This proposal is for partial support of the 10th annual SSTI Conference. This year's conference will continue SSTI's record of delivering high quality content to the highest caliber participants in a stimulating environment. Participants at previous conferences have included governors' science and technology advisors; federal and state program administrators; university vice presidents, deans, and tech transfer office administrators; policy researchers from academia and private firms; local economic development practitioners; foreign science and technology attaches; staff from industry and academic associations; and representatives of professional societies and non-governmental organizations. SSTI's tenth annual conference, Transforming Regional Economies, will be held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on October 31 - November 2, 2006. Approximately 300 state, federal, academic, and local policymakers and practitioners involved in science and technology policy development, implementation, and evaluation are expected to participate. Several of the breakout sessions and workshops at SSTI's tenth annual conference will offer participants methods for examining and fortifying higher education's contributions toward robust local, state and regional economies. By providing EPSCoR supported sessions dedicated to strategic state investments in university research, technology commercialization and universities' roles in regional innovation, SSTI strives to: 1. provide a forum for universities, economic developers and regional stakeholders to discuss shared challenges and issues in and examples of effective tools and techniques for increasing commercialization of university technology, building the research enterprise, encouraging faculty entrepreneurship, and preparing tomorrow's workers and leaders; 2. increase among technology-based economic development professionals and EPSCoR state program leaders recognition of and support for the important roles universities play in building regional technology-based economies; 3. attract more university leadership and research administrators to participate in the gathering, allowing the opportunity to foster stronger working relationships with their state, local and regional economic development partners; and, 4. promote interstate and intrastate cooperation toward common goals for research and economic development.
