current privacy laws adequately serve consumer interests and fundamental democratic values.
On May 7, 2010, the Department will hold a public meeting to discuss stakeholder views and to further facilitate public discussion on privacy policy in the United States. After analyzing public comments in response to the NOI, the Department will issue a report contributing to the administration’s domestic policy and international engagement on privacy.
For more information, please visit www.commerce.gov/NewsRoom/PressReleases_FactSheets/PROD01_009159
The Federal Register notice may be viewed at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-9450.pdf
Robert Rains handles public policy-related NIST issues for ASME. He can
be reached at Rainsr@asme.org
A NEW BEGINNING: PRESIDENTIAL SUMMIT ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP
In his June 2009 speech in Cairo commonly referred to as “A New Beginning,” President Obama announced that the U.S. would host a Summit on Entrepreneurship to identify methods in which to deepen ties between business leaders, foundations, and entrepreneurs in the U.S. and Muslim communities around the world. The Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship, held in Washington, DC on April 26th and 27th provided an opportunity to highlight the importance of social and economic entrepreneurship, and strengthen mutually-beneficial relationships with entrepreneurs in Muslim-majority countries and Muslim communities around the world. The Summit also emphasized the broader aims of supporting entrepreneurship, innovation, and opportunity at home and abroad.
Participants were selected from around the world to represent their home countries, regions, and sectors at the Summit. They hail from over 50 countries on five continents and include successful entrepreneurs, investors, academics, and leaders of entrepreneurship networks, non-profit organizations, foundations, and businesses who are invested in promoting entrepreneurship.
Some provisions outlined during the summit as options to explore in order to bolster student exchanges were the following:
- Entrepreneurs for a New Beginning, a new two-way professional exchange program for rising business and social entrepreneurs;
- Science and Technology Education Exchanges which will explore how to nurture and support hands-on science education;
- Professional Technical Exchanges for Women, a new professional mentorship program for women from eligible countries who are working in the field of technology; and,
- Young Entrepreneurs Program that promotes entrepreneurial thinking, job creation, business planning and management skills to assist young professionals.
Biographies of Summit participants are available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/entrepreneurship_summit_participant_bios.pdf
To view a fact sheet about the summit please click here http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/fact_sheet_entrepreneurship_summit_deliverables.pdf.
A complete agenda can be found at http://www.state.gov/entrepreneurshipsummit/.
THE ARTICLES CONTAINED IN CAPITOL UPDATE ARE NOT POSITIONS OF ASME OR ANY OF
ITS SUB-ENTITIES, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY NOTED AS SUCH. THIS PUBLICATION IS DESIGNED
TO INFORM ASME MEMBERS ABOUT ISSUES OF CONCERN BEING DEBATED AND DISCUSSED IN
THE HALLS OF CONGRESS, IN THE STATES, AND IN THE FEDERAL AGENCIES.
EDITOR: Mary James Legatski, ASME Government Relations, 1828 L Street, NW,
Suite 906, Washington, DC 20036-5104.