Universities get $556,000 for new technologies
The University of Louisville, the University of Kentucky and Kentucky State University will receive a total of $556,137 from the Kentucky Science and Technology Corp.’s Kentucky Commercialization Fund to help them bring to market emerging technologies.
The University of Louisville will use its $361,887 for various programs, according to a news release issued by Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear’s office.
The projects include the design and completion of a reactor that will produce metal oxide nanowires at commercial scale. The tiny wires are used in products such as photovoltaic cells and lithium batteries, said KSTC vice president Mahendra Jain.
U of L also plans to use its money to create a Web-assisted recovery computer program for recovering drug and alcohol addicts. The program would act as an automated accountability buddy, providing a way for addicts to check in with the program managers daily and answer questions to make sure they’re following their regimen for recovery, Jain said.
The other U of L projects are the creation of a wireless device to alert patients and caregivers to sudden increases in body temperatures in children; and development of a urine-based test to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea free business cards.
The $75,000 in funds for the University of Kentucky in Lexington will be used to create and test a new carbon fiber material that will be used to strengthen existing reinforced concrete and steel bridges and buildings, according to the release.
Kentucky State University in Frankfort will use its $119,250 to commercialize a sensor-based wireless technology to monitor loss of fluid and other changes in hard-to-monitor containers, such as whisky barrels or wine barrels, Jain said.
Since April 2002, the Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation has invested more than $14 million to help fund 257 projects that also have received funding from the federal government.
Additional information about the foundation can be found at http://ksef.kstc.com.
Filed under: finance by Wolf