Dec 24 2007
The Pennsylvania NanoMaterials Commercialization Center has announced its third call for proposals from companies throughout Pennsylvania to apply for grants available for the development of nano-related products.
The Center targets partnerships of researchers from universities, small companies, large companies and entrepreneurs in the growing field of nanomaterials, and it funds projects that have commercial or defense applications. The Center requests pre-proposal idea submissions prior to formal proposals. Each proposer received feedback from the Center on the suitability of their idea submission and adherence to the Center's guidelines, along with advice on submitting a full proposal. The deadline for proposals in this round is January 31, 2008.
All proposals are judged by the Center's technical advisory committee that recommended the most promising ideas to the Center's governing board for funding. The advisory committee is made up of 19 leading researchers in the field of nanotechnology from Pennsylvania universities, small and large technology companies and federal laboratories.
Companies that previously won awards include Plextronics Inc., Illuminex Corporation, NanoRDC LLC, Crystalplex Corp., Integran Technologies USA and HydroGen Corporation. Awards to date have totaled in excess of $1 million.
The grants were made possible as a result of funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Air Force. A grant totaling $1 million from the state's Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority to the Center was announced by Governor Rendell in August, 2006. This state support is part of the Pennsylvania Initiative in Nanotechnology (PIN) which is intended to capitalize on the exciting new field of nanotechnology to create new companies and high technology jobs throughout the commonwealth. To date, the Center also has received total funding in the amount of $1,743,424 from the Air Force Research Labs through the Wright Brothers Institute in Dayton, Ohio, in addition to Heinz Foundation grants.
The Pennsylvania NanoMaterials Commercialization Center was established through the efforts of its founding members: Alcoa, US Steel, PPG Industries, Bayer MaterialScience, Carnegie Mellon University and the Pittsburgh Technology Council. In addition, The Center is closely aligned with the state's PIN program and has partner relationships with The Pennsylvania State University and The University of Pittsburgh.