Government Policy
Court: 'Pay-to-delay' generic drugs can be illegal
June 17, 2013 4:31 pm | by JESSE J. HOLLAND - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsDeals between pharmaceutical corporations and their generic drug competitors, which government officials say keep cheaper forms of medicine off the market, can sometimes be illegal and therefore can be challenged in court, the Supreme Court said Monday. The justices voted 5-3 to allow the government to inspect and challenge what it calls "pay-for-delay" deals or "reverse payment settlements."
Agilent announces compliance with RoHS directive
June 10, 2013 4:25 pm | News | CommentsAgilent Technologies Inc. announced that the majority of its electronic test and measurement products are now designed for compliance with the European Union’s restrictions on the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. Commonly referred to as RoHS, the European directive bans the sale of equipment containing more than the agreed level of lead, mercury, cadmium and other substances.
U.S. intelligence chief backs Internet spy program
June 8, 2013 11:53 pm | by JIM KUHNHENN - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsThe top U.S. intelligence official stressed Saturday that a previously undisclosed program for tapping into Internet usage is authorized by Congress, falls under strict supervision of a secret court and cannot intentionally target an American citizen. He decried the revelation of that and another intelligence-gathering program as reckless.
Retiring coal-fired plants in Nevada passes Senate
May 22, 2013 5:09 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Nevada Senate has endorsed NV Energy Inc.'s plan to retire its coal-fired plants and pave the way for the state's biggest electrical utility to transition to more renewable sources. After several revisions, SB123 was approved unanimously Wednesday and now moves to the Assembly.
U.N. chemicals summit expected to adopt new controls
April 27, 2013 1:42 pm | by JOHN HEILPRIN - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsAt the start of a major conference to regulate chemical and hazardous waste safety, top officials voiced optimism Saturday that delegates will approve new international controls on several industrial compounds and agree to clamp down on some cross-border pollution.
Satellite shelved after 2000 election to now fly
April 11, 2013 2:51 am | by Seth Borenstein, AP Science Writer | News | CommentsObama proposed Wednesday spending nearly $35 million in his 2014 budget to refurbish a satellite, nicknamed GoreSat by critics, that's been sitting in storage after it was shelved in 2001, months after Bush took office. It cost about $100 million by then with NASA's internal auditors faulting its cost increases.
NC renewable energy law diminished in House bill
April 4, 2013 9:24 am | by GARY D. ROBERTSON - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsA House panel on Wednesday narrowly approved an effort to scale back and ultimately repeal a 2007 law requiring North Carolina electric utilities to generate a percentage of their power through alternative sources and locate energy savings. The House commerce subcommittee voted 11-10 in favor of the bill that would cap renewable energy and efficiency requirements by power companies, electric cooperatives, and city-owned electric utilities at roughly half the level the law ultimately demands.
Obama to propose $100M brain mapping project
April 2, 2013 9:46 am | by NEDRA PICKLER - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsPresident Barack Obama is proposing a new research investment to map the human brain in hopes of eventually finding treatments for traumatic injuries and disorders like Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy. The president planned to propose an initial $100 million investment next year during remarks Tuesday morning. The White House said in a statement that the goal of the project—called the BRAIN Initiative for Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies—is "to revolutionize our understanding of the human mind" and create jobs.
Optimism in UN over 1st global arms trade treaty
March 27, 2013 9:25 pm | by EDITH M. LEDERER - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsThe first global treaty on regulating the multimillion-dollar arms trade appeared to be nearing consensus, supporters said, though worries remained that Iran, India, or other countries would back off an agreement that requires approval from all 193 United Nations member states.
Cyberwar manual lays down rules for online attacks
March 20, 2013 10:01 am | by Raphael Satter, Associated Press | News | CommentsEven cyberwar has rules, and one group of experts is putting out a manual to prove it. Their handbook, the Tallinn Manual, due to be published later this week, applies the practice of international law to the world of electronic warfare in an effort to show how hospitals, civilians and neutral nations can be protected in an information-age fight.
Researchers find German-made spyware across globe
March 13, 2013 5:28 pm | by Raphael Satter, Associated Press | News | CommentsA Canadian research center said Wednesday that it had identified 25 different countries that host servers linked to FinFisher, a Trojan horse program which can dodge anti-virus protections to steal data, log keystrokes, eavesdrop on Skype calls, and turn microphones and webcams into live surveillance devices. This finding doesn't necessarily mean those countries' governments are using FinFisher, but it is an indication of the spyware's reach.
Researchers map out an alternative energy future for New York
March 12, 2013 2:39 pm | by Rob Jordan, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment | News | CommentsHydraulic fracturing may soon be approved for the state of New York. However, a new study finds that it is technically and economically feasible to convert New York's all-purpose energy infrastructure to one powered by wind, water, and sunlight. The authors say that overall switch would reduce New York's end-use power demand by about 37% and stabilize energy prices.
White House: Cell phone unlocking should be legal
March 5, 2013 10:07 am | News | CommentsAn Obama administration adviser says the White House believes smartphone and tablet users should be allowed to unlock their phones and use the devices on the network of their choosing. The administration's opinion on the matter also goes for tablets, since they are becoming similar to smartphones.
In death, Facebook photos could fade away forever
March 4, 2013 8:17 am | by Lauren Gambino, Associated Press | News | CommentsA grieving Oregon mother who battled Facebook for full access to her deceased son's account has been pushing for years for something that would prevent others from losing photos, messages and other memories—as she did. The Oregon Legislature took up the cause as well, only to be turned back by pressure from the tech industry, which argued that both a 1986 federal law and voluntary terms of service agreements prohibit companies from sharing a person's information. Still, lawmakers pushed forward, seeking to treat digital information, from photos to intellectual property, as material property for estate purposes.
U.S. may face inevitable nuclear power exit
March 1, 2013 10:13 am | News | CommentsIn a 2012 report, the Obama administration announced that it was "jumpstarting" the nuclear industry and injected significant funding into two new nuclear reactor projects in Georgia. But this investment—the first of its kind in three decades—belies an overall dismal U.S. nuclear power landscape, according to a recently published report. Where Japan and many European countries responded to the Fukushima disaster with public debate and significant policy shifts in the nuclear arena, the U.S. has scarcely broached the subject.
NSF, partners to expand access to publicly-funded research
February 25, 2013 10:13 am | News | CommentsLate last week, the National Science Foundation , along with federal partners, announced its commitment to expand public access to the results of its funded research. This announcement follows a memorandum issued from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy directing science-funding agencies to develop plans to increase access to the results of federally funded research and improve the management of digital data produced through such research.
Russia, Kazakhstan may manage space base together
February 15, 2013 8:39 am | by Peter Leonard, Associated Press | News | CommentsRussia may suspend its lease for some facilities at the Baikonur space complex in Kazakhstan, opening the way for its joint administration by the two countries, a senior Russian space official says. The launch pad for satellite-deploying Zenit rockets at the complex will be the first facility to be reviewed, Roscosmos deputy head Sergei Savelyev told the Ivzestia newspaper in an interview published Thursday.
U.S. weighs tougher action over China cyberattacks
February 1, 2013 4:06 am | by LOLITA C. BALDOR - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsHigh-level talks with the Chinese government to address persistent cyberattacks against U.S. companies and government agencies haven't worked, so officials say the Obama administration is now considering a range of actions. China-based hackers have long been an economic and national security concern, but as cybersecurity experts report an increase in attacks, U.S. leaders are looking at ways to better address the threat and analyze its impact.
Reduce greenhouse gas by exporting coal?
January 16, 2013 9:36 am | News | CommentsWestern U.S. coal companies looking to expand sales to China will likely succeed, according to Stanford University economist Frank Wolak. But, due to energy market dynamics in the United States, those coal exports are likely to reduce global emissions of greenhouse gases.
Congress extends tax credits for wind, biofuels
January 2, 2013 6:15 pm | by DAVID PITT - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsThe wind energy and ethanol industries celebrated a victory Wednesday with the inclusion of tax credit extensions in the tax relief bill approved by Congress, but that may not mean lost jobs will come back anytime soon. The measure approved Tuesday night as part of the bill extending tax cuts for most taxpayers also helps wind energy and ethanol producers by extending tax credits, most of which expired Monday.
Asia Drives Growth in 2013 Global R&D
December 18, 2012 8:16 am | by Martin Grueber, Research Leader, Battelle and Tim Studt, Editorial Director, Advantage Business Media | Articles | CommentsGlobal R&D spending is forecast to grow by 3.7%, or $53.7 billion in 2013 to $1.496 trillion, according to research by analysts at Battelle, Columbus, Ohio, and R&D Magazine, Rockaway, N.J. The largest share of this increase, $22.9 billion, is expected to come from China, which continues its decade-long annual double digit increases in R&D investments.
The Uncertain State of U.S. R&D
December 18, 2012 8:08 am | by Martin Grueber, Research Leader, Battelle and Tim Studt, Editorial Director, Advantage Business Media | Articles | CommentsThe watchword heading into 2013 is uncertainty, and the effect on the U.S. research and development enterprise is more unclear than ever. The current economic condition and uneasy prospects for the future combined with a federal government funding projection that could range anywhere from flat to significant declines have limited the prospects for 2013.
FY 2013 U.S. Federal R&D Funding: Uncertain Future
December 18, 2012 8:01 am | by Martin Grueber, Research Leader, Battelle and Tim Studt, Editorial Director, Advantage Business Media | Articles | CommentsWith significant fiscal debates ongoing, a detailed discussion of FY 2013 federal R&D funding would be of limited value at this time. Instead we highlight a few key issues and describe how the current budget will likely be developed. For an up-to-date analysis of federal R&D appropriations, we recommend the AAAS R&D Budget and Policy Program.
Expenditure Impacts of U.S. R&D
December 18, 2012 7:52 am | by Martin Grueber, Research Leader, Battelle and Tim Studt, Editorial Director, Advantage Business Media | Articles | CommentsR&D is generally a long-term investment, building upon the results of previous years' expenditures, leading first to the generation of new knowledge through basic research and ultimately to products and services through applied research, development, and commercialization. These are considered to be functional impacts—benefits that occur as a function of the R&D's completion and often at a scale much larger than the original investment.
Academic R&D Growth Slows
December 18, 2012 7:46 am | by Martin Grueber, Research Leader, Battelle and Tim Studt, Editorial Director, Advantage Business Media | Articles | CommentsThe amount of R&D funded by U.S. academia is forecast to increase by 2.1% in 2013 to $12.7 billion. The amount of R&D performed by U.S. academia (funded by all sources) is expected to increase by 0.4% to $66.6 billion. Both of these values generally are well below 3% or larger range in previous Global R&D Funding Forecasts.
