10-18-2007
Contacts:
George Kraus, Director, Institute for Physical Research and Technology, (515) 294-7794, gakraus@iastate.edu
Robert Mills, IPRT Public Affairs, (515) 294-1113, rmills@iastate.edu
Research grants sow seeds for economic development
AMES — The Technology Commercialization group of Iowa State University’s Institute for Physical Research and Technology Company Assistance program has awarded nearly $95,000 to five early-stage research projects. The funds will support preliminary research on Iowa State innovations with potential to foster economic development in Iowa. The projects are sponsored through funds provided to IPRT Company Assistance from the “Grow Iowa Values Fund,” a state economic development program. Each project also includes matching funds from the research group or industry partner.
“These seed grants will help projects get to a stage where further funding is much more likely,” IPRT director George Kraus said. Moreover, the grants are made with an eye for commercial potential. “Our Technology Commercialization associates have a good handle on what technologies will succeed in the market and have carefully selected projects they believe can someday contribute to Iowa’s economy,” Kraus said.
Many early-stage projects funded by IPRT go on to garner further grants, and some even become the basis for start-up companies. Indeed, the new projects with promising results will be encouraged to submit proposals to Iowa State’s GIVF program in spring 2008.
Projects receiving seed funding are:
- $20,000 to Michael Kessler, professor of materials science and engineering, and Richard Larock, Distinguished Professor of chemistry and a scientist in IPRT’s Center for Catalysis, for an effort to make window frames from agricultural oils.
- $20,000 to Ying Cai, professor of computer science, for technology to protect privacy in location-based services such as text-based messaging on cell phones.
- $19,990 to Viren Amin, Bruce Thompson, both scientists with IPRT’s Center for Nondestructive Evaluation, and Tom Baas, a professor of animal science, for developing ultrasound technology to improve meat-quality evaluation in food animals.
- $19,266 to Michael Olsen, professor of mechanical engineering, and Hui Hu, professor of aerospace engineering, to develop a new generation of flow meters for testing diesel engines.
- $15,017 to Timothy Ellis, professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering, to develop technology that uses recycled tire products to scrub air and waste treatment gases to remove hydrogen sulfide.
IPRT is a network of scientific research centers at Iowa State University. IPRT Company Assistance assists Iowa companies with product development, process improvement and technical problem solving, promoting industry/university collaborations and encouraging economic development in Iowa. The Technology Commercialization group within IPRT Company Assistance also administers an R&D cost-sharing program for industry projects conducted at Iowa State University. Cost sharing funds can pay up to 50 percent of project costs (with a $15,000 maximum). IPRT’s Technology Commercialization associates facilitate initial discussions, assist with proposal development and contract negotiations, and manage projects from start to finish.
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