Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) speaks at a news conference at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, NY to highlight legislation she’s co-sponsoring that would strengthen technology commercialization August 31, 2012. The America Innovates Act would create an “American Innovation Bank” to provide grants, loans, and other assistance to higher education and non-profit research institutions to help commercialize scientific discoveries. Funds would be weighted towards research institutions and focused in the areas of life sciences and medicine; computer science; and physical sciences and engineering. The bill would also create a new industry-focused fellowship program through NSF, and dedicate funds to the development of masters programs in the STEM fields. // photo by J. Adam Fenster / University of Rochester