The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded nearly $54 million in grants for 13 high-impact projects for research, development and testbeds for pandemic response. The funding, which was provided by the American Rescue Act, will support projects at eight manufacturing innovation institutes in the Manufacturing USA network, working with more 80 partners including leading research universities, nonprofits, and small and large manufacturers.
The New York lead recipients and their projects are:
AIM Photonics (SUNY Polytechnic Institute Research Foundation), Albany, New York — $4,974,630
To produce the first-ever inexpensive, disposable point-of-care sensors using integrated photonics to test for coronavirus and emerging viruses, increasing access without need for expensive equipment and specialized expertise that limits use in doctor’s offices, rural clinics and resource-limited environments; working with eight partner organizations.
RAPID Institute (American Institute of Chemical Engineers), New York — $4,638,881
To develop a testbed for domestic manufacturing of critical pharmaceutical ingredients in the underserved Appalachian region; working with two partner organizations.
RAPID Institute (American Institute of Chemical Engineers), New York — $3,773,536
To scale continuous manufacturing and modular production of high-quality, low-cost advanced respirators and biosensors to limit exposure to and transmission of coronavirus; working with four partner organizations.
RAPID Institute (American Institute of Chemical Engineers), New York — $1,109,520
To develop and deploy virtual technician and operator training for advanced processes in the biopharmaceutical, pharmaceutical and specialty chemical industries; working with three partner organizations.
AIM Photonics (SUNY Polytechnic Institute Research Foundation), Albany, New York — $299,149
To develop a proof of concept for disposable, lab-on-a-chip solution to COVID-19 testing using silicon photonics that does not need costly reagents or complex, large, power-consuming hardware, while offering low temperature sensitivity; working with three other organizations.
Original source: U.S. Department of Commerce