Doubling Research Budgets

With enactment of the America COMPETES Act, the US set the basic research agencies -- National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) -- on a path to doubling their research budgets.

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Nearly two-thirds of papers cited in the U.S. patent applications were supported through federal funding, according to the AAAS report. However, applying the results of the research and getting the new technologies to the market is often the sticking point. This gap is often referred to as the "Valley of Death."

Commercialization in Small Business with Public-Private Partnerships

In addition to programs, like the Technology Innovation Program at NIST, which helps small high-tech entrepreneurs bring new technologies to the market, one of the policy strategies is to create public-private partnerships. Government funding can mitigate some financial risk -- which can lead to a faster pace of innovation -- and the private sector can ensure that the new technologies can get over the Valley of Death and to the market.

Advanced Vehicle Technology Act

Provides the most comprehensive authorization to date for long-term sustained funding of public-private vehicle R&D and commercial application activities in the DOE Vehicle Technologies Program.

The Manufacturing Extension Partnership at NIST

This is the only program of its kind to help keep small American manufacturers on the cutting edge by enhancing growth, improving productivity and expanding capacity.

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy, (ARPA-E)

Modeled after the highly successful Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, received an overwhelming response -- 3,700 white papers -- far exceeding anyone's expectations. There is pent-up need for this type of transformational technology development that will result in green jobs here in the U.S.

America COMPETES Act

Reauthorization is due in 2010 to improve science, technology, engineering, and math education, to develop a skilled workforce to develop and manage new technologies.

"When I graduated from college, I competed with graduates from my community for jobs. A few years later, graduates were in competition with jobseekers from all over the country. When my 8-year-old daughter graduates from college, she will compete with graduates from all over the world. The world is getting smaller, and that's why it's critical that the U.S. ensures its places as a leader in innovation for years to come," summarizes Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.), chair of the US House Science and Technology Committee. 

We need not only to keep producing the world's best scientists and engineers, but we need to ensure that all of our children are prepared to step into the technical, high-paying jobs of the next century. I'm encouraged that the White House had been engaged on this issue, with the president's speech this week and the release of a white paper on a strategy for innovation.

The U.S. has a vested interest in ensuring that we develop not only new technologies but also better ways to make existing products. Half the world's workers make less than $2 per day. We cannot -- and do not want to --compete on wages. We need to have faster, more efficient means of production to ensure that products are made here in the U.S.

Changes in technology are the only source of permanent increases in productivity, according to a 2001 report by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

The Manufacturing Extension Partnership at NIST is the only program of its kind to help keep small American manufacturers on the cutting edge by enhancing growth, improving productivity and expanding capacity.


He points out that technological innovation surpasses financial and real estate economic benefits.  Hmmm....

"About half the growth in our GDP since World War II is related to development and adoption of new technologies.  We spend less than 3 percent of our GDP on R&D, which offers an incredible return on investment, for the government and businesses alike. Unlike the recent boom and bust of the financial and real estate markets, technological advancements can provide long-term, sustainable economic growth."

Read more of Rep. Gordon's excellent editorial. 

The Nov 24 '09 announcement of $80 million in Recovery Act funds for workforce training marks the first in a series of HITECH grant programs to address our nation's growing need for highly skilled and trained health IT professionals.  The development of this workforce will have a significant impact through job creation in two fields - technology and health care - that comprise a significant portion of our economy.

The HITECH Act seeks to improve patient care and make it patient-centric through the creation of a secure, interoperable nationwide health information network. A key premise is that information should follow the patient, and artificial obstacles -- technical, bureaucratic, or business related -- should not be a barrier to the seamless exchange of information. Therefore, secure information exchange needs to occur across institutional and business boundaries so that the appropriate information is available to improve coordination, efficiency, and quality of care.  HITECH grant programs are designed to support these goals through diverse activities.

Health Information Technology Extension Program

This program provides grants for the establishment of Health Information Technology Regional Extension Centers that will offer technical assistance, guidance and information on best practices to support and accelerate health care providers' efforts to become meaningful users of Electronic Health Records (EHRs). The consistent, nationwide adoption and use of secure EHRs will ultimately enhance the quality and value of health care.

Learn more about the Health Information Technology Extension Program

These grant programs will support states and/or State Designated Entities (SDEs) in establishing health information exchange (HIE) capacity among health care providers and hospitals in their jurisdictions. Such efforts at the state level will establish and implement appropriate governance, policies, and network services within the broader national framework to rapidly build capacity for connectivity between and among health care providers. State programs to promote HIE will help to realize the full potential of EHRs to improve the coordination, efficiency and, quality of care.

Learn more about the State Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program 

How can we strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness by making government more transparent, participatory, and collaborative?

Participate!

Open Government Dialogue is a website by the National Academy of Public Administration that opens idea contribution to the public.  Read...and share your ideas at: http://opengov.ideascale.com/

Categories include Transparency, Participation, Collaboration, Capacity Building, and Legal & Policy Challenges.

On January 21st, the President issued the Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government, calling for an unprecedented level of openness in government. In the memorandum, the President outlined three principles for promoting a transparent and open government: transparency, participation, and collaboration. Now, the President is calling on you to help shape how that commitment is fulfilled. This online brainstorming session, open from May 21st to 28th, 2009, will enable the White House to hear your most important ideas relating to open government.

This platform allows you to submit ideas, discuss and refine others' ideas, and vote the best ones to the top. We are seeking innovative approaches to policy, specific project suggestions, government-wide or agency-specific instructions, and any relevant examples and stories relating to law, policy, technology, culture, or practice. The National Academy of Public Administration, a Congressionally chartered, non-profit, non-partisan institution, is hosting this brainstorming session on behalf of the White House.

 

Creating a Learning Culture has chapters on strategy, practice, and technology demonstrate how to achieve immediate lasting results by encouraging curiosity and learning at all levels of the organization. Profiles of organizations (including General Motors, Home Depot, and WD-40 Company) using learning-focused approaches, accompany leading-edge research into how and why people best work together when learning as they work. This book is intended for business leaders and educators seeking innovative approaches to cultural transformation, with learning at the center of their corporate strategy.