Thursday, January 29, 2009
Writer: Kimberly Draper
news@utsi.edu
The University of Tennessee Research Foundation (UTRF) has
selected a researcher at the University of Tennessee Space Institute
to receive a technology development grant for 2009. This grant will
allow the researcher to further develop or "mature" the technology
so that it is better positioned for licensing and commercialization.
The proposal submitted by Ying-Ling Chen was awarded for her work on
a product to improve vision screening for children.
UT researchers were invited to propose work on inventions and
discoveries that either had been previously disclosed to UT and
assigned to UTRF or to propose new disclosures with a development
plan. Forty-three proposals were received from the four campuses and
three institutes that make up the University of Tennessee. A total
of nine proposals were funded. Chen’s proposal was awarded $15,000.
"This is the second year for this grant program, designed to support
the research and technology development efforts at the University of
Tennessee" said Fred Tompkins, President and CEO of UTRF. "We expect
this program to hasten the development of and add value to
university technologies produced by the research enterprise. We also
anticipate that these projects will help identify or clarify
commercialization paths so that society can more quickly reap the
benefits of these innovative technologies.”
UTRF used a panel of subject matter and technology commercialization
experts from across the state to evaluate both the technology and
the development plan proposed by each researcher. UTRF also
solicited advice from Technology 2020 and Memphis Bioworks
Foundation, economic development organizations engaged by UTRF to
assist with technology commercialization.
"Being familiar with the details of the research that Dr. Chen is
executing, I was not surprised to learn that she had been awarded
this grant. She has skillfully and cleverly transformed highly
technical research into a practical and valuable pediatric
diagnostic tool that could potentially positively affect the quality
of life for multitudes of children," said Dr. Angelia Bukley,
Assistant Vice President of UTSI. “This type of research is critical
for creating products and services that will ultimately benefit our
region and the nation as a whole.”
Upon completion of the development work, UTRF will receive a report
from the researcher describing the new knowledge gained and
improvements made in the technology. These results are expected to
allow UTRF to better position the technology for licensing to either
an existing company or a new start-up entity.
