Topic:
Innovation and R&D
Latest Headlines
Latest Headlines
White House seeks fellows for 9 innovation projects
The White House began accepting applications for the second round of the Presidential Innovation Fellows program Feb. 5. The fellowships, which last up to a year, bring in talent from the private sector to help the federal government innovate.
GSA wants input on green building standards
The General Services Administration is seeking public comments on which green building certifications the federal government should use for new construction and modernization efforts. In a notice published Tuesday in the Federal Register , GSA announced a 60-day window for public comments on which certification systems "will be most likely to encourage a comprehensive and environmentally sound approach to the certification of green federal buildings."
USPS would benefit from international and continued green efforts
The Postal Service would be better poised for a long-term sustainable financial future if it increases revenue through improving logistical support for international small business commerce and cuts expenses by going green, say the service and its inspector general. It saved more than $52 million in 2012 through reduced consumption of energy, water, fuel and other resources.
NSTC sets goals for national manufacturing network
Up to 15 kinds of advanced goods and services will be created and managed from the research stage through final production and sale or patent-leasing through the proposed National Network for Manufacturing Innovation, says the National Science and Technology Council.
Gun lobby to blame for diminished gun-violence federal research, report says
Public funding for research into gun violence has dwindled since the mid-1990s, as a result of pressure from the gun lobby, says a new report from Mayors Against Illegal Guns. The advocacy group released the report Jan. 14 to mark one month after the Sandy Hook school shooting.
New, experimental products vital to USPS future
The Postal Service should turn to non-traditional products to help future funding shortfalls but it will need congressional support, say reports from the agency's office of inspector general and the General Accountability Office.
Energy establishes research hub for rare earth metals
To address the domestic shortage of rare earth metals, the Energy Department announced Jan. 9 that it has awarded $120 million over five years to start a new research center led by an Ames Laboratory team. Rare earth metals are critical to produce wind turbines, electric cars, fluorescent lights, smartphones and more.
White House to expand small business access to federal innovation, grants
The Obama administration plans to help small businesses access new markets more quickly by giving them better inroads to technology and other breakthroughs developed in federal laboratories, as well as expanding grant programs.
Spotlight: Air Force launches classified space plane, again
The AIr Force launched Dec. 11 a fully-automated space plane into orbit atop an Atlas V rocket on a classified mission that could last more than nine months . The plane, called the X-37B Orbital Test...
NHTSA proposes accident recorders inside all cars
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed a new standard for event data recorders in citizens' vehicles that would capture safety-related information in the seconds before and during an accident, extending the devices to all light passenger vehicles starting Sept. 1, 2014.
