IEEE-USA SmartBrief

Reading this on a mobile device? Try our optimized mobile version here: http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/enjtCfbwocfEoizhBXjp

March 14, 2013

Policy Watch

Senate bill would soften sequestration blow for science agencies
Senate Democrats are working on a bill that could help the National Science Foundation and other science agencies manage budget cuts resulting from sequestration. Although the agencies' 5% budget cuts would remain in place, the bill would allow more flexibility and avoid furloughs, among other plans. Last week, the House passed a bill that would fund agencies throughout the 2013 fiscal year and include $85 billion in spending cuts. ScienceMag.org/Science Insider blog (3/8)

Obama meets with STEM competition finalists
President Barack Obama met Tuesday with the 40 finalists of the Intel Science Talent Search. Seven past recipients have won Nobel prizes and 11 have received MacArthur grants since the competition was started by Westinghouse in 1942. The top 10 finalists received prizes of up to $100,000, and the next 30 received $7,500 each. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (3/12) , The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (3/11) , The White House Blog (3/12)

Ga. lawmakers reject controversial broadband bill
A bill that would have restricted public investment in broadband projects in Georgia was voted down last week by the state House. The so-called Municipal Broadband Investment Act would have prohibited municipalities from launching their own services if residents had access to Internet service of at least 3 megabits per second. At least 19 states have passed laws that restrict publicly funded networks. MediaPost Communications/Online Media Daily (3/8) , CivSourceOnline.com (3/5) , The Wall Street Journal (3/6)

Technology Trends

NSF investigates grant proposals for plagiarism
Nearly 100 cases of possible plagiarism have been discovered in National Science Foundation grants that have been funded in the last year, according to the agency's inspector general. The number of "substantive allegations of misconduct associated with NSF proposals and awards ... has more than tripled in the past 10 years, as has the number of findings of research misconduct," Inspector General Allison Lerner said at a congressional hearing. ScienceMag.org/ScienceInsider blog (3/8)

Push for research on spectrum sharing gets White House support
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is seeking research proposals for major advances in spectrum sharing. The effort has drawn support from White House officials, including Tom Power, the deputy chief technical officer for telecommunications, and Lawrence Strickling, an assistant secretary of commerce. InformationWeek (3/11)

Career & Workforce Development

Why the IT skills shortage may really be about compensation
Some IT industry watchers claim there is a critical talent shortage, while others feel it's more of a pay/wage issue and that companies advocating for more immigrant visas and green cards to acquire needed skills just want to pay less compensation. Peter Cappelli, professor of management and director of the Center for Human Resources at the Wharton School, said the talent crunch is more an affordability issue than an actual shortage of skilled IT workers. InformationWeek (3/7)