By David Ortiz,
PBN Staff Writer
PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Science and Technology Advisory Council’s Research Alliance program, heading into its second funding cycle, is accepting applications from research teams across the state. The several projects selected as winners will share $1.5 million in STAC grants.
The Science and Technology Advisory Council, or STAC, was created in 2005 to help turn Rhode Island into a regional hub for the life sciences, information technology and other research-based industries.
Its R.I. Research Alliance Collaborative Research Award Program grants aim to encourage collaboration among disparate players in the state’s research and development community.
Last year, the program awarded nearly $1.5 million to eight teams of 32 scientists from 15 research institutions pursuing collaborative projects in medicine, engineering, chemistry, biology, oceanography and environmental science. They provided support for projects including the development of high-tech toys to aid children with cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders (READ MORE); the use of virtual reality to improve the design of prosthetic limbs (READ MORE); and the development of new marine-based drugs to fight a common and deadly hospital infection (READ MORE).
“By promoting collaboration across the state’s research organizations, the alliance has the capacity to significantly strengthen Rhode Island’s competitiveness and bring additional federal and corporate research investment into the state, stimulating new projects and important opportunities for job growth,” said STAC co-chair Jeff Seemann, dean of the College of the Environment and Life Sciences at the University of Rhode Island.
In addition to the Research Alliance funding program, STAC will aggressively move forward with other programs and projects aimed at creating a stronger alliance across all of the state’s research institutions, according to the organization.
Among efforts already underway is the construction of a collaborative research Web portal that will serves as a catalogue of Rhode Island’s research assets and bring more visibility to research happening across the state.
Rhode Island’s research community has showed great enthusiasm for the Research Alliance program. In year one, STAC received 45 proposals requesting a total of more than $7.1 million in support from researchers at eight Rhode Island higher education institutions, six hospitals and 17 private companies.
To apply for this year’s program, applicants are required to submit an electronic copy of both a preliminary proposal and a full proposal.
Preliminary proposals are due by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 24, and full proposals are due by 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 24. A hard copy of the full proposal is also required and must be submitted by Oct. 31. The grant awards will be announced in January.
For more information about the R.I. Research Alliance 2008 Collaborative Research Award Program, or to apply for Research Alliance funding, contact Christine Smith at csmith@riedc.com or visit www.stac.ri.gov.
