Small Business Innovation grant

Small Business Innovation Research Program invites projects which address the needs of individuals with disabilities and their families. Activities may include: conducting manufacturing-related R&D that encompasses improvements in existing methods or processes, or wholly new processes, machines, or systems; exploring the uses of technology to ensure equal access to education, employment, community environments, and information for individuals with disabilities; and improving the quality and utility of disability and rehabilitation research. Priorities include:

(1) Increased independence of individuals with disabilities in the workplace, recreational settings, or educational settings through the development of technology to support access and promote integration of individuals with disabilities.
(2) Enhanced sensory or motor function of individuals with disabilities through the development of technology to support improved functional capacity.
(3) Enhanced workforce participation through the development of technology to support access to employment, promote sustained employment, and promote employment advancement for individuals with disabilities.
(4) Enhanced community participation and living for individuals with disabilities through the development of accessible information technology including Web access technology, software, and other systems and devices that promote access to information in educational, employment, and community settings, and voting technology that improves access for individuals with disabilities.
(5) Improved interventions and increased use of health-care resources through the development of technology to support independent access to health-care services in the community for individuals with disabilities.

Application deadline is March 15, 2010.

Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative

The Department of Commerce has announced the launch of the Sustainable Business Clearinghouse. The Sustainable Business Clearinghouse is a central portal for information on Federal-level government programs and resources that support sustainable business. This is a searchable database that allows you to structure your query by sustainability issue, industry sector, and type of information. To access the clearinghouse, click here.

$100 million awarded, including auto industry manufacturing

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced nearly $100 million in green jobs training grants, as authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). The grants will support job training programs to help dislocated workers and others, including veterans, women, African Americans and Latinos, find jobs in expanding green industries and related occupations. Approximately $28 million of the total funds will support projects in communities impacted by auto industry restructuring. The full list of awardees is available in the US Department of Labor press release here: http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/eta20091526.htm.