Florida Senate - 2006 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 2084
Barcode 514550
CHAMBER ACTION
Senate House
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11 The Committee on Commerce and Consumer Services (Saunders)
12 recommended the following amendment:
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14 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
15 On page 4, line 8, through
16 page 10, line 22, delete those lines
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18 and insert:
19 (d) "Center of Excellence" means an organization of
20 personnel, facilities, and equipment established to accomplish
21 the purposes and objectives of this act.
22 (e) "Community college" means a public community
23 college in this state as defined in s. 1000.21.
24 (f) "Private university" means a baccalaureate
25 degree-granting independent nonprofit university that is
26 accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern
27 Association of Colleges and Schools and that is located in and
28 chartered as a domestic corporation by the state.
29 (g) "Research center" means an institute, center, or
30 clinic that includes research and development or education as
31 a principal mission of the organization.
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Florida Senate - 2006 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 2084
Barcode 514550
1 (h) "State university" means a public university in
2 this state as defined in s. 1000.21.
3 (4) FLORIDA TECHNOLOGY, RESEARCH, AND SCHOLARSHIP
4 BOARD.--The Florida Technology, Research, and Scholarship
5 Board is created within the Board of Governors of the State
6 University System to guide the establishment of Centers of
7 Excellence and the attraction of world class scholars.
8 (a) The board shall consist of 11 members. Seven
9 members shall be appointed by the Governor, one of whom the
10 Governor shall appoint as chair of the board, one of whom must
11 be a member of the board of directors of Enterprise Florida,
12 Inc., and one of whom must be a member of the Board of
13 Governors of the State University System. Two members shall be
14 appointed by the President of the Senate and two members shall
15 be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
16 Appointed members must be representative of business leaders,
17 industrial researchers, academic researchers, scientists, and
18 leaders in the emerging and advanced technology sector.
19 Appointed members may not serve for more than 4 years and any
20 vacancy that occurs during these appointees' terms shall be
21 filled in the same manner as the original appointment. A
22 majority of members constitutes a quorum.
23 (b) Members of the board shall serve without
24 compensation, but are entitled to receive reimbursement for
25 per diem and travel expenses in accordance with s. 112.061
26 while in the performance of their duties.
27 (c) The Board of Governors shall provide staff support
28 for the activities of the board and per diem and travel
29 expenses for board members.
30 (d) The board is charged with recommending criteria to
31 the Board of Governors for the 21st Century World Class
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Florida Senate - 2006 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 2084
Barcode 514550
1 Scholars Program and with providing guidance to the Board of
2 Governors regarding the implementation and administration of
3 the Centers of Excellence Program. The board shall recommend
4 to the Board of Governors the qualifications, standards, and
5 requirements for approval of investments in Centers of
6 Excellence under this act. The board may form committees of
7 its members and is encouraged to consult with Enterprise
8 Florida, Inc., the Florida Research Consortium, Bio-Florida,
9 IT Florida, the Florida Aviation and Aerospace Alliance, and
10 any other entity whose input may be helpful in determining the
11 requirements and standards for the program.
12 (5) THE 21ST CENTURY WORLD CLASS SCHOLARS PROGRAM.--
13 (a) This act allocates state matching funds to attract
14 21st Century World Class Scholars to state universities.
15 (b) The 21st Century World Class Scholars Program
16 shall be used as a tool to develop the state's capabilities in
17 science and high-technology research, emphasizing Florida's
18 identified strengths in science and technology while also
19 recognizing new technologies as they may emerge.
20 (c) The board, in consultation with senior
21 administrators of state universities, state university
22 foundation directors, the Office of Tourism, Trade, and
23 Economic Development, the board of directors of Enterprise
24 Florida, Inc., and leading members of private industry, shall
25 develop and recommend to the Board of Governors criteria for
26 the 21st Century World Class Scholars Program. Such criteria
27 shall address, at a minimum, the following:
28 1. The presence of distinguished faculty members,
29 including whether the university has a substantial history of
30 external funding, along with the strong potential for
31 attracting a scholar of national or international eminence.
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Florida Senate - 2006 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 2084
Barcode 514550
1 2. The presence of academically outstanding students,
2 along with the promise and potential for attracting additional
3 highly qualified students.
4 3. The presence of adequate research and scholarly
5 support services.
6 4. The existence of an academic environment having
7 appropriate infrastructure, including buildings, classrooms,
8 libraries, laboratories, and specialized equipment, that is
9 conducive to the conduct of the highest quality of scholarship
10 and research.
11 5. The demonstration of concordance with Florida's
12 strategic plan for economic development or an emphasis on one
13 or more emerging sciences or technologies that could favorably
14 impact the state's economic future.
15 (d) A state university must raise a minimum of $1
16 million to be eligible for state matching funds to recruit a
17 21st Century World Class Scholar. Funds raised by the
18 university shall be eligible for a one-to-one match from the
19 state. Revenues received from state appropriations, student
20 tuition and fees, and state-funded contracts or grants are not
21 eligible for state match.
22 (e) Upon the verification by the Board of Governors
23 that a state university has met the criteria for a 21st
24 Century World Class Scholar, the Board of Governors shall
25 release matching funds to the university. Funds shall be used
26 for the purpose of recruiting a 21st Century World Class
27 Scholar and shall be expended according to an expenditure plan
28 approved by the Board of Governors.
29 (f) This act is not intended to replace or obviate
30 existing programs.
31 (6) CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE.--
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Florida Senate - 2006 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 2084
Barcode 514550
1 (a) The purposes and objectives of a Center of
2 Excellence include:
3 1. Identifying and pursuing opportunities for
4 university scholars, research center scientists and engineers,
5 and private businesses to form collaborative partnerships to
6 foster and promote the research required to develop
7 commercially promising, advanced, and innovative science and
8 technology and to transfer those discoveries to commercial
9 sectors.
10 2. Acquiring and leveraging public-sector and
11 private-sector funding to provide the totality of funds,
12 personnel, facilities, equipment, and other resources needed
13 to support the research required to develop commercially
14 promising, advanced, and innovative science and technology and
15 to transfer those discoveries to commercial sectors.
16 3. Recruiting and retaining world class scholars,
17 high-performing students, and leading scientists and engineers
18 in technology disciplines to engage in research in this state
19 and to develop commercially promising, advanced, and
20 innovative science and technology.
21 4. Enhancing and expanding science and technology
22 curricula and laboratory resources at universities and
23 research centers in this state.
24 5. Increasing the number of high-performing students
25 in science and technology disciplines who graduate from
26 universities in this state and pursue careers in this state.
27 6. Stimulating and supporting the inception, growth,
28 and diversification of science and technology-based businesses
29 and ventures in Florida and increasing employment
30 opportunities for the workforce needed to support such
31 businesses.
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Florida Senate - 2006 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 2084
Barcode 514550
1 (b) The following entities are eligible to submit
2 proposals for a center of excellence:
3 1. Any state university.
4 2. Any private university.
5 3. The H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research
6 Institute.
7 4. The Florida Institute for Human and Machine
8 Cognition, Inc.
9 5. Any community college, training center, or other
10 public or private research center in the state which
11 coordinates with a state university for purposes of this act.
12 (c) The board shall recommend to the Board of
13 Governors criteria for approving proposals to create or expand
14 a Center of Excellence. Such criteria shall consider:
15 1. The maturity of the applicant's existing programs
16 relating to a proposed Center of Excellence.
17 2. The comprehensiveness and effectiveness of site
18 plans relating to a proposed Center of Excellence.
19 3. The existing amount of the applicant's resources
20 dedicated to activities relating to a proposed Center of
21 Excellence.
22 4. The regional economic structure and climate.
23 5. The degree to which the applicant identifies and
24 seizes opportunities to collaborate with other public or
25 private entities for research purposes.
26 6. The presence of a comprehensive performance and
27 accountability measurement system.
28 7. The use of an integrated research and development
29 strategy using multiple levels of the educational system.
30 8. The ability of the applicant to raise research
31 funds and leverage public and private investment dollars to
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Florida Senate - 2006 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 2084
Barcode 514550
1 support advanced and emerging scientific and technological
2 research and development projects.
3 9. The degree to which the applicant transfers
4 advanced and emerging sciences and technologies from its
5 laboratories to the commercial sector.
6 10. The degree to which the applicant stimulates and
7 supports the creation of new ventures.
8 11. The existence of a plan to enhance academic
9 curricula by improving communication between academia and
10 industry.
11 12. The existence of a plan to increase the number,
12 quality, and retention rate of faculty and graduate students
13 in advancing and emerging science and technology-based
14 disciplines.
15 13. The existence of a plan to increase the likelihood
16 of faculty and graduate students pursuing private-sector
17 careers in the state.
18 14. The ability of the applicant to provide capital
19 facilities necessary to support research and development.
20 (d) To call for proposals, the board shall notify the
21 president or chief executive officer of the eligible entities
22 identified in paragraph (b). The board shall periodically
23 solicit proposals for Centers of Excellence.
24 (e) The board shall recommend to the Board of
25 Governors for approval and funding those proposals that meet
26 the criteria approved by the Board of Governors.
27 (f) If no proposal is judged worthy of approval during
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30 ================ T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ===============
31 And the title is amended as follows:
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11:01 AM 04/04/06 s2084c-cm37-tp9
Florida Senate - 2006 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 2084
Barcode 514550
1 On page 1, line 30, after the semicolon,
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3 insert:
4 identifying the entities that are eligible to
5 submit proposals for a center of excellence;
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