Lt. Governor Fisher, Chancellor Fingerhut announce more than $143 million in Ohio Research Scholars awards
COLUMBUS, OHIO (May 20, 2008) - Columbus, OH -- Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher, Chair of the Ohio Third Frontier Commission, and Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor and Commission member Eric Fingerhut today reaffirmed Ohio's commitment to attracting world-class talent and better aligning Ohio's research investments with economic development. The Commission today recommended 10 collaborations between University System of Ohio schools, private universities, and industry partners throughout the State for more than $143 million in grants through the Ohio Research Scholars Program. The addition of 26 new Research Scholars through these recommendations is an unprecedented achievement that strengthens and deepens Ohio's higher education institutions and growing centers of excellence. These projects will stimulate research in areas of extreme importance to Ohio's economy such as advanced materials, bio-imaging, spinal implants, photovoltaics, and power and propulsion. The awards are contingent upon State Controlling Board approval.
"These projects exemplify the unbreakable link between economic development and higher education that is critical in developing not only groundbreaking research but product commercialization," said Fisher, who also serves as Director of the Ohio Department of Development. "Our Department's support and the Ohio Board of Regents' support of these projects today solidifies our commitment to bringing state-of-the-art talent to Ohio and also reinforces the important relationship between cutting-edge research and long-term economic development objectives."
The Ohio Research Scholars program aggressively invests in the attraction of senior research talent and related facilities and equipment, and promotes unique collaborations required to build and sustain promising fields of research. The Program is jointly funded and administered by the Ohio Department of Development and the Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents.
"This represents an historic commitment to funding based on quality and alignment with the state's economic priorities. The $143 million investment greatly strengthens Ohio's colleges and universities as they bring world-class scholars and research teams to the state, and develop the centers of research excellence integral to Ohio's 10-year Strategic Plan for Higher Education," said Chancellor Fingerhut.
The organizations were selected through a competitive proposal process. The proposals were evaluated on how effectively the applicant defined the technology or research focus area of the research cluster and the areas of investigation to be pursued by the newly hired scholars in one or more of the State's targeted technology/research focus areas: advanced materials; biosciences; instruments, controls, and electronics; information technology; and power and propulsion.
"These 26 scientists represent a tremendous vote of confidence in our research universities and their role in the economy of our State. Today, we are making a major investment in Ohio's future. I urge state leaders to continue to build upon it in future budgets," said Ohio Senator Jeff Jacobson (R-Dayton), who played a key role in advancing the program in the General Assembly.
The Commission announced the following awards for the Fiscal Year 2008 Ohio Research Scholars program:
Kent State University in partnership with Case Western Reserve University were recommended for $14,392,382 in funding for a proposal to establish a research cluster on the science of soft matter interfaces. The effort will be organized by the Liquid Crystal Institute at Kent State University and the materials research community (Physics and Macromolecular Departments) at Case Western Reserve University. Kent State University will receive two endowed Research Scholar positions and Case Western Reserve University will receive one.
University of Cincinnati, leading a partnership with The Ohio State University and University of Dayton, were recommended for $27,292,308 in funding for a proposal to accelerate the growth of an existing cluster of research competence at University of Cincinnati in power and propulsion in three focus areas: intelligent control and thermal management of adaptive power and propulsion systems; advanced energy sources for low emissions; aircraft/ engine systems, prognostics and health management, aeroacoustics, turbine aerodynamics and heat transfer, coal to fuel conversion, small turbine technology, alternative fuels and low emissions combustion and system and components prognosis and life management. The proposal includes recruiting three Ohio Research Scholars Program scholars at University of Cincinnati, one Research Scholar at The Ohio State University, and one Research Scholar at University of Dayton.
University of Toledo in partnership with The Cleveland Clinic's Center for Spine Health and Clinical Center for Tissue Engineering were recommended for $4,463,462 in funding to support the development of a Spinal Cluster. The goals of the spinal cluster are to catalyze externally funded, cutting-edge basic and applied research in spinal diseases and devices, to generate new Ohio-based intellectual property and spin-off companies, to supplement Ohio Research Scholar Program funds through research dollars generated by scientists in the cluster, and to train engineers, medical students, residents, and fellows in moving new technologies from bench to bedside. To accomplish these goals the University and Clinic anticipate recruiting a new faculty member to be housed at the University of Toledo in Biomedical Engineering, with specific expertise in nanotechnology.
University of Toledo in partnership with Bowling Green State University were recommended for $8,038,462 in funding for a plan to strengthen a photovoltaics cluster in Ohio by leveraging existing research activities at the universities. The proposal focuses on development in the areas of: Thin Silicon Photovoltaic Science, Photovoltaic Nanoscale Surface Science, Solid State Photonics, Deposition Modeling and Molecular Photonics. One endowed faculty position is expected to be added at the University of Toledo.
The Ohio State University, leading a partnership with the University of Akron, and University of Dayton, were recommended for $18,153,846 in funding to expand a research cluster to pioneer revolutionary approaches to materials development, leveraging the materials science strengths of the universities. The cluster's goal is to accelerate materials innovation and commercialization by evaluating emergent materials at an early stage through predictive modeling and characterization. The Ohio State University was recommended to receive two endowed positions, University of Akron to receive one position, and University of Dayton to receive one.
The Ohio State University Research Foundation, leading a partnership with Ohio University, Case Western Reserve University, and University of Toledo were recommended for $10,476,924 in funding to establish a collaborative cluster in Advanced Energy Systems. The Ohio State University and Ohio University will each receive one endowed Research Scholar position.
The Ohio State University Research Foundation, leading a partnership with Case Western Reserve University, and Wright State University were recommended for $24,867,308 in funding for a proposal to bring together their universities and nine industrial or healthcare partners to develop a network of biomedical imaging excellence in Ohio in various areas of healthcare-related imaging. The Ohio State University and Case Western Reserve University are each to receive two endowed Research Scholar positions, and Wright State University is to receive one.
University of Dayton, leading a partnership with The Ohio State University, Wright State University, and Miami University were recommended for $23,448,718 in funding for a proposal to develop the Ohio Academic Research Cluster for Layered Sensing and enable the compilation of world-renowned layered sensing intellectual capital in Ohio to establish Ohio as the undisputed academic leader in layered sensing. Layered sensing is defined as taking a multitude of diverse and distinct sensor platforms and fusing their data into one synergistic view of the environment being sensed. Applications of interest, according to the proposal, include military, security, safety, medical, triage, law enforcement, geographic information services, environmental, and agricultural markets. Wright State University, University of Dayton, and The Ohio State University are each to receive one endowed Research Scholar position.
University of Akron in partnership with the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine were recommended for contingent funding of $8,576,924 to establish the Orthopaedic Research Cluster of Northeast Ohio, which would combine the work of musculoskeletal biology, polymer/material science, and clinical orthopaedics. Three areas of research are identified as the primary focus: soft functional materials for structured biosurfaces; drug delivery devices for orthopaedic applications; and diagnostic markers for bone and cartilage tumors. University of Akron and Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine are each to receive one endowed Research Scholars position.
Cleveland State University was recommended for $900,000 in funding that will strengthen the collaborative relationship with The Cleveland Clinic Foundation in the areas of cardiovascular repair and cardiovascular tissue engineering.
The Ohio Research Scholars Program provides grants to strengthen and increase the number of clusters of research excellence that are led by Ohio's academic institutions that support regional economic priorities. The Ohio Research Scholars Program aims to achieve this through aggressive investment in the attraction of senior research talent and related facilities and equipment, and promotion of unique collaborations needed to build and sustain scientifically and commercially promising lines of research.
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Media contacts: Kelly Schlissberg at (614) 466-4133 or Kimber Perfect at (614) 466-2609
