Novel NSF Program Gives $500,000 Awards

As part of a new Industry-Defined Fundamental Research pilot program in partnership with the National Science Foundation, the Industrial Research Institute awarded $500,000 each to two research projects. One award went to a team at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, to study adhesive properties in multilayered devices. The other went to researchers at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, for research in catalytic oxidation chemistry to process lignin. NSF helped launch the program in September 2009 with a $1.2 million grant to IRI, whose members include industrial firms responsible for nearly half of U.S. private R&D spending. The remainder of the grant went to IRI supervisory and administrative costs. Thomas W. Peterson, assistant director of NSF’s Engineering Directorate, told a House of Representatives committee in June that the grant directs funds “to examine possible research thrusts that are fundamental and that could have a transformative economic impact on an industry or sector.” IRI members, including Eastman Chemical, Lubrizol, and Colgate Palmolive, helped with funding decisions. A spokesman says IRI members also plan to offer award winners either direct funding or in-kind support.