Rockwell Catalyst Grant Program
The UWM Research Foundation recently announced three new Catalyst Grants in Advanced Automation sponsored by the Rockwell Automation Charitable Corporation. The grants total $180,000. In each of the first two rounds, $170,000 was awarded in three grants. The next call for proposals is anticipated in the fall of 2010.
Overview: The UWM Research Foundation’s Catalyst Grant Program in Advanced Automation is designed to seed promising early stage research in the area of advanced automation. Rockwell Automation, the program’s sponsor, has committed $850,000 over a period of five years to the program. The long-term objective of the program is to build research capabilities in the area of advanced automation, strengthen corporate partnerships with regional companies, foster collaborative research, and create opportunities for internships and employment of UWM students and graduates.
Research Areas: UWM industry partners, including Rockwell Automation, are interested in building research capabilities at UWM in three areas viewed as critical to technology evolution in advanced automation:
- Software and Manufacturing Informatics
- Sensors and Devices
- Advanced Materials
Award Amounts: Awards will be targeted in the amount of $60,000 with a target for start of funding in January 1, 2010. Three awards were made in each of the first two rounds, and a similar number is targeted in this round (including funds awarded in conjunction with the Southeastern Wisconsin Energy Technology Research Center).
Program Design: Investigators are asked to submit proposal and budget. These will be reviewd internally by the UWM Research Foundation for qualification and programmatic criteria. Selected proposals will be reviewed by external reviewers. Final selection of grants for funding will be made by a committee of the UWM Research Foundation.
Qualification Criteria: All grant applications will be screened for initial qualification criteria upon receipt of proposals.
- Field of Study – as specified by the donor, the fields of study must be in software/informatics, sensors/devices or advanced materials
- UWM Researchers – project is for UWM-based research
- Funding Period – funding period shall be for one year; applicants may seek additional funding in future years
- Amount of Funding – awards are targeted in the amount of $60,000.
Programmatic Criteria: (evaluated by Research Foundation committee)
- Field of study supports growth of UWM’s capabilities in advanced automation; interdisciplinary collaborations are encouraged
- Potential for commercial return – including intellectual property, licensing revenue, corporate partnerships, and/or start-up companies
Scientific Evaluation Criteria: Full proposals will be evaluated by external scientific reviewers who will be asked to rank proposals against national standards (top 10%, next 40%, bottom 50%).