In an effort to end disparities in medical care among racial and ethnic groups, Massachusetts General Hospital has invested $3 million to found the Disparities Solutions Center. Tasked with studying why these differences exist, and working with public officials and citizens to find ways to eliminate them, the Center will collect data detailing which patients get what kind of care, train medical professionals on issues of healthcare inequity, and study societal factors contributing to differing health outcomes.

Conservation groups and the military have joined in a partnership to restrain urban sprawl by protecting undeveloped land around military bases. The military needs these buffer zones to conduct nightime operations, maintain clear airspace, and minimize radio frequency interference. For conservationists, the zones serve to preserve the natural habitats of endangered species. Camp Pendleton has led the way in highlighting the dangers of urban encroachment and with the Trust for Public Land has initiated the purchase of nearby undeveloped acreage. The Department of Defense and Congress are pursuing a national effort to establish military buffer zones.

To accommodate the growth in audiobook usage, the Naperville Public Library will allow patrons to download audio- and e-books from the Library's collection of 2,000 titles. The initiative will help the Library make its collection more accessible while saving resources previously used to process and replace materials. Users can copy these virtual materials up to three times within a two-week period, and each item will have a tracking device to prevent file-sharing.

To encourage sexual assault victims within the Air Force to receive prompt medical and psychological care, the new Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program will allow military personnel to report incidents confidentially, and give them the option of initiating an investigation if and when they are ready. Social service professionals in the program will coordinate investigative, medical, and legal responses for victims, while offering as much privacy as possible.

The City of San Diego expects to save $1 million annually by installing global positioning satellite technology in its garbage and recycling trucks. The technology allows pickup routes to be streamlined, saving fuel and employee overtime costs. In order to introduce this private industry accountability tool, city officials negotiated favorable terms with the labor union by offering employee merit bonuses for improved efficiency.

Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) proposed legislation that would establish a comprehensive and standardized registry of sex offenders. Currently, each state has different registration requirements and varied ways of monitoring offenders' whereabouts. This lack of uniformity means that "many criminals are falling throught the cracks," according to Schumer. Though the Department of Justice recently launched the National Sex Offender Public Registry (www.nsopr.gov), the new legislation would establish a unified national database, require prisoners to register before release, and make failure to register or update information a felony, not a misdemeanor.

Mayor Eddie Perez has spearheaded the new Hartford Youth Scholars Foundation to increase urban student enrollment in institutions of higher learning--with the long-term goal of strengthening the civic community of Hartford, CT. Designed to place motivated students within the robust networks and diverse opportunities available at college preparatory schools, the $11-million Foundation will underwrite partial and full scholarships to over 17 private schools in CT. The Foundation will also counsel students and families, review school applications, and help arrange transportation for potential candidates.

Identifying "farm-to-table" vulnerabilities in the national food supply and ensuring its safety from terrorist threats is the enterprise of the new Strategic Partnership Program Agroterrorism (SPPA) Initiative. Formed in collaboration with The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, the Dept. of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, private industry, and state and local officials, the SPPA Initiative will send integrated teams to sites across the nation to learn and share best practices centering on the protection of U.S. agricultural commodities. The nascent partnership will also coordinate mutual research and development objectives that promote food security.

Each year, the Innovations in American Government Awards Program, sponsored by the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation, offers $100,000 grants to creative and effective government initiatives. Deadline: September 15, 2005. Learn how to apply.