U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand hopes New York will be able to attract $15 million of the $100 million that may be provided in legislation she is supporting for jobs and new businesses.

In a teleconference, the senator said she is launching a new Innovative Agenda in response to the continuing job loss here in New York and across the country.

Her plans includes targeted investments in science, technology, engineering and science (STEM) education, promoting business incubators and regional economic development strategies and a showcase conference in Washington, D.C. featuring New York's high tech companies and research institutions.

The senator said this showcase will highlight "the exciting ways in which New York's high-tech companies and research institutions are driving economic growth and advancing technology."

She said these innovative businesses address some of the most important national issues such as health care, energy and education.

Second on her agenda is supporting entrepreneurs and business incubators.

One such incubator exists in Dunkirk.

Dr. Kevin Kearns, the associate vice president for graduate studies and research at SUNY Fredonia, is working to attract technically oriented businesses into the area to develop new operations and job opportunities.

"We have an exciting number of people interested in the incubator and we hope this interest will develop into new businesses and job offerings." he said.

According to Gillibrand, between 2004 and 2008, there have been 11 high tech businesses established in Chautauqua County which have produced a growth of more than $900,000 in wages.

Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency director Bill Daly says two of those businesses are located in the Jamestown area.

One is Digitall Inc. and the other is Libera Inc. with both providing high tech services, he says.

"We are working aggressively with the Buffalo bio-tech corridor people to attract more of these businesses to Chautauqua County," he added.

Meanwhile, the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the SUNY Technology Incubator in Dunkirk has been scheduled for Dec. 21.

Gillibrand also wants to see new science parks built along with more incentive research and development.

To do this, she is cosponsoring the Building a Stronger America Act - legislation that would increase federal grants and guarantee up to 80 percent on loans exceeding $10 million to build new science parks and expand existing ones.

Providing trained people to work in high tech fields is another concern Senator Gillibrand wants addressed.

She said American is facing a stark shortage of math and science teachers which is taking a serious toll on the number of students trained in these fields.

To equip classrooms with teachers needed to train students to be high tech innovators of the future, the senator is introducing the senate version of the National STEM Education Tax Incentive for Teachers Act.

This legislation would provide STEM teachers with tax credit breaks, up to $1,000 a year.

Daly says the salaries STEM teachers receive need to be addressed as well.

"Compared to teachers' salaries, the pay that can be earned in the private sector by individuals with degrees in science, technology, engineering and math can be up to twice as much," he said.

Gillibrand said the fastest growing occupations from 2000 to 2010 require expertise in the fields of science and technology but less than one-third of American students are proficient in math and science, according to National Assessment of Education Progress.

To graduate more young people in these fields, the senator is introducing undergraduate scholarships which would establish 2,500 awards each year for students' full tuition during their last two years in a state institution.

The program would be designed to attract more low-income, high achieving students to pursue degrees in math, science and engineering.

Daly said the engineering program offered at SUNY Fredonia is one of the best kept secrets around.

"More young people need to be made aware of it," he said.