Number 163 HB 190: ALASKA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATION GRANTS TOM ANDERSON, LEGISLATIVE AIDE TO REP. TERRY MARTIN, testified on behalf of Rep. Martin, the prime sponsor of the bill. He conveyed Rep. Martin's apologies for having to be at a Finance Committee meeting which necessitated his absence from the HESS Committee meeting. He said HB 190 was a simple bill which made it clear that the board of directors of the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation (ASTF) could issue grants to the University of Alaska. He said the ASTF directors already had such authority under the statute granting the foundation authority to give preference to Alaska organizations. He said the university would get no special preference in its grant applications through the bill. Number 190 REP. BRICE asked whether the bill would mean the university would no longer have to compete in the regular grant application process. MR. ANDERSON answered no, there would be no change in the application process. REP. BRICE asked if there had been any talk of giving any preference to K-12 education (in funding grants). REP. TOOHEY asked what the question had to do with the university. REP. BRICE said none, but given the concern in the state over education, there might be a need for such preference as well. MR. ANDERSON said there was no preference granted under HB 190. He repeated that Rep. Martin wanted to make clear that the university could receive grants from the ASTF. He said that several grants had already been made to K-12 education. Number 219 CHAIR BUNDE commented that the bill was an effort to encourage the university to look to the ASTF for research funding. Number 224 REP. TOOHEY asked if the ASTF funded basic research. MR. ANDERSON said that was correct. Number 225 CHAIR BUNDE noted that the director of the foundation would soon offer testimony by teleconference and could answer some questions. Number 228 REP. KOTT asked Mr. Anderson what was classified as an institution under the bill. MR. ANDERSON answered that the university was one institution and a hospital would be another. Number 237 JOHN SIBERT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALASKA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATION, testified via teleconference from Anchorage in support of HB 190. He said the foundation funded many university projects already. He said the bill might be unnecessary, as all University of Alaska researchers already knew of the ASTF. He said that the foundation had funded about 28 of 107 full proposals from the university, and that about 30 percent of all projects the foundation has funded have involved the university. He said the foundation did not fund the kind of basic research performed by the university, but served a niche of needs driven research. MR. SIBERT stated that the bill would not increase the number of university projects funded by the ASTF. He also expressed worry over having a bill relating to the foundation on the floor of the legislature late in the session. He said the foundation directors, in evaluating grant applications, tried to focus on the effect of issuing the grant, and not focus on the identity of the originating institution. He said that part of the foundation's mission was to fund projects dealing with K-12 education. He noted two programs to provide teachers with direct grants. One allows teachers to learn how better to teach math, science and physics using local culture and environment, while another provides a summer industrial fellowship to involve teachers in research projects funded by the foundation. In summary, he said that while he appreciated Rep. Martin's intent, the legislation was probably unnecessary. Number 302 MR. ANDERSON commented that Rep. Martin, as a member of the House Finance Committee, believed that some research funding was wasteful. He said the state might save some money by pointing out that the ASTF was a source of funding for some research. REP. BRICE noted that the bill indicated, in Section 1, lines 5-7, that the directors of the ASTF would give preference in awarding grants to Alaska residents or institutions. CHAIR BUNDE closed public testimony on HB 190 and asked the will of the committee. REP. KOTT moved passage of HB 190 with individual recommendations. REP. B. DAVIS objected. CHAIR BUNDE called for a roll call vote on the motion. Those voting yes were Reps. G. Davis, Kott, Olberg, Toohey and Bunde. Those voting no were Reps. B. Davis and Brice. The motion passed 5-2. He then brought HB 174 to the table.