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Office of Science and Technology Policy Blog

  • OSTP Releases Federal STEM Education Portfolio

    Posted by Michael Feder and Chelsea Martinez on December 9, 2011 at 4:37 PM EDT

    In the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act, signed into law by President Obama in January 2011, Congress called upon OSTP to oversee creation of a detailed catalogue of all Federal STEM education programs. Today, in response, OSTP released The Federal Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Portfolio, a comprehensive listing of STEM education investments curated by Federal agencies. The report is a product of the Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education (CoSTEM) of the National Science and Technology Council, the cabinet-level interagency group that coordinates Federal science and technology policy and is administered by OSTP.

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  • Championing Change for Women in Science

    Posted by Mary Maxon on December 8, 2011 at 6:57 PM EDT

    Graduating Howard University senior Bianca Bailey is an impressive international engineering role model. As a chemical engineering major at Howard and President of Engineers without Borders, which supports sustainable infrastructure development around the world, Bianca has traveled to Kenya, Brazil, and Haiti to volunteer on numerous engineering projects. But her path to renown wasn’t easy.

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  • Federal Cybersecurity R&D Strategic Plan Released

    Posted by Aneesh Chopra and Howard Schmidt on December 6, 2011 at 1:38 PM EDT

    Today, OSTP is releasing Trustworthy Cyberspace: Strategic Plan for the Federal Cybersecurity Research and Development Program—a road map to ensuring long-term reliability and trustworthiness of the digital communications network that is increasingly at the heart of American economic growth and global competitiveness. 

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  • Opening Our Oceans With Data.Gov

    Posted by John P. Holdren and Aneesh Chopra on December 6, 2011 at 11:29 AM EDT

    [Ed. Note: Cross-posted from the National Ocean Council blog]

    Today, we are pleased to announce the release of ocean.data.gov, the newest community on Data.gov.  This effort is the result of two important initiatives of the Obama Administration: the development and implementation of the National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, our Coasts, and the Great Lakes and the creation of Data.gov to make Federal data more accessible to the American people.

    Since President Obama signed the Executive Order establishing a National Ocean Policy, the Administration has been working steadily to implement this policy.  One cornerstone of the policy is the Framework for Effective Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning, a science-based, regional planning process conducted jointly with states and tribes that guarantees the public and stakeholders a voice in decisions affecting the ocean.   Making the science that is available to the Federal Government accessible to all ocean users is a key to the success of this initiative.   That’s why the National Ocean Council has teamed with the Data.gov initiative to create an open and accessible website that houses and references a wealth of information and tools available to support ocean planning efforts.  

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  • 22 Regions Across America Race to the Rooftop for Solar Power

    Posted by Cyrus Wadia on December 2, 2011 at 1:44 PM EDT

    President Obama’s comprehensive energy plan included the pairing of investments in research and development with process improvements to reduce the bottlenecks and red tape associated with clean-energy technology deployment.  The Department of Energy responded with the Rooftop Solar Challenge – a chance for local and regional teams to drive significant improvements in the market for solar panels in their communities and throughout the United States by identifying best practices to make installing solar energy cheaper and less cumbersome.

    The results were overwhelming.  Forty-six applicants from 17 states applied with approaches to reducing bureaucratic barriers and “soft costs,” such as administrative and permitting requirements, which can stifle the deployment of new technologies.

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  • A Milestone for Expediting Air Traffic Modernization

    Posted by Aneesh Chopra on December 1, 2011 at 10:44 AM EDT

    Yesterday, the President’s Chief Performance Officer Jeff Zients unveiled the Federal Infrastructure Projects Dashboard, an open government initiative that tracks the progress of high priority infrastructure projects as they are expedited through their regulatory review and permitting processes.

    In October I highlighted the importance one of these projects, a Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen, pilot project in Houston.  NextGen is a comprehensive modernization of our Nation’s air traffic infrastructure, with the potential to save time and money for air travelers while delivering environmental benefits for communities on the ground.

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