Services for ISU Faculty
IPRT and its various centers offer a plethora
of services to research faculty, all aimed at facilitating interdisciplinary
research and letting researchers focus on research.
Access to Opportunities
ISU faculty, their colleges and ISU research
offices are well-versed in the more traditional methods of locating research
opportunities and funding sources.
IPRT is not here to duplicate those efforts.
Instead, we bring something more to the table: access to research opportunities
and funding beyond the normal
sources, especially those that involve industry interaction. IPRT can:
- Identify U.S. Industrial Partners
We can find companies that want to partner with you in your research. Our
main focus is on Iowa companies; in fact, we have a database of more than
6,000 Iowa companies on which to draw. We can also conduct market research
to find just the right partner to support and develop your research.
- Locate and Acquire State and Federal Funding
IPRT can help you locate and acquire state and federal funding for applied
research. We also have funds from state sources to cost-share funding
provided by industry for commercializing new technology or solving problems
specific
to a company.
IPRT also receives state of Iowa funding for applied research proposals
that lead to new products and processes that stimulate economic development
in Iowa.
Assistance with Project Development
and Management
Starting and maintaining a research program going, especially an interdisciplinary
one, can be a real challenge. IPRT can help, providing assistance with:
- Preparing research contract documents.
- Managing and tracking grants and reporting for funding agency
and/or industrial partners for grants administered by IPRT.
- Coordinating efforts with other ISU resources and meeting internal
budget, accounting and reporting requirements for IPRT-administered grants.
- Fill out Proposal Data Form ("Gold
sheets"), prepare proposal budgets and assist with NSF Fastlane entry for proposals
submitted through IPRT.
- Assist in ancillary paperwork involving IPRT-administered grants:
- Human resources.
- Environmental health and safety.
- Inventory and purchasing.
- Professional service agreements for outside contractor
Access to Facilities and Laboratories
It often takes specialized equipment and
facilities to conduct world-class research. Through IPRT, ISU faculty have
access to some of the world's most advanced scientific laboratories. Some
prominent examples include:
- The C4 and
the C6 virtual
reality environments, both world-class facilities with application across
a number of disciplines.
- Materials
Preparation Center, a one-of-a-kind user facility that provides high-purity metals for academic
and industrial research.
- State-of-the-art laboratories and equipment for common nondestructive evaluation
technologies such as ultrasonics and radiography.
Company Assistance & Technology
Transfer
While IPRT does not license technology, we stand ready to help take research
beyond the walls of ISU, where it can make a real difference in the quality
of human life. Indeed, IPRT is one reason that ISU is a leader in technology
transfer. Among peer land grant universities, ISU is number 1, with 7.2 License/Options
executed per $10 million in research.
IPRT also offers a company
assistance program that further spreads our expertise into industry. IPRT
researchers and staff have around 200 interactions with Iowa companies
every year.
Continued Management of
Intellectual
Property
We can continue to assist in the management
of intellectual property, including coordinating efforts with the Iowa State University Research Foundation (ISURF), which manages intellectual property created by ISU.
Marketing to Find Industrial Partners
In this competitive new millennium, marketing
is ever so important. In many cases, it starts from the beginning when a
researcher has developed an idea or concept and needs an industrial partner
to support further research and provide real-world feedback. IPRT is well-versed
in this type of marketing. On a more traditional front, IPRT can also market
technologies, patents and licenses to potential industrial buyers. We do
this through various channels, including exhibits, direct mail and so on.
Public Affairs
IPRT Public Affairs can assist researchers
with their entire communications program, from new releases and newsletters
to brochures, exhibits and Web sites.
