Congressional negotiators have agreed to support $1.5 million in funding for a new nonprofit category of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The money is part of more than $7 million in total funding for the Baldrige National Quality Program, which is administered by the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology. NIST plans to carry out a pilot project in the nonprofit category in 2006 and to begin accepting applications for the award in 2007.

“We’ve been waiting for this good news for a long time,” says Jerry Mairani, ASQ president. “I especially want to thank the ASQ members who contacted their legislators asking them to support the funding request.”

The funding plan has been formally approved by the House of Representatives. Although it still needs to be approved by the Senate and signed into law by President George W. Bush, its approval by the House and Senate negotiators all but ensures its funding.

For more information, visit www.asq.org.

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