Carolinas Photonics Consortium announces funding for new technology projects

August 24, 2007, Clemson, SC--The Carolinas Photonics Consortium (CPC) has announced the CPC Pilot Funding Program that will award five emerging photonics projects with seed funding for commercialization and business development support. The five CPC member institutions are Clemson University, Duke University, North Carolina State University, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and Western Carolina University. Proposals will be accepted from researchers at the five campuses.

"The CPC is committed to helping advance the commercialization of photonics-based technologies from our member universities," said Jeff Conley, CPC's interim director. "This seed-funding program puts that effort in motion by identifying the first five technologies to receive maturation support. The consortium has been invited to participate in an investment conference which will provide valuable exposure for the funded projects," Conley said. "In addition, all researchers submitting funding proposals will receive mentoring and exposure to leaders in the field, so everyone will gain from this experience."

CPC is a consortium of universities with nationally respected programs in photonics. The Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies (COMSET) at Clemson University's College of Engineering and Science is focused on the development of novel optical materials. The Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics at Duke University Pratt School of Engineering has research programs in biophotonics, nano- and microsystems, nanophotonics, and quantum optics and information. The North Carolina State University College of Engineering's strengths are in photonic devices, optoelectronic and semiconductor materials and information technology. The interdisciplinary Center for Optoelectronics and Optical Communications at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte has a core competence in design and fabrication of micro-optical components and devices. The Center for Rapid Product Realization at Western Carolina University's Kimmel School of Construction Management and Technology provides prototyping, testing and design expertise for new product scale-up.

More than $300 million has been invested from state and federal funds in these units over the last five years, making CPC the largest concentration of photonics-based resources in the United States.

For more information, visit www.carolinasphotonics.com.