2009 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program

The Department of Defense will release the solicitation for its 2009 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program on Jan. 27. The program invites small high-technology firms and research institutions are encouraged to jointly submit proposals for high-quality cooperative R&D to solve the defense-related scientific or engineering problems set forth in the solicitation, especially those concepts that also have high potential for commercialization in the private sector. Phase I awards will receive up to $100,000. Proposals will be due Mar. 25. More information is available on the DoD SBIR/STTR Web Site at: http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir

Courtesy ERAU Grant Opportunities Update

Optical & Lightwave Test & Measurement and Fiber Rework Equipment, Servers, Storage & Large Quantity of High-End Opto-Electronic Components

Sale Opening: Tuesday, 3rd February 2009 at 4:00 AM EST
<http://nasatechinfo.net/r/?ZXU=774913&ZXD=123045>

Sale Closing: Thursday, 5th February 2009 at 5:00 PM EST <http://nasatechinfo.net/r/?ZXU=774914&ZXD=123045>

Please log in to www.Go-Dove.com <http://nasatechinfo.net/r/?ZXU=774915&ZXD=123045> and set your international preferences to obtain your local sale closing time.

Location of Assets: Columbia, MD USA

Assets in this sale include: <http://nasatechinfo.net/r/?ZXU=774916&ZXD=123045> <http://nasatechinfo.net/r/?ZXU=774917&ZXD=123045>

Test & Measurement Equipment:

Agilent 66000A Power Supply
Agilent 83430A Lightwave Transmitters
Agilent 83446A Lightwave Clock/Data Receiver
Anritsu MS-0909A Optical Loss Test Set/LD Source
Tektronix 80C01 22GHz 1100-1650nm Optical Sampling Module
Tektronix GB700R Error Detector
Tektronix GB700T Pattern Generator

Lasers, Laser Tables & Newport Equipment:

Agilent QFCT 5498D 1300nm Lasers
Alcatel, Fitel, JDS Uniphase & Sumitomo Lasers & Pump Lasers
Newport F-POL-APC Polarization Controller
Newport MFN-2525PP ESP Compatible Fiber Optic Tool
Newport PM500-C Precision Motion Controller
Newport Orion Meter
Newport TS150DC5 ESP Compatible Linear Stage
Santec 15xx nm Narrow Band Wavelength Locker
Santec MLS-1000 Mini Light Source
SDL RL30-8032-000 1480nm Raman Fiber Lasers
SDL VMLA-S1613 10GB/s Limiter Amplifier
Thorlabs MDE33oth Fiber Optic Unit

Fiber Rework Equipment:

Amherst Hot Fiber Strippers
Ericsson Automatic EFR & EFR 2000 Fiber Splicers
Fitel S182X Optical Fiber Fusion Splicer itel S918A Temporary Fiber Splicer

Servers & IT Equipment:

Compaq Servers
Sun Servers & Storage Arrays
Dell C800 Laptop Computer
Hewlett-Packard G95 & 3200 Fax/Scan/Copy/Print Multi-Function Machines
Hewlett-Packard Printers

Racks & Office Furniture:

Test Equipment Racks
Office Furniture, Including: Desk Sets, Chairs, Office Cubicles, Etc.

High End Components:

Large Quantity of High End Components, From Agilent, Alcatel, Corning, Dicon, E-Tek, Fitel, JDS Uniphase, Lucent, Microwave Distributors, Network Elements, Oplink, Santec, Sumitomo, Teraxion & Wavesplitter

Inspection: By appointment only

Click here for more details and to register <http://nasatechinfo.net/r/?ZXU=774918&ZXD=123045>

Contact Information:

GoIndustry DoveBid United States Doug Escudero

Tel: +1 650 207 9927

Email: doug.escudero@go-dove.com

Laser Focus World: University of Florida scientists achieve record efficiency for blue OLEDs

January 13, 2009--University of Florida (UF; Gainesville, FL) scientists achieved a new record in efficiency for blue organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Because blue is essential to white light and necessary to produce lighting that is more efficient than compact fluorescents yet similar to standard incandescent bulbs, "The quality of the light is really the advantage," said Franky So, a UF associate professor of materials science and engineering and lead investigator on the project.

So collaborated with UF materials science engineering professor Paul Holloway and UF assistant professor Jiangeng Xue on the research. The U.S. Department of Energy, which funded the research, reported the results on its Web site. When used in display screens computer monitors, OLEDs have higher efficiency, better color saturation, and a larger viewing angle.
So and his team's blue OLED achieved a peak efficiency of 50 lumens per watt. That's a significant step toward the goal of his project: to achieve white light with efficiency higher than 100 lumens per watt. So said the fact that OLEDs are highly "tunable"--each OLED is an individual light, which means differently colored OLEDs can be combined to produced different shades of light--puts warm, rich light easily within reach.

For more information, go to www.news.ufl.edu.
--Posted by Gail Overton, gailo@pennwell.com.

OP-TEC Online Professional Development Course - Fundamentals of Light and Lasers

This course might be of interest to you or someone in your company who is interested in teaching the basics of photonics. Or perhaps you know a faculty member in a local high school or technical school who you would like to encourage to teach the fundamentals of light and lasers to help interest students in science and in our field in particular. There is no charge for the online course, but participants are responsible for their travel expenses for the 3-day lab course. Full details in the message below.

Jim Pearson
FPC Executive Director


Hybrid, Online Professional Development Course
Fundamentals of Light and Lasers
Course starts March 2, 2009! Application deadline February 27!

OP-TEC is now offering a hybrid, online faculty development course in optics and photonics. This online course will cover OP-TEC's Fundamentals of Light and Lasers. Each of the six modules contained within this course will be taught online over a two-week period with a high level of self-paced instruction combined with an interactive component facilitated by e-mail exchanges and chat room discussions.

Shortly after the completion of the six modules, all participants will spend a 3-day period at Camden County College (Blackwood, NJ) where they will have the opportunity to conduct all laboratory experiments included in the course and discuss with experienced instructors best practices for teaching the materials.

Modules Include: Nature and Properties of Light, Optical Handling and Positioning, Light Sources and Laser Safety, Basic Geometrical Optics, Basic Physical Optics, Principles of Lasers

Start Date: March 2, 2009 (12-week course, followed by a 3-day laboratory session)
Application Deadline: February, 27, 2009

Intended Audience: This course is designed for high school, community college and technical college faculty interested in teaching a basic photonics course.

Certificate of Completion & CEUs: Participants that successfully complete the 12-week online course and 3-day lab session will receive a certification of completion from OP-TEC. Participants will also be awarded 9 CEUs from Camden County College.

Cost: No tuition or materials fees! Participants will be responsible for travel, lodging and meals for 3-day lab session.

Click here for more details and to apply online!


Questions? Click here to e-mail us!

SPIE Optipedia -- new, free information resource

I just learned about an interesting new initiative at SPIE - "Optipedia". Optipedia takes pages directly from popular SPIE Press books and links them together to create an open-access resource for trusted optics and photonics information.

Optipedia - http://spie.org/x32276.xml?WT.mc_id=KOPTIPEDIAPWAE#YZ

Jim Pearson
FPC Executive Director

Florida "Economic Gardening" Business Loan Pilot Program

Although not all of the FPC members will qualify for the program Randy Berridge notes below, I thought you would be interested in learning about it. Another good example of the fine work that Randy and the FHTCC does for the high-tech industry in Florida, which of course includes optics and photonics.

Jim Pearson
FPC Executive Director


Dear Presidents Hitt, Genshaft and Machen:

I am pleased to report that earlier today the Florida Legislaturepassed the Economic Gardening Business Loan Pilot Program, which willhelp provide loan support to businesses with between 10 and 50employees that are poised for job growth, and that will createadditional high-wage jobs in Florida.

This loan program will help support companies that have grown pastthe startup phase, but have not yet reached maturity. Support fororganizations in this "gap" area was identified in the FloridaInnovation Study that the Florida High Tech Corridor Council helpedfund last summer, as something that was vital to future growth andexpansion of high-wage innovation businesses in Florida.

I was honored to have been asked by Steve Quello, a market researchconsultant who assisted the Governors Office of Tourism, Trade andEconomic Development (OTTED) in developing this proposal, to helpidentify the opportunities associated with developing this economicgardening legislation. In this time when funding sources aredecreasing, it provides businesses that are poised for growth with amuch needed tool to help ensure such expansion.
While the emphasis on this bill is on job growth, I also expect thathaving access to additional capital will help some companies in thiscategory take advantage of the Matching Grant Research Programfunding that has been so instrumental in the growth and developmentof many companies across the Corridor. For companies of this size,having the ability to partner with researchers at our three researchuniversities can often be another major thrust to future growth and expansion.

I appreciate your continued leadership and dedication to theCouncil's mission to attract, retain and grow high tech industry inthe Corridor and will continue to keep you updated with any futurestate legislation that impacts the Corridor and our mission.

Sincerely,

Randy

New Entrepreneurial Resources Center Added to FPC Website

In keeping with its commitment to cultivating and supporting entrepreneurial initiatives and activities in Florida, particularly photonics ventures, we have added a page dedicated to resources useful to this community. It offers a variety of forums and a network of contacts to assist entrepreneurs and members in starting, relocating,or expanding their business all well worth exploring.

SPIE Medical Imaging symposium is in Orlando next month!

The SPIE Medical Imaging symposium is being held next month in Orlando. SPIE is going to alternate this big meeting (~1200 attendees) between Orlando and California, where it has been held since its inception over 25 years ago! This is the biggest and best meeting on the topic in the industry! The meeting is 7-12 February 2009 at the Disney Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista. Exhibit is 9-11 Feb. It's a small show in terms of the number of exhibitors, but clearly has a large audience of attendees.

This presents a great opportunity to showcase Florida and the medical and biomedical industry, education, and economic resources in the state. We need to do everything possible to make this meeting even better in Orlando than in Newport and San Diego where it has previously been held. The FPC will be working with CREOL and others, including the UCF College of Medicine, to maximize the visibility of our industry and resources relevant to this meeting. We will meet with SPIE representatives during the meeting to see how we can help make future meetings a great success. The meeting will be in Orlando in the odd years; next one in 2011.

CREOL will have a 10x10 booth at the exhibit, and there is still space available if anyone else is interested in exhibiting there. I've attached a flyer that SPIE sent me. Full information on the event, including the big 850+ paper conference program, is available on the web at http://spie.org/x12166.xml.

Jim Pearson
FPC Executive Director

ATTN: FPC members and participants in the Florida Cluster grouping for PW09

Please note the information below and attached from SPIE. The PW10 show will be in San Francisco’s Moscone Center, and the cluster grouping may be able to expand from the limitations in the San Jose venue. If you plan to exhibit in the show and have interest in participating the Florida Cluster grouping, which provides a discount and other benefits, please put in an Early Bird contract and indicate "Florida Cluster" on your contract.

Jim Pearson
FPC Executive Director


Cluster/Pavilion Group Future Planning for Photonics West 2010

While Photonics West 2009 is two weeks out, the SPIE Exhibitions Dept is already planning for the next January’s Photonics West 2010 move to San Francisco’s Moscone Center. I am contacting you regarding the coordination of your Cluster or Pavilion Group and to share the attached 2010 Group Proposal for Photonics West (PW10). SPIE wants to offer Clusters /Pavilions the opportunity to continue exhibiting at Photonics West and receive valuable group benefits and discounts.
Future Planning for 2010:

Returning Cluster Group Members and Pavilion Organizers must sign up by the Early Bird deadline, 12 March 2009, 6 weeks after the show. We do have growth rules in place for PW10, which are also outlined on the 2010 proposal. (attached).

SPIE offers 2 unique ways to exhibit, Pavilions & Neighborhood Cluster Groups.
Action Items for forming a 2010 Cluster:

• Begin contacting your companies to determine who will participate and what option the Group wants to sign up for.
• If a Neighborhood Cluster Group is planned, then have each company designate to be part of your Cluster on their Exhibition Contract.
• Contracts and deposits must be submitted to SPIE by 12 March.
• A final list of your PW09 Cluster/Pavilion participants will be sent to you in mid February.

Assignments for 2010--We will review positioning of Cluster/Pavilion Groups in April 2009 depending on size and priority points accumulated. If you have questions on your 2010 location, please contact us onsite or by email, exhibitions@spie.org.
By providing this information to you ahead of time, we hope you have time to check with companies onsite and start the process rolling. Early Bird Contracts will be handed out onsite and sent in the mail to each exhibitor.

Check with me, Diane Cline, Michele Hurst or Roberta Hart if questions arise. We look forward to a successful week! Safe travels to all.

Best Regards,
Cathy DeVries

Cathy DeVries
Exhibitions Manager, SPIE Exhibitions Department
SPIE
Tel: +1 360 676 3290
Direct: +1 360 685 5424
Fax: +1 360 647 1445
cathy@spie.org

Orlando Business Journal : UCF adding three new regional incubators

Orlando Business Journal: UCF adding three new regional incubators

Friday, January 9, 2009

by Chris Kauffmann


The University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program is expanding its regional reach with up to three new sites including its first virtual incubator as efforts to stir the economy take on added urgency due to the recession.

The program, which now has five sites, provides facilities and services such as legal and marketing advice to help startup companies grow faster and more successfully.

UCF is on the verge of finalizing agreements that would establish or expand incubation programs in Osceola and Lake counties, and is in the preliminary stages of working out an agreement with the city of Winter Park to create a virtual business incubator that would do everything a regular incubator does, except provide space.

These things have been talked about for years, but everything is coming together now, said Tom O'Neal, executive director of the UCF Incubation Program. A lot of people are trying to figure out ways to stimulate the economy, so there is more incentive to do this now.

That's the way economic development officials in Lake County and
Leesburg look at it. The 4,000-square-foot Leesburg Business & Technology Incubator opened
in mid-2007 and has had some success, but now officials want to broaden its base and partner with UCF because of the university's resources, services and proven track record in incubating companies. It's a great opportunity to leverage our resources, said Dottie Keedy, Lake County's director of economic growth and redevelopment.

Toward that end, the Lake County Commission will consider approving an agreement Jan. 27 that would have UCF hire a manager to run the facility, which would have an $85,000 annual budget. Keedy hopes to have UCF running the program within the next couple of
months, which will be part of a long-range goal of having three UCF business incubators in Lake County.

Meanwhile, Osceola County has taken concrete steps to move ahead with UCF. As 2008 drew to a close, the county commission agreed to commit $675,000 over five years to fund the St. Cloud Research & Technology Center Incubator a partnership between the county, UCF and the city
of St. Cloud.

The 14,200-square-foot incubator will be at Stevens Plantation's Corporate Campus in St. Cloud and can handle up to 25 technology and research businesses when it opens in 2010 or 2011.

We're hoping it will generate more businesses for Osceola County, said Maria Toumazos, Osceola's economic development administrator. Data shows that 87 percent of companies remain in business five years after graduating [from incubation programs], so I know it
works.

As for the virtual incubator, that would be a great way to lower costs to establish a program, said Sherry Gutch, Winter Park's community redevelopment director. Businesses would be able to have access online to the services and programs offered through UCF.

Like Lake County, Winter Park wants to hire UCF to run the virtual incubator, which O'Neal estimated will probably cost $50,000-$100,000 a year. Though nothing is set in stone yet, Gutch would like to see the virtual incubator in place by March or April.

Fast Facts

• University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program
• Executive director: Tom O'Neal
• Description: Provides facilities and services to help startup companies grow faster and more successfully
• Locations: Central Florida Research Park, downtown Orlando, on the UCF campus, Colonial Drive and Winter Springs
• Contact: incubation@mail.ucf.edu, www.incubator.ucf.edu

UCF Panel to Tackle Challenges in Science, Technology and Math Education

ORLANDO, Jan. 6, 2008 -- Teaching kids the value of math and science can be tricky. But tomorrow's business leaders and educators will need a strong grasp on these subjects to tackle some of the world's biggest problems.

That's why the University of Central Florida will host its first public briefing on Friday, Jan. 9, on the challenges of science, technology and math education from kindergarten through college. The briefing aims to merge ideas from the academic, political and business communities, which will need to work together to achieve the best results for kids and the nation.

Former Lockheed Martin Chairman and CEO Norm Augustine will headline the expert panel, which also will feature UCF professors Lisa Dieker of the College of Education and Michael Georgiopoulos of the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Other panelists will include Ron Abbott, executive vice president of Lockheed Missiles and Fire Control; J. Greg Hanson, a 1987 UCF graduate who was the first chief information officer for the U.S. Senate; and Jim Clamons, a vice president with Harris Corp.

The program, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Pegasus Ballroom of the Student Union on UCF's main campus. The program will begin with refreshments at 8:30 a.m.

After an introduction by UCF President John Hitt at 9 a.m., Augustine will speak about "America's Economic and Competitive Challenges" and how they relate to science, technology, engineering and math education. Augustine then will join the other panelists in a discussion that will cover topics such as how schools can better prepare students for careers in science, technology, engineering and math, known as the STEM fields. The panel also will discuss some of the challenges that industries face in recruiting applicants who are well prepared in the STEM fields.

Augustine is chairman and CEO emeritus of Lockheed Martin. He served as assistant secretary, under secretary and acting secretary of the U.S. Army in the early to mid-1970s before joining what was then the Martin Marietta Corp. in 1977. He was Martin Marietta's chairman and CEO from the late 1980s through 1995, when he became president of the newly created Lockheed Martin Corp. After retiring in 1997, he joined the faculty of Princeton University's School of Engineering and Applied Science.

The briefing, sponsored by Bright House Networks, continues UCF's emphasis on helping students become interested in and succeed in STEM fields. UCF offers a two-year program known as EXCEL that aims to help incoming freshmen increase their success in science and math classes by creating connections with other students, faculty and disciplines. Funded by the National Science Foundation, EXCEL offers small, specialized classes, special advising days, an on-campus housing block and more.

Many UCF faculty members and students visit local schools to inspire students to pursue careers in the STEM fields, and UCF also hosts several youth camps that aim to achieve the same goal.

For more information on the briefing, call 407-823-2156.

-- UCF --

Contact: Chad Binette, UCF News and Information, 407-823-6312, cbinette@mail.ucf.edu

UCF Stands For Opportunity: The University of Central Florida is a metropolitan research university that ranks as the 6th largest in the nation with more than 50,000 students. UCF's first classes were offered in 1968. The university offers impressive academic and research environments that power the region's economic development. UCF's culture of opportunity is driven by our diversity, Orlando environment, history of entrepreneurship and our youth, relevance and energy. For more information, visit http://news.ucf.edu.