DC Digest - June 10, 2011


In Today's Issue:

  • ACE Releases Summary of Ed Department's Gainful Employment Regulation
  • President Brodhead to Discuss Duke Research, Visit Alumni in Washington Next Week
  • Supreme Court Rules Against Stanford in Patent Case (updated from Monday)
  • Duke Researcher Among Recipients of $37.8 Million in DOD Research Funds


ACE RELEASES SUMMARY OF ED DEPARTMENT'S GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT REGULATIONS
The American Council on Education (ACE) has prepared a summary document to help institutions better understand the final rule on gainful employment released last week by the Department of Education (ED).

The gainful employment rule is an effort by ED to ensure students who enroll in some higher education programs—especially those at for-profit schools—will earn enough money to repay their student loans. In general, the regulation applies to all programs at for-profit schools and to all non-degree programs at traditional colleges and universities (individual programs, not the entire institution).

Read More:
Final Gainful Employment Regs Summary (ACEnet.edu)


PRESIDENT BRODHEAD TO DISCUSS DUKE RESEARCH, VISIT ALUMNI IN WASHINGTON NEXT WEEK
Duke President Richard H. Brodhead will travel to Washington, DC next week to discuss university priorities with policymakers, administration officials, alumni, and other friends of Duke. His agenda while in DC includes highlighting the importance of continued funding of basic research and student aid and attending the Duke Club of Washington's annual DCW Congressional Breakfast. This year's breakfast will feature remarks by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), a 1988 graduate of the School of Medicine.

OFR will provide more information after his visit next week.


SUPREME COURT RULES AGAINST STANFORD IN PATENT CASE
As OFR reported earlier this week, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday that universities do not have automatic rights to patents developed under federal research grants.

The majority ruled that Stanford’s position was an unwarranted expansion of Bayh-Dole, writing that “nowhere in the act are inventors deprived of their interest in federally funded inventions.”
 
In response, the American Council on Education and four other higher education associations joined with BIO, the biotechnology industry organization, to issue a statement saying in part, “Although BIO and the undersigned higher education associations held different views on the Stanford v. Roche case, the organizations are united in the desire to ensure that the U.S. technology transfer system continues to generate these public benefits through the robust provisions of the Bayh-Dole statute. We are committed to working together in light of the Supreme Court’s decision to ensure the continued vibrancy of public-private partnerships and success of our shared objectives.”


Read More:
Supremes Rule Against Stanford (InsideHigherEd)
Supreme Court Rules Against Stanford; Bio and University Communities Respond (ACEnet.edu)


DUKE RESEARCHER AMONG RECIPIENTS OF $37.8 MILLION IN DOD RESEARCH FUNDS
The Department of Defense (DoD) on Wednesday announced plans to award $37.8 million to academic institutions to support the purchase of research instrumentation.  The 165 awards to 83 academic institutions are being made under the Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP).  The awards are expected to range from $50,000 to $990,000 and average approximately $230,000. 

Duke researcher David R. Smith, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, is among the winners of the FY2011 DURIP competition.

Read More:
$37.8 Million Awarded to Universities for Research Equipment (Defense.gov)
David R. Smith's webpage (duke.edu)