Accelerating Discovery to Innovation Rathindra (Babu) DasGupta Program Director Directorate for Engineering National Science Foundation 23 rd National NSF EPSCoR Conference November 3 7, 2013
Outline NSF Organization Current (established) Programs & Outcomes Filling gaps in the Innovation Ecosystem New Programs (ex: I Corps TM ) Q&A
National Science Foundation Office of the Inspector General (OIG) National Science Board (NSB) Director and Deputy Director Office of Diversity and Inclusion Office of the General Counsel Office of International & Integrative Activities Biological Sciences (BIO) Computer & Information Science & Engineering (CISE) Engineering (ENG) Geosciences (GEO) Office of Legislative & Public Affairs Mathematical & Physical Sciences (MPS) Social, Behavioral, & Economic Sciences (SBE) Education & Human Resources (EHR) Budget, Finance, & Award Management (BFA) Information & Resource Management (IRM)
NSF Investments Support basic research in ALL fields of science and engineering. Fund high risk research; can sometimes lead to unexpected results! Many discoveries and products we now rely upon began with NSF support.
NSF Innovation Investments NSF overall University Small Business SBIR Industry Venture Capital Resources Invested Translational Research Angel Investors Research Development Commercialization 5
Disclaimer NSF doesn t claim SOLE responsibility for these successes, but NSF played a clear and definable role in the intellectual evolution of all these innovations.
The Ubiquitous Bar Code In the 1970s, research led to improvements in the accuracy of scanners More recently, advanced algorithms have been developed for bar code readers
DNA Evidence Forensic DNA analysis is key to our legal system Basic biological research led to the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technique, making DNA fingerprinting possible Recently, PCR has been used with great success in forensic science to examine small quantities of blood, urine, or hair
Internet Search Engines In the 1990s, NSF funded Stanford University Professor Hector Garcia Molina s Digital Library Project Garcia Molina s grad student, Larry Page, developed a new search engine that reflected linking among web pages
Affordable, Effective Medicines NSF funded researchers engineered yeast cells to produce artemisinin, a chemical critical to making anti malaria drug On April 11, 2013, the pharmaceutical company Sanofi launched the large scale production of a partially synthetic version of artemisinin The leaves of Artemisia annua, the sweet wormwood tree, are the source of artemisinin. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Clean, Abundant Water NSF supported research into water desalination, decontamination, and disinfection. New techniques are more rapid, less expensive, and more sensitive. New models can analyze watersheds and the links between water and infrastructure systems. Credit: Josh Chamot, NSF
MRSEC: Laser Transmission MRSEC: support interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary materials research and education of the highest quality while addressing fundamental problems in science and engineering that are important to society. On Friday November 19 th 2004, a minimally invasive procedure was performed on a patient with near total obstruction of the larynx and trachea. The procedure was performed by Dr. Jamie Koufman, the director of the Center for Voice and Swallowing Disorders of Wake Forest University at the Voice Center in Winston Salem, North Carolina. The patient was awake during the procedure and was able to go home immediately thereafter. Enabling Technology: a new class of photonic bandgap fibers capable of transmitting CO 2 laser energy at a wavelength of 10.6 microns. This technology evolved from MRSEC supported fundamental research (Temelkuran et al., Nature 420, 650 653, 2002). The technology was licensed exclusively to OmniGuide by MIT for further development in 2003.
STC: Magnetic Resonance Imaging STCs: address complex research problems with interdisciplinary approaches, partnerships, and knowledge transfer to stakeholders STC for Magnetic Resonance Technology for Basic Biological Research at UIUC established in 1991 Lauterbur was awarded a Nobel Prize in 2003 for discoveries leading to magnetic resonance imaging. PI Paul Lauterbur discovered the possibility of creating a two dimensional image by producing variations in a magnetic field
GOALI: Nanocrystal Formation and Morphology in Nonthermal Plasmas Plasma Reactor GOALI: aims to synergize university-industry partnerships and fund transformative Research that lies beyond that which industry would normally fund Uwe Kortshagen (University of Minnesota) and Michael Zachariah (Univ. of Maryland College Park) have demonstrated the ability of plasmas to produce crystalline nanoparticles with specific geometries and beneficial properties. InnovaLight, Inc., licensed the approach to synthesize silicon nanocrystals for the use in low cost, efficient solar cells based on silicon nanoparticle films.
I/UCRC Success Stories I/UCRCs: conduct cooperative, pre competitive industry relevant research Spin offs: 3 centers; 1 ENG & 2 CISE in FY 2012 22 spin offs in last 4 5 years Technology Transfers & Impacts: Air Liquide & I/UCRC for Excellence in Logistics and Distribution (CELDi): 1 to 2% realized savings in logistics ratio (investment in tanks to logistics transportation costs) Sam s Club & I/UCRC for CELDi: Estimated $60M annual impact resulting from reduction in club inventory Medical Center Health System & I/UCRC for CELDi: Improve patient discharge process; $250,000 annual impact
ERC: Radar Network Detects Low Altitude Weather Phenomena ERC for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere, Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst Improves on Doppler radar and NEXRAD ERCs: focus on engineered systems that integrate fundamental research, technology development and education in partnership with industrial members.
Phase IB Third-Party Investment + 1:2 NSF Matching (up to $30k) IA Phase IIB Third-Party Investment + 1:2 NSF Matching (up to $500k) IA Private Sector Or Non-SBIR Investment Phase I Feasibility Research SBIR - $ 150k/6 months STTR - $ 225k/12 months Phase II Research towards Prototype $750k/24 months Phase III Product Development to Commercial Market IA = Innovation Accelerator
SBIR: Support of Qualcomm In 1985, Andrew Viterbi and 6 colleagues formed QUALity COMMunications In 1987 1988 SBIR provided $265,000 for single chip implementation of Viterbi decoder Led to high speed data transmission via wireless and satellite Now the $78B company holds more than 10,100 U.S. patents, licensed to more than 165 companies
STC GOALI ERC I/UCRC PFI:BIC SBIR/STTR Partnerships for Innovation: Building Innovation Capacity PFI:BIC Resources Invested Established 2000 Develops technological and human innovation capacity through academeindustry partnerships Revised in 2013 to focus on smart service systems Focus on technologies with potential for transformational change in existing service systems, or to spur entirely new service systems Understand the interaction of technology with customers the socio technical system
STC GOALI ERC I/UCRC PFI:BIC PFI:AIR TT PFI:AIR RA SBIR/STTR Partnerships for Innovation: Accelerating Innovation Research PFI:AIR Resources Invested Established 2010 America Competes Act Lineage to NSF funded research results PFI:AIR Technology Translation Aimed at faculty researchers to extend research discoveries toward commercial application PFI:AIR Research Alliance Aimed at centers to leverage center investments to translate technologies and form a sustainable innovation ecosystem Requires 3 rd party investment to accelerate commercialization
Filling Gaps in the Innovation Ecosystem Spur Translation of Fundamental Research Encourage Collaboration between Academia and Industry Educate to Innovate
Pilot Programs Translation Research in the Academic Community (TRAC) Resources for existing NSF grantee researchers aimed at translating fundamental research into commercial applications Industry Inspired Fundamental Research (IFR) Small groups of industry identify innovation opportunity and fundamental research questions / needs Industry Post Docs Corporate Research Postdoctoral Fellowship Program provides recent engineering PhD recipients the opportunity to conduct postdoctoral research in a corporate setting
I Corps TM in A Nutshell Transcending the Ditch of Death : a public private partnership to support the translation of NSF research into the development of technologies, products and processes Increasing Network Opportunities: aims to help create a national network scientists, engineers, innovators, business leaders and entrepreneurs building on existing NSF grantee events Aligns with NSF Strategy: I Corps will enhance our nation s economic competitiveness by reaching out to a range of communities that play complementary roles in the innovation process and are essential to ensuring the impact of NSF Investments. * 23 *From Empowering the Nation through Discovery and Innovation NSF Strategic Plan, April 2011
NSF overall I-Corps TM I Corps TM Home Industry Resources Invested Ditch of Death Small Business Valley of Death Investors Foundations University Discovery Development Commercialization 24
NSF I Corps TM Flow Diagram Customer Discovery (Teams/Nodes) Go Decision (Teams) Strategic Partnership Recruiting processes (NSF) Team Selection (NSF) Node Assignment (NSF) Private Capitalizati on Pool of eligible Teams (NSF) Awarded I-Corps Teams (NSF) Resource Infusion Curriculum Delivery & Refinement (Nodes) Private Sector Business Model Canvasses (Teams) No- Go Decision (Teams) Public Funding (e.g., SBIR, STIR,. ) 25
I Corps Sites Some motivations for I Corps Sites Program: A need to increase the pool of potential NSF I Corps Teams by supporting local teams whose projects are likely candidates for commercialization. Leverage intellectual assets of academic institutions and instill a culture of entrepreneurship in universities Sites are funded at academic institutions: with already existing innovation or entrepreneurial units, to enable them to nurture teams of students and/or faculty who are engaged in projects having the potential to be transitioned into the marketplace. Sites can be funded up to $100,000/year for up to 3 yrs. Sites provide: infrastructure, advice, resources, networking opportunities, training, and modest funding ($1,000 to $3,000 total to individual teams) to enable groups to transition their work into the marketplace or into becoming I Corps Team. Approx. 30 teams per institution per year. Sites can serve as feeders to produce I-Corps-eligible teams. FY 13: 4 Sites awarded 26
I Corps Team Outcomes for Years 1 & 2 NSF I Corps Program Dashboard Cohorts 1 10 236 Awards (Including 4 ARPA E) 115 Academic Institutions 43 States SBIR Proposals and Awards from I Corps Teams Through FY13Q3 35 30 25 20 70% 60% 50% 40% 15 30% 10 20% 5 10% 0 FY2012 FY2013 0% Proposals Awards Success Rate
I Corps: The Charge Tracker (University of Michigan Ann Arbor) AGS Lineage They started I-Corps with. a team a technology Nilton Harvey The Charge Tracker TM capable of locating electric charge buildup on objects located tens of feet away from it. and a lot of ideas Dave Gus $1.6 Million funding from NASA and NSF since June 2007 They ended I-Corps with.. a business and the startup received a microloan from the Michigan Microloan Fund Program ($50k), and received a NSF-SBIR Phase I ($150k) R.Montelli Ph.D., September 23, 2013
Sophie Lebrecht, Carnegie Mellon University, Entrepreneurial Lead; Mike Tarr, PI; Babs Carryer, Mentor Sophie Lebrecht identified that the brain computes a very rough, very rapid and automatic snapshot of perception in order to estimate the likability of an object. They had essentially discovered a way to predict the images people would be most attracted to, and that image discovery had huge market potential anytime there is an image, and you want a human to relate to that image, the research is applicable. NEON Forbes "[...Neon] is now integrating her research into an algorithm that helps determine which online images produce the greatest number of clicks." 30
North Carolina A&T State University Crowned Champion in $100,000 ACC Clean Energy Challenge Bioadhesive Alliance s winning technology, an environmentally friendly bio-based adhesive, is a sustainable alternative resource developed from the thermochemical liquefaction process converting swine manure to a bio-binder, while sequestering carbon and greenhouse gases otherwise released into the atmosphere. Bio-Adhesive Alliance was selected as the $25,000 grand prize winner. The start-up company is a spin-out from NC A&T State University that has developed an innovative technology to produce liquid asphalt from swine manure. According to the company, This technology provides a sustainable and cost-effective solution to swine manure treatment while reducing pavement construction and maintenance cost. The Bio-Adhesive Alliance team completed the National Science Foundation s commercialization program known as I-Corps. Bio-Adhesive Alliance 31
Development model for web and mobile applications. AppScale is the open source implementation of Google App Engine cloud platform. PI: Chandra Krintz University of California- Santa Barbara AppScale -- Spurring Innovation Through Cloud Application Portability They've already received $xxx in Angel financing and are going out for their series A round now. Selected as a GigaOm "Best of the Best" finalist for new start-up 32
I Corps Nodes Level 1 Regional Training Level 2 Develop Tools and Resources + + Level 3 Blue Sky Research 33
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