E-clips, Oct. 5

Funds aids schools to turn studies into venture (The Oregonian): As managing director of the Beaverton investment firm Norwest Technology Ventures, Gordon Hoffman expects a return on his money. Profits generated by his latest outlay, though, go not to him but to Oregon's universities. Hoffman and business partner Bill Newman were among the first donors to a charitable fund launched Thursday designed to help public universities commercialize their research. … The money will be used to fund collaborations such as the University of Oregon's Technology Entrepreneurship Program, a fellowship that brings together students from various schools within the university to study a given technology's marketability. That same program, expanded to serve more universities, won a $435,000 grant from the National Science Foundation last month. UO's entrepreneurship program has already helped launch a few startups, including Eugene genetics company Floragenex and Portland-based Perpetua Power Source Technologies. (Read full story)

2. Financial aid gets a boost from federal government (Daily Emerald): The Federal Pell Grant Program, which provided need-based aid to 3,680 University of Oregon students last year, will be accessible to almost 7,000 additional students by 2012 under a new law signed late last month by President George W. Bush. Additionally, more than 62,000 students in Oregon currently are receiving aid through the federal program. … More than 62,000 Oregon students will see an increase during the next five years. The maximum individual grant will climb $1,090, bringing total state aid to more than $350 million. "For University of Oregon students it means ... for needy students there will be more grant money," said Elizabeth Bickford, director of student financial aid. "More needy students will believe that college is possible."