About NSF I/UCRC

Background

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Virginia Tech has received a planning grant to establish an NSF Industry University Collaboration Research Center on Smart Vehicles in collaboration with Ohio State University. These centers, which must be multi-university, have become very popular nationwide as they bring industry and universities together to conduct research, with the help of graduate students that is relevant to US industry needs.  Furthermore, it will help us train the workforce needed by our industrial partners.

To get NSF support ($50K+ one Undergraduate Researcher +1 evaluator) per year, VT, will have to find at least four industrial partners. Each industrial/government partner will contribute $40K per year and will have the royalty-free license to the IP developed at the Center . The OSU ( www.SmartVehicleCenter.org ) already has 10 partners and they are expecting a few more. So a potential industrial partner gets access to research worth ($40K times the total number of industrial affiliates in joint OSU/VT IUCRC). Virginia Tech is only charging an overhead rate of 11 % (as opposed to 58.5% charged on other projects) and will also provide 25% cost-sharing for the first $150K raised from the industrial fee.

There is also an option of an associate affiliates that have a fee of only $10K. This provides access to the annual research review meeting but not to any IP or voting rights. 

Our research will involve all areas that will enhance the performance of next generation of automobile; aerospace, both heavier and lighter than air; and marine vehicles. Some of the projects that we may pursue are described in the next section.

Duration: The NSF/IUCRC are funded for five years. They can be extended for another five years. We expect the center at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University will start functioning by January 1, 2008.