SMART TEAM:

GRANT NEWS
I have been asked to participate in an National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant initiative with Oakland Schools and the Lawerence Technological University. It parallels and supports our Pontiac SMART Community Complex efforts to date. The grant requests "innovative technological application" in support of underserved community empowerment and enrichment. I will update as appropriate.

We also explored the "Blueprints" MEDC Grant initiative with Sandy McDonald and Rick Williams at our April 2, 2003 meeting. It was decided that this particular "planning grant" was perhaps a redundant exercise since the DDA has already acquried the information the planning grant sought. We tabled the issue and decided the information from the DDA could be shared with us when necessary.

I have also explored a TOPS Grant 2003 initiative that is similar in nature to the NSF Grant initiative. Since we were prepared to submit a TOPS Grant in 2001 I have the draft language already in hand. Not much has changed with the exception that they no longer fund infrastructure but rather they will be funding technological innovation. Since this was/is the nature of previous grant initiatives (incIuding our original Project Synergy Grant proposal) and owing to our continued research and development to date, I think we are well prepared to address this current grant initiative. If you have an interest in this funding initiative you can make yourself aware of the criteria by reviewing the documentation at

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Let me know what your thoughts, ideas, concepts and/or questions might be.

Best,

Jim

SMART Team:

Great meeting, great people, GREAT Progress! More to come.

Best,

Jim