Kentucky
In 2007, Kentucky-based federal agencies and laboratories received a federal R&D investment of $222 million. They leveraged that investment via their technology transfer efforts to address societal needs, promote economic development and growth, and enhance U.S. competitiveness. From defense to life sciences to energy to agriculture, Kentucky-based federal agencies and labs are meeting the technology transfer mission envisioned by Congress.
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Federal Obligations for R&D in Kentucky, 2007 ($ thousands)
|
| Agency |
Total |
| All Agencies |
222,172 |
| Dept. of Agriculture |
21,026 |
| Dept. of Defense |
31,297 |
| Dept. of Energy |
2,449 |
| Dept. of Health and Human Services |
149,771 |
| Dept. of Homeland Security |
5 |
| Dept. of Interior |
1,515 |
| Dept. of Transportation |
187 |
| Environmental Protection Agency |
328 |
| NASA |
1,988 |
| National Science Foundation |
13,606 |
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Source: NSF Science and Engineering Profiles
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Technology Transfer Success Stories
Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources
The Water Availability Tool for Environmental Resources (WATER) was developed in cooperation with the Kentucky Division of Water to provide a consistent and defensible method of estimating streamflow, water availability, and other hydrologic information in ungaged basins. WATER automatically incorporates and processes large amounts of basic and custom geospatial data to quantitatively describe topography, soil-water storage, climate, streamflow, and other parameters. WATER is also designed so that it can be expanded for other science and regulatory applications including, but not limited to, sediment and nutrient loads, evaluation of surface mining effects (Cumulative Hydrologic Impact Assessments), as well as flows that are necessary for ecological viability.
The concept of the Kentucky WATER application was born from the need to quantify water availability in areas of the Kentucky Commonwealth with limited long-term monitoring data. Kentucky's wealth of geospatial data was critical to the Kentucky WATER application and enabled USGS scientists to take well-known streamflow generation and modeling concepts (Beven and Kirby, 1979), develop innovative dataprocessing methods, and apply the concept across all regions of Kentucky with much greater accuracy and precision than had been previously possible.
Connect with Kentucky Laboratories
To learn more about, and connect with, Kentucky's FLC member laboratories, visit the Kentucky Laboratories web page. The web-based, searchable database displays laboratory profiles with information such as contacts, areas of expertise, laboratory history, website links, and more.
Contact an FLC Representative in Your Region
Dr. Ramona Travis
Stennis Space Center
Email:
ramona.e.travis@nasa.gov
