U.S. Manufacturing Office Seeks Input on Program Design for $1B Initiative The U.S. Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office will hold its first workshop to help design a national network of regional manufacturing innovation hubs on April 25 at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. The event will be the first in a series of meetings to gather ideas from industry, academia and government participants on how to best structure the proposed National Network for Manufacturing Innovation. The president’s FY13 budget requests $1 billion for the initiative to create up to 15 regional institutes, which will help develop industry-relevant manufacturing technologies. Read the announcement…
Obama Administration Announces $200M in Data-Driven R&D Six federal departments and agencies today announced a total of $200 million in commitments to support R&D related to the manipulation of large data sets. The Big Data Research and Development Initiative will invest in efforts to improve our ability to extract knowledge from large collections of digital data. The announcement comes in response to recommendations issued last year by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, which found that the federal government was under-investing in data science. Learn more…
New SBA Online Portal to Connect Small Businesses with Corporate Supply Chains The SBA announced Supplier Connection, a private-public collaboration intended to help small businesses strengthen their revenue streams by gaining access to more than $300 billion in combined supply chain spending by a consortium of 15 of America’s largest corporations. Supplier Connection, a free online portal created by the IBM Foundation, allows small businesses to send information about their products and services to 15 large private sector companies. The Obama administration hopes it will help bridge the gap between small, nimble businesses looking for new opportunities and large corporations looking for innovative new ideas and diversity in their supply chains. Visit the Supplier Connection website…
Inside Higher ED: Stem Cells Revisted State level threats to stem cell research are on the rise as the policy debate at public universities heats up in Michigan and Nebraska. At the same time, the issue remains absent on the presidential campaign trail.Read more …
New Book Explores Methods to Foster Innovation in the Workplace Science writer Jonah Lehrer explores where innovative thoughts originate and how some companies are creating environments where they are more likely to occur. Read more …
Five Trends Shaping Workforce of Advanced Economies A growing skills mismatch and geographic imbalance are highlighted in the McKinsey Global Institute’s latest discussion paper, which explores the forces shaping new jobs created, who fills them, where they are located, and what they pay. Read more …
Nominations Open for Excellent K-6 Math and Science Teachers The nation’s highest honor for math and science teachers recognizes the most inspiring teachers. Awardees receive $10,000 from the National Science Foundation, professional development opportunities and more. Nominations are due April 1. Read more …
Benefits to Public Workers Cut by 43 States over Three Years NCSL highlights major changes in state retirement plans to address long-term funding issues from 43 states in 2009-2011. Read more …
Consumer Survey Reports U.S. Economic Model Broken A recent consumer survey found working Americans feel as worried about their financial situation today as they did a year and one-half ago. A striking 63 percent of respondents think the U.S. economic model no longer works for most Americans. Read more …
BLS Reports 3.1M U.S. Jobs Were Green in 2010 California had the largest number of green jobs and Vermont had the highest percentage of employment in green goods and services at 4.4 percent. Read more …
Patent Decision Could Be Setback for Life Sciences Industry A recent Supreme Court ruling could affect the patentability of life-sciences inventions developed at universities and other research institutions. Read more …
Minority Biomedical Entrepreneurship Conference in Cleveland The America21 Project and BioEnterprise are hosting the first annual event May 21-22. Attendees can connect with capital investment resources and learn about trends. Read more …