Media Advisory 16-010

National Science Foundation invites media to Capitol Hill event to learn why innovation makes a difference to scientific progress and U.S. economy

June 13, 2016

This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

News media are invited to attend "Innovation Matters," a special June 15 briefing on Capitol Hill highlighting ties between basic research and the means through which intellectual property is created, protected and commercialized. The intersection of those two elements is critical to developing new knowledge and driving the U.S. economy.

The briefing will explore topics in the educational video series "Science of Innovation." The event will be hosted by the National Science Foundation (NSF); the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO); the technical professional group IEEE-USA; and NBC Learn, the educational arm of the NBCUniversal News Group, in coordination with the Congressional Caucus on Intellectual Property Promotion and Piracy Prevention; the Congressional STEAM Caucus; and the Congressional Maker Caucus.

Last February, NSF released six new "Science of Innovation" videos in partnership with NBC Learn and USPTO, following a set of 11 videos they released in 2013. The videos tell how the creative process leads to patented innovations by focusing on leading-edge, NSF-funded technologies. Those include 3-D bioprinting, origami structures (folding technology, from robots to space solar arrays, with benefits including improved deployment and inexpensive manufacturing) and virus-made batteries (organisms that can latch onto metals, forming structures that can be used to make tiny batteries).

The briefing will feature short segments from the videos and presentations by innovators profiled in the series and experts from NSF and USPTO, who will discuss how advanced manufacturing technologies make inventing and entrepreneurship more accessible for larger portions of the population.

What:	Innovation Matters Capitol Hill Briefing
When:	Wednesday, June 15, 12-1:30 p.m.
Where:	Rayburn House Office Building Transportation Committee Room, #2253 45 Independence Ave SW Washington, D.C. 20002
Hosted by:	NSF, USPTO, IEEE-USA and NBC Learn
Moderator:	Chris Katopis IEEE Photonics Conference Co-chair IEEE-USA
Guests:	Pramod Khargonekar NSF Assistant Director Directorate for Engineering Mark Miano Executive Editor and Co-Founder NBC Learn Dana Robert Colarulli Director USPTO Governmental Affairs
Speakers:	Angelique Johnson Micro-Fabrication for Cochlear Implants MEMStim
	Mary Frecker Origami Structures Penn State University
	Emanuel Sachs 3-D Bioprinting MIT

Journalists interested in attending the event, or arranging interviews with speakers about their work, should contact NSF's Bobbie Mixon to arrange onsite interviews: bmixon@nsf.gov, (703) 292-8485.

-NSF-

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Media Contacts
Bobbie Mixon, NSF, (703) 292-8485, email: bmixon@nsf.gov

Program Contacts
Susan M. Mason, NSF, (703) 292-7748, email: smason@nsf.gov

Related Websites
NSF Special Report: Science of Innovation (2013): http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/innovation/index.jsp
NSF Special Report: Science of Innovation (2016): http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/science_innovation/index.jsp
NSF Press Release: Video: Six new stories debut in 'Science of Innovation' series: http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=137685

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The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

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