16yrs married to this RockStar today! Something like 25+ years together… 3 awesome wild kids and whole whack of crazy experiences together! I’ve Bullshitted my way to a lot of successes but Sarah’s been the best yet!… pic.twitter.com/BLBHTtwjSC
Educated at Yale College, Somerville College, the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard Medical School and Columbia Law School, Amy Wax speaks to the Buckley Institute, founded by William F. Buckley (Yale 1950). Links to National Centers at Bowling Green State University, the University of Virginia and the University of Nebraska.
People grow up in a web of relationships that is already in place, supporting them as they grow. From the inside out, it includes parents, extended family and clan, neighborhood groups and civic associations, church, local and provincial governments and finally national government.
The most important decision and life’s biggest hack is picking the right partner. pic.twitter.com/MeLu5it3rn
NIST continues its Standards Curriculum program through the Standards Coordination Office Curricula Development Cooperative Agreement Program (SCO CD CAP), formerly known as the Standards Services Curricula Development Cooperative Agreement Program. This ongoing initiative, started in 2012 (initially as Education Challenge Grants), funds U.S. colleges and universities to develop and integrate undergraduate and/or graduate-level curricula on documentary standards, standards development, and standardization into courses, modules, seminars, and learning resources. The University of Michigan is a past recipient of a standards education award through this program.
The most recent funding round was for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25):
The Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity (NOFO) was released on January 14, 2025.
Applications were due by April 14, 2025.
NIST anticipated awarding up to 8 grants, each up to $100,000, with project periods of up to 3 years (potentially extending into 2027–2028).
Projects funded under FY25 involve curriculum development and implementation that may continue into 2026 and beyond, including required workshops.
As of early 2026, no new Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity (NOFO) has been announced for FY2026. The program has historically issued funding rounds annually or near-annually, with recent awards in prior years (e.g., 2024 awards totaling over $1.1 million to 8 universities). However, due to proposed budget reductions for NIST in FY2026, future rounds may be impacted or delayed.
The Standards Coordination Office of the National Institute of Standards and Technology conducts standards-related programs, and provides knowledge and services that strengthen the U.S. economy and improve the quality of life. Its goal is to equip U.S. industry with the standards-related tools and information necessary to effectively compete in the global marketplace.
Every year it awards grants to colleges and universities through its Standards Services Curricula Cooperative Agreement Program to provide financial assistance to support curriculum development for the undergraduate and/or graduate level. These cooperative agreements support the integration of standards and standardization information and content into seminars, courses, and learning resources. The recipients will work with NIST to strengthen education and learning about standards and standardization.
The 2019 grant cycle will require application submissions beforeApril 30, 2019 (contingent upon normal operation of the Department of Commerce). Specifics about the deadline will be posted on the NIST and ANSI websites. We will pass on those specifics as soon as they are known.
The winners of the 2018 grant cycle are Bowling Green State University, Michigan State University, Oklahoma State University, and Texas A&M University. (Click here)
The University of Michigan received an award during last year’s grant cycle (2017). An overview of the curriculum — human factors in automotive standards — is linked below:
Information about applying for the next grant cycle is available at this link (Click here) and also by communicating with Ms. Mary Jo DiBernardo (301-975-5503; maryjo.dibernardo@nist.gov)
LEARN MORE:
Click here for link to the previous year announcement.
“Port Meadow is absolutely beautiful and a wonderful place to swim. We often swim in a different spot from other open water swimming groups in order to create a more relaxed environment – especially for our beginners. We do special beginners swims on Saturdays, to ease new members into the practise slowly and very carefully.
Safety is paramount, so I’ll walk them in to the water and they can immerse themselves as much as they want. We never allow anyone to jump or dive into cold water – the shock can cause a swimmer to gulp for air and subsequently ingest water; it’s always a gentle process.” — Ellie
The NPADC is a team competition for law students to develop skills in drafting patent applications, focusing on U.S. patent law. Teams receive a hypothetical invention statement, conduct prior art searches, draft specifications and claims, and present their work to judges, including patent examiners and practitioners. For 2025, the invention was an extra-uterine system for supporting premature fetuses, indicating the complexity of tasks involved
There is no publicly available timetable for the 2026 National Patent Application Drafting Competition (NPADC) from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as of the latest available information. The USPTO typically releases detailed schedules for the NPADC closer to the competition year, often in the fall of the preceding year (e.g., October or November 2025 for the 2026 competition).
After months of hard work, the top five teams met at USPTO headquarters today for the final round of the 2025 National Patent Application Drafting Competition. 🏆 And the winners are … ⬇️
Thomas Jefferson was the leader in founding the United States Patent Office. Jefferson was a strong supporter of the patent system and believed that it was essential for promoting innovation and progress in the United States. As the first Secretary of State Jefferson was responsible for implementing the country’s patent system.
Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution reads as follows:
“The Congress shall have Power To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.”
In 1790, Jefferson drafted the first Patent Act, which established the procedures for applying for and granting patents. The act also created the United States Patent Office as a government agency to oversee the patent system. Jefferson appointed the first Patent Board, which was responsible for reviewing patent applications and making recommendations to the Secretary of State.
Jefferson was deeply involved in the early development of the Patent Office and was instrumental in shaping its policies and procedures. He believed that the patent system should be accessible to all inventors, regardless of their social or economic status, and he worked to streamline the patent application process to make it more efficient and user-friendly.
In recognition of his contributions to the development of the patent system, Jefferson is often referred to as the “Father of American Innovation.”
This clause grants Congress the authority to establish a system of patents and copyrights to protect the intellectual property of inventors and authors. The purpose of this system is to encourage innovation and creativity by providing inventors and authors with a temporary monopoly on their creations, allowing them to profit from their work and invest in future projects. The clause also emphasizes the importance of promoting the progress of science and the useful arts, reflecting the belief of the founders that the development of new technologies and inventions was essential for the growth and prosperity of the United States.
Over the years, the Patent Office has played a crucial role in the development of the United States as a technological leader, granting patents for inventions ranging from the telephone and the light bulb to the airplane and the computer. Today, the Patent Office is part of the United States Department of Commerce and is responsible for examining patent applications and issuing patents to inventors and companies.
Congratulations to the winners of this year’s National Patent Application Drafting Competition – Khailee, Bree, Rita, and Maria from @gwlaw, and thank you to all participants! Learn more about the competition: https://t.co/gB64fnXaM6pic.twitter.com/FWqak6Mr1m
From creating a race car safety device that protects drivers from injury to revolutionizing chemotherapy, Spartans have contributed to more than 3,300 inventions. #SpartansWillpic.twitter.com/dchCs0BFBx
Battle of the Bands broke its fundraising record, earning $21,000 this year for the Joe Espy Needs-Based Scholarship! 🤯 This scholarship helps UA students in need of essential financial assistance due to a temporary hardship or emergency. Read more: https://t.co/WbB8jUebbupic.twitter.com/pjmBdV1BHa
Thanks to YOU @ua_babh raised 630,624 pounds of food! 🎉 Huge congrats to @AuburnU for winning the competition this year! Together we raised more than 1.2 million pounds of food! 😱 More details about the competition → https://t.co/agP51r7xXfpic.twitter.com/SOQHVoTctX
Lakeland Florida high school offers free clothes and laundry facilities. Expansion of this concept to Saturdays for all students in the district would contribute to greater utilization of square footage that is normally unused. It may also lower energy cost and contribute to “family feeling” in the district.
I was admiring my gran’s sewing machine today. I think it was probably her mother’s. Amazing that a mass-produced tool was made to look like *this*. pic.twitter.com/fiT5NxtzNA
The 98th commencement ceremony for H.B. Plant High School celebrates the remarkable graduating class of 2025!
🎓 “Your dedication, perseverance, and willingness to give your all have brought you to this moment. As you move forward, embrace every opportunity with the same spirit… pic.twitter.com/oJ9K1NSgeG
— Hillsborough Schools (@HillsboroughSch) May 24, 2025
New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwBpic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
