U.S. Advanced Manufacturing Partnership

06/22/2011

“We’re announcing several new commitments by the private sector, colleges, and the National Association of Manufacturers, to help make these partnerships a reality. Through these efforts, we’re going to make it possible for 500,000 community college students — half a million community college students — to get industry-accepted credentials for manufacturing jobs that companies across America are looking to fill. Because the irony is even though a lot of folks are looking for work, there are a lot of companies that are actually also looking for skilled workers. There’s a mismatch that we can close. And this partnership is a great way to do it.

So if you’re a company looking to hire, you’ll know exactly what kind of training went into a specific degree. If you’re considering attending a community college, you’ll be able to know that the diploma you earn will be valuable when you hit the job market.”

June 24, 2011 President Barack Obama

Friday, June 24th President Obama  launches the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP), a national effort bringing together industry, universities, and the federal government to invest in the emerging technologies that will create high quality manufacturing jobs and enhance our global competitiveness.  Investing in technologies, such as information technology, biotechnology, and nanotechnology, will support the creation of good jobs by helping U.S. manufacturers reduce costs, improve quality, and accelerate product development at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa. at 11:00 EDT.

The $5oo million initiative that President Obama announced to jump start the manufacturing sector will be allowcated by:

$ 70 million for robotics initiative

$300 million for national security industries

$100 million for research and job training

The event will be streamed live on the Carneie Mellon website. Chat with CarnegieMellon Twitter using #CMUObama.

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Building the 21st Century Grid

06/12/2011

The White House will highlight efforts on building new transmission lines and applying digital technologies to the electric system to enable the clean energy economy, ensure a secure and reliable grid, and foster innovation and jobs of the future.  

Building the 21st Century Grid

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100 Youth Roundtables

06/09/2011

The President made clear in his State of the Union address that we as a country must commit to winning the future: out-innovating, out-building, and out-educating the rest of the world. After his address, the President asked senior Administration officials to get on the road and host discussions with business leaders across the country.

In March, he also launched the “100 Youth Roundtables” Initiative, designed to dialogue directly with young people and move the needle substantively on policy and outreach on subjects like youth entrepreneurship, workforce development, energy & the environment, global poverty, racial & ethnic profiling, human rights, and LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) policy.

56 Comments | Civil Rights, Economy, Education, PBO, Technology | Permalink
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America’s Next Top Energy Innovator

05/01/2011

Department of Energy Launches “America’s Next Top Energy Innovator” Challenge

Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced a new program called “America’s Next Top Energy Innovator” to reduce the cost and paperwork for startup companies to license the Department of Energy’s 15,000 unlicensed patents, and start bringing more of these new energy technologies to the U.S. marketplace.

Starting on May 2, 2011, entrepreneurs may apply for any of these patents by submitting a business plan for how they propose to use them. A portfolio of up to three patents will cost an upfront fee of just $1,000, yielding a total savings of between $10,000 and $50,000.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory scientists found multiple uses for thin film lithium ion conductors – for batteries and for solar cells. | Photo courtesy of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory

5/1/11 11:30 PM EDT
President Obama announces that Osama Bin Laden is dead

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ENDEAVOUR

04/28/2011

Space Shuttle Endeavour (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-105) is one of two currently operational orbiters in the Space Shuttle fleet of NASA, the space agency of the United States. (The other is Atlantis.) Endeavour is the fifth and final spaceworthy NASA space shuttle to be built.

April 29th is the official launch date for space shuttle Endeavour on STS-134 STS-134. Space shuttle Endeavour will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3 (ELC-3) and the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) to the International Space Station.

Date: April 29, 2011 May 16, 2011
Mission: STS-134
Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle Endeavour
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center – Launch Pad 39A
Launch Time: 3:47 p.m. EDT 8:56 a.m. EDT

4 /29/11 Endeavour Launch Scrubbed - nasa.gov

5/16/11 Space shuttle Endeavour  lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on time at 8:56 a.m. EDT on its way to the International Space Station on its STS-134 mission and final flight.

61 Comments | PBO, Technology | Tagged: , | Permalink
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President Obama’s Town Hall @ Facebook HQ

04/19/2011

On April 20th, President Obama heads to California to hold a very special facebook town hall about the economy. The President will connect with Americans across the country to discuss the tough choices we must all make to put our economy on a more responsible fiscal path, while still investing in the innovation economy that makes America more competitive.

The event will be live streamed and questions will be taken over the web, so anyone can join. Facebook will be selecting questions to ask during the event and you can submit questions now by posting them on the facebook event’s wall.  Get started at the White House’s facebook page.

Here are the details:

RSVP at facebook.com/WhiteHouse

When: April 20th @ 1:45 PDT / 4:45 EDT

Where: Facebook HQ in Palo Alto

The event will be live streamed at both WhiteHouse.gov/live and facebook.com/WhiteHouse

To submit a question without a facebook account, use this form.

64 Comments | PBO, Political Action, Technology | Tagged: , , | Permalink
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President Obama’s Fiscal Policy 2011

04/14/2011

On Wednesday, April 13th President Obama gave a speech at the George Washington University and laid out his plan for a balanced approach to achieve $4 trillion in deficit reduction over twelve years, based on the values of shared responsibility and shared prosperity. The President’s approach borrows from the Bipartisan Fiscal Commission and builds on $1 trillion in deficit reductions in the President’s 2012 budget.

The President’s Framework focuses on four key pillars:

  • Budget Cuts. The President’s approach builds on the compromise reached last week and will save us $770 billion over twelve years.
  • Security Spending. Working with Secretary of Defense Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mullen we will find $400 billion in defense savings by 2023 while ensuring that our troops have the resources they need to protect our national security.
  • Health Care Costs. The President’s approach to reforming Medicare and Medicaid keeps our commitments to seniors, people with disabilities, and children while reducing health care spending.  By 2023, these reforms will help us save $480 billion and an additional $1 trillion in the decade after that.
  • Tax Reform. The President’s approach would eliminate the Bush tax cuts and limit itemized deductions for the wealthiest 2% of Americans – reducing the deficit by $320 billion over ten years.  The President is also calling on Congress to reform the individual tax code so that the amount of taxes you pay isn’t determined by what kind of accountant you can afford.

Check out this fact sheet to learn more about the details of the President’s framework.

President Obama’s Fiscal Policy Speech on April 13, 2011

150 Comments | Economy, Education, Energy, Health Care, Military, PBO, Security & Defense, Technology | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
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National Institute of Standards and Technology

03/10/2011

From automated teller machines and atomic clocks to mammograms and semiconductors, innumerable products and services rely in some way on technology, measurement, and standards provided by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Founded in 1901, NIST is a non-regulatory federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce. NIST’s mission is to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.

NIST carries out its mission in four cooperative programs:

  • the NIST Laboratories, conducting research that advances the nation’s technology infrastructure and is needed by U.S. industry to continually improve products and services;
  • the Baldrige National Quality Program, which promotes performance excellence among U.S. manufacturers, service companies, educational institutions, health care providers, and nonprofit organizations; conducts outreach programs and manages the annual Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award which recognizes performance excellence and quality achievement;
  • the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a nationwide network of local centers offering technical and business assistance to smaller manufacturers; and
  • the Technology Innovation Program, which provides cost-shared awards to industry, universities, and consortia for research on potentially revolutionary technologies that address critical national and societal needs.
  • Between 1990 and 2007, NIST also managed the Advanced Technology Program.

Obama Biden

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Responsible Scientific Research of Human Stem Cells

03/08/2011

Stem cells are cells found in all multi cellular organisms. They are characterized by the ability to renew themselves through mitotic cell division and differentiate into a diverse range of specialized cell types. Research in the stem cell field grew out of findings by Ernest A. McCulloch and James E. Till at the University of Toronto in the 1960s.

Stem cells can now be grown and transformed into specialized cells with characteristics consistent with cells of various tissues such as muscles or nerves through cell culture. Highly plastic adult stem cells from a variety of sources, including umbilical cord blood and bone marrow, are routinely used in medical therapies. Embryonic cell lines and autologous embryonic stem cells generated through therapeutic cloning have also been proposed as promising candidates for future therapies.

Source: http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/

On March 9, 2009 President Obama repealed a Bush-era policy that prevented federal tax dollars from being used to fund research on new lines of  stem cells.

Obama Biden

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2011 International Year of Chemistry

01/06/2011

The year 2011 has been designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) as the International Year of Chemistry (IYC; see IYC 2011).  This will provide those in chemistry and related disciplines with a unique opportunity to (in the words of the official IYC site) “celebrate the achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the well-being of humankind.”

Formula for chocolate

Obama Biden

88 Comments | Education, PBO, Technology | Tagged: , | Permalink
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