Asia Research August 12, 2020 At the EmTech Asia organized by MIT Technology and industry in Singapore forty-five of the world’s most influential leaders and innovators participated. They discussed how emerging technologies will influence industries related to artificial intelligence, robotics, sustainability, healthcare, immersive media, and more. It brings together technical experts from all over the world and connect them with industry people…read more.
Tag Archives: S&T Policy
Whitepaper evaluates opportunities and risks of nanomaterials
Nanowerk August 4, 2020 An international team of researchers led by Italy provides an overview of the state‐of‐the‐art regarding risk governance of nanomaterials (NMs) and lays out the theoretical basis for the development and implementation of an effective, trustworthy, and transparent risk governance framework for NMs. The proposed framework enables continuous integration of the evolving state of the science, leverages best practice from contiguous disciplines and facilitates responsive re‐thinking of nanosafety governance to meet future needs. They developed a science‐based Risk Governance Council (RGC) for NM research. The framework to be expanded to relevant advanced materials and emerging technologies…read more. […]
NIST publishes final green paper on ‘Unleashing American Innovation’
Fedscoop April 24, 2019 The document, “Unleashing American Innovation” details options for enhancing how federally funded inventions move from the laboratory to the marketplace. The options include streamlining federal regulations, encouraging public-private partnerships, engaging with private-sector investors, building a more entrepreneurial workforce and more. The paper does not prescribe policy, but it does offer suggestions for how future policy might be crafted. According to the paper the government invests about $150 billion annually across 300 federal laboratories as well as U.S. universities and private sector R&D institutions. The Lab-to-Market CAP goal aims to get more of the innovations created out […]
Is defense acquisition at an ‘inflection point?’
Defense Systems April 19, 2019 A new Center for Strategic International Studies report found that in just two years, fiscal 2015 through 2017, Defense Department’s contract obligations increased more than 13 percent, three points higher than non-defense contracting. DOD’s total obligation authority grew just 5 percent. Starting in FY 2018, DOD put its focus on reform efforts and major organizational changes, namely acquisition system reform, moving to a commercial cloud (JEDI), and the 2018 defense spending bill’s general push for information technology services. Overall, the CSIS report found that defense acquisition is at an inflection point that will likely transform […]
Rising Asian Military Spending
Next Big Future April 6, 2019 By 2030, the countries with top defense spending are expected to be: USA with over 1 trillion (had $611 billion in 2016), China with $736 billion (had 215 billion in 2016), and India with $213 billion (had 56 billion in 2016). China, with $228 billion military expenditure in 2017 is the world’s second largest spender, with its share representing 13% of world’s total, compared to 5.8% a decade ago. By 2020, Asia-Pacific military spending will be about the same as North America. North America will be 33% of global defense spending down from about […]
MIT has just announced a $1 billion plan to create a new college for AI
MIT Technology Review October 15, 2018 The new college of computing is being built with $350 million in funding from Stephen A. Schwarzman, the CEO and cofounder of a private equity firm. The school will open next September. Under the recent initiative, the Quest for Intelligence, it aims to make breakthroughs in AI by bringing together researchers from cognitive science and neuroscience as well as computer science. According to the president of MIT the new approach was necessary because of the way computing, data, and AI are “reshaping the world”…read more.
New NSF funding to build research infrastructure across the country
NSF September 18, 2018 The National Science Foundation has awarded nearly $140 million to seven jurisdictions through the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), which builds research and development capacity in jurisdictions that demonstrate a commitment to research but have thus far lacked the levels of investment seen in other parts of the country. The new EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Track-1 awards will bolster science and engineering research infrastructure in Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire and New Mexico, each of which will receive five years of support…read more.
The synthetic biology revolution is now – here’s what that means
Cosmos magazine September 10, 2018 Synthetic biology was recognised as a priority area in the 2016 National Research Infrastructure Roadmap. In 2015 the synthetic biology component market (DNA parts) was worth $US5.5 billion – by 2020, it will approach $US40 billion. Those figures don’t count sales revenue from synthetic biology products. Road-maps and associated development structures have been developed through public agencies in many advanced economies, including the US , UK , EU , China , Singapore and Finland … read more.
The NSF 2026 Idea Machine!
NSF July 5, 2018 The NSF 2026 Idea Machine is a competition to help set the U.S. agenda for fundamental research in science and engineering. Participants can earn prizes and receive public recognition by suggesting the pressing research questions that need to be answered in the coming decade, the next set of “Big Ideas” for future investment by the National Science Foundation (NSF). It’s an opportunity for researchers, the public and other interested stakeholders to contribute to NSF’s mission to support basic research and enable new discoveries that drive the U.S. economy, enhance national security and advance knowledge to sustain […]
DHS Seeks BioWatch Laboratory Staffing Support
Global biodefense May 24, 2018 BioWatch currently maintains operational laboratories in approximately 30 jurisdictions across the country. The program must ensure each location is able to perform daily sample collection and analysis in a timely manner and be flexible enough to provide additional coverage for large special security or other high-risk events. The mission of the BioWatch program is to provide and maintain a continuous bio-terrorism air monitoring system in large metropolitan areas and coordinate with state and local public health communities to prepare for and respond to a bioterrorist event… read more. Solicitation