Big ideas for the future is a joint report by Universities UK and Research Councils UK, published as part of the second annual Universities Week campaign. This new report explores the excellent research taking place in UK higher education today and what it will mean for us in 20 years' time. It demonstrates the value of public investment in higher…

The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) is the U.S. Government's crosscutting program that coordinates Federal research and development (R&D) activities in nanoscale science, engineering, technology, and related efforts among various participating agencies. The Federal Government launched the NNI in FY 2001 with an initial $500 million…

This report addresses an opportunity to accelerate progress in virtually every branch of science and engineering concurrently, while also boosting the American economy as business firms also learn to exploit these new capabilities. The successful rapid advancement in both science and technology creates its own challenges, four of which are…

Discusses the enhancement of economic leadership by improving workers' skills, supporting research and development and encouraging investment that applies to technological innovations. Suggests a relationship between national rates of capital investment and increases in productivity and economic growth. (RT)

Discusses the relationship and contributions of research and development (R&D) to productivity growth in the United States. Focuses on the impacts of industrial R&D and presents study results on trends in productivity. (ML)

Reports on aspects of technological change essential to economic progress in the United States. States that workers need to be more adaptable, research needs to be more focused, and managers need to be more open-minded. (RT)

Suggestions of how a university should go about the task of technology transfer are presented. Two important lessons to relate include: the imperative of a decision-making infrastructure and maintaining perspective. Experiences at the University of Houston when a professor made some discoveries in high-temperature semiconductivity are described.…

Discusses the increasing importance of cooperative or joint R&D, including R&D Consortia, for private sector companies. Cites successful government-sponsored cooperative efforts which have made a difference in how private industry viewed technology and R&D. (RT)

Sustained investment in science and engineering research and education in universities in the United States is advocated as a means of progressing economically. Information related to economic advancement is provided through summaries of recent trends in research, education, and economics. Ideas and data are reviewed in reference to: (1) the need…

Cooperative arrangements between academic institutions and industry are examined, with attention to linkages in high technology research and development (R&D), the commercial application of R&D (technology transfer), and the preparation and continuing development of scientific and engineering personnel. Incentives and barriers to campus/corporate…

Traces the decline in United States productivity growth since the late 1960's. Suggests that the failure to innovate, changing demographics, and disruptions to the economy (including oil price increases and inflation) are major contributors to the decline. Argues that American living standards will stagnate unless this trend is reversed. (TW)

Studied influence of age and research support on frequency of technical innovation and economic growth in United States between 1929-1984. Found research support and age influenced number of patents awarded which, in turn, influenced deviations in gross national product. Concluded that development and maintenance of creative potential needs…

To become one of the world's most innovative countries, Canada requires a national innovation strategy for the 21st century. It is progressing toward a more innovative economy, but lags behind many developed countries in terms of overall innovation performance. A national innovation strategy to meet Canada's innovation challenge proposes goals,…

Uses the rapid rise and fall (within two years) of Clinton's industrial technology policy as an example of the creation and delegitimization of political ideas in federal government. Compares the shifting opinions on this policy to similar experiences with other policies, most notably nuclear power. (MJP)

The world needs a socioeconomic strategy--a set of interrelated policies that recognize that social and institutional changes at all levels of society are necessary to realize fully the technical and economic potential of new technologies. An assessment and dissemination of how different countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and…