SyracuseCoE accepting proposals for second round of Innovation Fund grant awards

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The SyracuseCoE is now accepting proposals from current and new industry partners for its second round of Innovation Fund grants for 2022.

The SyracuseCoE is New York State’s Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems. It’s located at 727 E. Washington St. in Syracuse.

New or existing members of the SyracuseCoE partner program can submit grant applications through 5 p.m. eastern time on Oct. 20, per the Syracuse University announcement. Awards of up to $10,000 each for up to five projects may be presented.

Companies at all SyracuseCoE partner levels — industry, affiliate and startup — can apply for the grant funding, Syracuse said. Project proposals must address a challenge in the SyracuseCoE’s core focus areas of indoor environmental quality, clean and renewable energy, and water resources.

Those interested in joining the partner program now to be eligible for grant consideration for this October’s awards can contact Tamara Rosanio at tlrosani@syr.edu. More details about the program and application process can be found on the SyracuseCoE website.

Many SyracuseCoE partners have leveraged their Innovation Fund awards to commercialize their technologies and strengthen their companies, Jianshun (Jensen) Zhang, executive director of the SyracuseCoE, noted.

“These awards accelerate research and development and help transform innovative discoveries into commercially viable products and services, making the companies more competitive,” Zhang said. “The entrepreneurial culture that is inherent in university-industry collaboration contributes to a strong economy for New York state, while addressing important, multifaceted societal challenges.”

Zhang is also a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in Syracuse University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science.

Led by Syracuse University, the SyracuseCoE is one of 13 NYSTAR-funded Centers of Excellence. It is “designed to foster collaboration between the academic research community and the business sector to develop and commercialize new products and technologies and promote private sector investment in emerging high-technology fields in New York state,” Syracuse University said.

NYSTAR is Empire State Development’s (ESD) Division of Science, Technology and Innovation.