QuantumSphere, a leading manufacturer of nanoscale metals and alloys for applications in portable power, renewable energy, electronics, aerospace, defense and other markets demanding advanced materials, today announced its second year launch of a major program to fund innovative research that will provide breakthrough capabilities for QuantumSphere and its global base of customers and partners. QuantumSphere recently posted a Call for QSI-Nano® Research Grant Proposals to facilitate partnerships with universities and help bridge the gap between university research and real-world commercial applications by sponsoring individual and group research through prototype phase using QSI-Nano® metals and alloys. The end result of this research will further accelerate validation and commercialization of QuantumSphere’s advanced nanomaterials in consumer and industrial applications.
“QuantumSphere’s Call for Research Grant Proposals and funding of new research initiatives takes a fresh approach on traditional research methodologies,” said Kevin Maloney, CEO, QuantumSphere, Inc. “Many research projects focus on the development of abstract experiments in the laboratory. However, QuantumSphere will only fund research that demonstrates commercial potential and a clear path to the validation and development of products that can be manufactured and used in consumer and industrial applications. It’s truly a four-way win scenario; the researcher(s), universities, QuantumSphere, and the consumers will ultimately benefit from funded proposals that lead to commercial breakthroughs and end-use applications. The response to the 2006 Call for Research Grant Proposals Program was overwhelming and two solid proposals were funded. This year we’ve expanded the program from universities within California to universities nationwide. We’ve also allocated additional research dollars and expect to fund up to five projects in 2007,” Maloney added.
QSI-Nano® Research Grant Proposals Program Guidelines and Requirements
- Funding is open to all graduate students and postdoctoral students involved in full-time research within colleges and universities in the United States during the 2007 – 2008 academic year
- Proposed research will investigate catalytic, conductive, magnetic, or anti-microbial applications utilizing QSI-Nano® Iron, Copper, Silver, Nickel, Cobalt, and Manganese metals and alloys for commercially viable applications
- Proposals must contain an explanation of the capability to execute a research plan beginning from dry, unfunctionalized metal/metal-oxide particles to prototype product, which encompasses:
- an introduction of the proposed research initiative and how the use of QuantumSphere’s nanometals should improve performance of the product/device
- a definition of the current challenges/issues in the marketplace, and how these challenges/issues can potentially be resolved with the use of QSI-Nano® metals
- a summary of the research plan’s timeline that shows a clear path for validation and potential commercialization beginning with QSI-Nano® metals to final prototype device and its relevance to an end-use in a commercially viable application
- a thorough discussion that explains the target market and potential commercial impact of a successful prototype
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