Current Call to Action

>>Comments on OMB Proposed Update of Circular A-119,  Due May 12 
Source: nibs.org
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has issued a proposed updated version of OMB Circular A-119, "Federal Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards and in Conformity Assessment Activities," for public inspection and comment. The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), of which NIBS is a member, strongly encourage representatives of standards developing organizations (SDOs), industry, academia, government agencies and other relevant stakeholders to review the proposed draft, which is expected to have a significant impact on future U.S. government use of privately developed voluntary consensus standards. 

The current version of Circular A-119, which was last revised by the OMB in 1998, and the associated National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA) of 1995 jointly serve to direct U.S. federal agencies to consider the use of private-sector-developed standards in lieu of government-unique standards whenever possible. The proposed changes focus on numerous topics, including the use of voluntary consensus standards in federal regulations, incorporation by reference and intellectual property rights, and government participation in standards development activities, among many other issues. Comments are due May 12. Read the ANSI release. View the Federal Register.  

>>Nominations Sought for Polyurethane Innovation Award, Deadline June 18
Source: americanchemistry.com 
The Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) of the American Chemistry Council today opened the call for entries for its 2014 Polyurethane Innovation Award. This award recognizes visionary technologies in the global polyurethanes industry and commercialized the previous year.

Nominations for this year’s award must be submitted to CPI no later than 5 p.m. EDT on June 18. Click here for the award rules and entry form. The award winner will be announced during the 2014 Polyurethanes Technical Conference, which will be held Sept. 22-24 in Dallas.

>>Applications for Housing Innovation Awards Available, Deadline June 30
Source: Energy.gov
The 2014 Housing Innovation Awards for the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home program will feature builders in custom, production and affordable categories who are leading a major housing industry transformation to zero energy ready homes.  

Any registered builder who has certified a DOE Challenge Home or DOE Zero Energy Ready Home between April 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014 is eligible to compete.  Applications are due June 30, 2014.  Please contact us if you need assistance.

The 2014 Housing Innovation Awards ceremony will be held on September 23, 2014, at EEBA’s Excellence in Building Conference in St. Louis, MO. 

>>SBA Launches Growth Accelerator Fund, Deadline for Competition Is Aug. 2
Source: SBA.org
The U.S. Small Business Administration is launching a $2.5 million competition for accelerators and other entrepreneurial ecosystem models to compete for monetary prizes of $50,000 each to fund operating budgets. To award the prizes, applicants will be judged by an expert panel that will consider each applicant's stated mission, founding team members and business goals among other core components. The application deadline is August 2, 2014