When advocates of the Utah State Technology and Research Initiative proposed a new program to state lawmakers that would hire nationally-renowned researchers to stimulate economic development and businesses through their work, they were hoping for $25 million annually to implement the program.
The Utah State Legislature approved the program two years ago, but only awarded $15 million in research funding to split between Utah State University and the U, which would house the researchers separately.
“They hoped that once we had gotten up and running with the program, we’d be able to add the extra $10 million,” said Jack Brittain, dean of the David Eccles School of Business.
The Legislature awarded USTAR $3 million in one-time funding last year, but Brittain said they need more money to keep hiring researchers.
The USTAR governing board recently accepted the proposals from the U and USU to form new focus groups that would continue USTAR research expansion.
“We took a bit of a gamble and said we’d start those groups,” Brittain said. “If they have success, we’ll outstrip the available money in 2009.”
The U proposed five new focus groups, four of which were accepted. The programs were: micro and nano system integration, which is the technology of assembling chips and nano-parts together; digital media, the technology behind animation and digital representation; regenerative medicine, the integration of different medical techniques for regenerative healing; and bio-medical photonic imaging, which deals with computer brain language.
“They decided not to accept neuro-regeneration,” Brittain said. “We were disappointed-it may take a long time to develop, but it’s important.”
Although the U receives 60 percent of all Legislature-appropriated funds and USU receives the other 40 percent, both universities need extra funding.
USU has been trying to find money to afford operations and maintenance costs for the building set aside for USTAR researchers. The U is currently in the planning process for its USTAR buildings, but is still feeling the burden of lacking funds.
Part of the USTAR initiative is for the U and USU to help fund part of the building costs to house researchers. USU decided to donate a building from its campus to cover its part of the bargain.
The U is currently in the design process, while researchers are housed in different quarters around campus.
USTAR has hired approximately 13 researchers at the U and seven at USU since the program began-all combined or separated between the 12 focus groups.
“Lately, they’ve been in the middle of hiring new people,” said Catherine Garff, Technology Venture specialist.
Tolga Tasdizen, who previously worked at the U, was recruited as an image-processing USTAR researcher and began working in the Moran Eye Center.
“We’re interested in figuring out how different neurosystems are wired together,” he said. “My collaborators are focusing on the retina and how it takes visual input and…processes (it) before sending signals to the brain.”
Tasdizen is one of four researchers hired over the summer.
Some of the new researchers will be working in the new focus groups the USTAR governing board recently approved.
The U has also hired Tom Fletcher for image processing, Ling Zang for nanotechnology, and Carlos Mastrangelo for IT Networks and memory.
USTAR is also working with past researchers to help create business plans and fulfill the other part of USTAR plans.
“The ultimate goal of USTAR is to create new businesses,” said Michael O’Malley, USTAR marketing and communications director.
O’Malley said that marketing analysis teams will be working with researchers Brian McPherson and Hamid Ghandehari, who have been at the U longer than others, to develop business plans for technology and research they are working on.