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USTAR’s Technology Commercialization Grant program has been in the news recently. On Nov. 4, the USTAR Governing Authority board selected eight projects for funding and local media highlighted a number of these innovative efforts in the weeks that followed. 

The TCG program was announced in the summer of 2009, with the main focus on bringing innovative new technologies to market from Utah’s public universities and colleges. The grants – which total 76 to date – also foster collaboration between industry and public higher learning institutions. 

With a typical award size of $30,000, TCGs assist faculty to prototype, test, assess markets, and commercialize new products and services in high-growth markets. Utah-based companies and other organizations willing to sponsor technology development work with a faculty member at a regional public higher learning institution may jointly apply for the grant. 

Applications in the next round of regional higher education TCG applications are due at noon on Jan. 3, 2011. For more information, visit http://www.innovationutah.com/tcgrants.html 

The news stories about TCGs include: 

Information technology: KCPW features Pixelture and the work they are doing with Salt Lake Community College to bring to market shared wireless projection technology for improved classroom and business training (http://tinyurl.com/2g34llq). Pixelture is also featured in a Deseret News article (http://tinyurl.com/2d6ao66). 

Biomedical: KUER highlights a University of Utah project to detect individual cancer cells in the blood (http://tinyurl.com/29hdpqp). 

Energy: TCG co-applicant Altus Poles teams with Novatek for efficient utility towers (http://tinyurl.com/2acjuby).

Energy: A solar industry trade publication covers Solar Fins, a passive in-attic water heating system (http://tinyurl.com/28sfe2u). 

Science Questions interviews Dan Geery of Hyperblimp. Hyperblimp is working with Weber State University to develop a gas-impermeable barrier for lighter-than-air flight applications as well as food and medical packaging (http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/upr/local-upr-936106.mp3). 

The Standard-Examiner covers recent grant awards at Weber State University (http://tinyurl.com/25afwu5). 

Funds for the TCG program came from the Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. 

About USTAR:

The Utah Science Technology and Research initiative (USTAR) is a long-term, state-funded investment to strengthen Utah's "knowledge economy” and generate high-paying jobs. Funded in March 2006 by the State Legislature, USTAR is based on three program areas. The first area involves funding for strategic investments at the University of Utah and Utah State University to recruit world-class researchers. The second area is to build state-of-the-art interdisciplinary facilities at these institutions for the innovation teams. The third program area involves teams that work with companies and entrepreneurs across the State to promote science, innovation, and commercialization activities. For more information, go to www.innovationutah.com or follow http://twitter.com/Innovationutah.