Oregon Gov. Recommends $9M for Investments in Commercialized Research

Commercialized research and Oregon’s first signature research center are among those initiatives slated for funding in the governor’s 2005-07 proposed biennial budget for the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department (OECDD). Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s recommended budget, the "Oregon Principles," is centered around six core principles for targeted investments to deliver a strong return on taxpayer dollars.

Gov. Kulongoski recommended $18.4 million in 2005-07 General Fund support for OECDD, a slight increase from the $18.1 million 2003-05 approved budget. Also included is $9 million from the Lottery Fund for a pre-seed or "proof of concept" fund for commercializing research into business ventures through the newly established Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnology Institute (ONAMI). The fund would be available to businesses with fewer than 100 employees. Michelle Godfrey, communications manager for OECDD, said the goal is to increase collaboration among institutions of higher education and high-tech companies. By investing this modest amount into ONAMI, the state will be able to leverage more private and federal dollars, Godfrey said.

ONAMI, established through a partnership between Hewlett-Packard and Oregon’s institutions of higher education, already has used half of its $1 million General Fund investment for operations. The institute has leveraged more than $22 million from federal research dollars and $3 million from the private sector since opening in May.

Gov. Kulongoski’s 2005-07 budget is available at: http://www.governor.oregon.gov.

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