 | The GOALI Program |
| Changes in the Office of Intellectual Property |
| Polymers in Bituminous Mixtures |
| Scholarship and Award Anouncements |
| Introducing the Newest Members of the CMSC Famil |
| Upcoming Conferences and Seminar |
INTRODUCTION
There is a gap between the creation of new knowledge and technology in universities and its implementation by U.S. industry. There is also an inability of some university researchers to address adequately industrially relevant issues without having access to industrial scale equipment and facilities. These problems are some of the factors which are hampering the ability of the U.S. economy to yield competitive products and services in a timely fashion. It is becoming increasingly important that the research supported by the Directorate of Engineering foster strategic links between academe and industry that will enhance the competitiveness of U.S. industry.
From an academic perspective, there are few incentives for faculty to develop new modes of collaborative research with investigators and practitioners in industry. This initiative for individual or small group (2-3 co-investigators) projects provides engineering faculty with expanded opportunities to enhance their research interests in technologically rich areas, establish long term relationships with industry, develop collaborative research programs with supplementary funding, and transfer technology to industry. The three initiative components described below provide a balanced spectrum of collaborative patterns, with a progressive increase of the interaction with and contribution by the industrial partners, from visits to full-scale cooperative projects:
An internship (Engineering Faculty Internships, EFI) supports an extended residence in industry (three to eight months), and it is conceived as a starting point for future industry-university research collaboration. The Combined Research-Industrial Scholarship Projects (CRISP) initiative will incorporate industry visits (two to six months) at the beginning of three-year research projects to be completed mainly in the university setting, and there is an opportunity to experiment and transfer the research results to industry by the end of the project.
The Industry-University Cooperative Research Projects (IUCRP) imply a full participation of both university and industry scientists and engineers in all stages of the project.
In addition to the three mechanisms above, proposers are free to suggest other arrangements to achieve the objective of improving academic liaison with industry.
The topics to be addressed in this initiative should be long-term, generic, pre-competitive research. The investigators are encouraged to combine the research objectives with educational and human resources goals.
Besides the general research objectives this initiative places an emphasis on improving university-industry collaborative research in the engineering design of products and processes. The research should strengthen the fundamental scientific foundations on which new engineering design practices and methods may be based. This emphasis aims to improve basic understanding of and the development of novel engineering design tools in both academe and industry.
WHO MAY SUBMIT
Faculty members eligible to submit a proposal are those who hold a full time appointment on the teaching faculty in a U.S. institution of higher education that confers degrees in research areas normally supported by the Engineering Directorate. Individuals holding adjunct faculty appointments cannot apply to an EFI. Grants provided under the EFI are not renewable nor extendible and grantees may not reapply. CRISP and IUCRP do not have these restrictions.
ENGINEERING FACULTY INTERNSHIPS (EFI)
This initiative component encourages interested faculty to conduct research within an industrial setting. The principal objective of the internship is to serve as a catalyst for faculty to either establish or redirect their research efforts with a greater awareness of national competitive issues and needs. While the main emphasis is on internships within manufacturing and engineering construction organizations, proposals for research activities within other organizations such as corporate research laboratories are also considered. Given the increased level of international competitiveness, applications for internships outside the U.S. will also be considered.
COMBINED RESEARCH-INDUSTRIAL SCHOLARSHIP PROJECTS (CRISP)
CRISP is designed to encourage collaboration between individual researchers from universities and industry, increase the scientific and industrial relevance of university research and education, develop long term university-industry relationships, and hasten implementation of the research results by industry.
The principal investigator and his/her students will perform the research in both university and industrial settings, and in collaboration with an industrial partner. Typically, the project will begin with a two to six month scholarly leave of the principal investigator in a manufacturing, engineering construction or corporate research organization, with a pre-established research goal written in the research proposal submitted to NSF. The scholarly leave may be divided into two parts, for instance into two summers. The experience gained will then be used in the subsequent research to be carried out in the university. The principal investigator may redirect the focus of the research project as a result of the industrial scholarly leave.
In that case, he/she must submit a report to NSF describing the redirection of the project after the completion of the scholarly leave. The CRISP initiative should allow for a smooth re-entry and continuation of the research project at the university, as well as provide a better chance for useful transfer of research results to industry.
INDUSTRY-UNIVERSITY COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS (IUCRP)
The IUCRP initiative is designed to advance knowledge in scientific, engineering, and technological areas which underlie future new technologies by linking the talents, interests, and differing perspectives offered by universities and industrial firms. It supports individual research projects jointly designed and implemented by industrial and university scientists and engineers, and it may be cross-disciplinary in scope. The research can range from fundamental to the proof-of-concept stage. Cooperative research projects occur frequently in the engineering areas which are directly in contact with industrial technology.
INQUIRIES
Telephone and mail inquiries are welcomed, and should be addressed directly to the corresponding program director in the research/education area in the Directorate of Engineering (NSF information center: 703-306-1234).
General comments about this initiative should be addressed to the following individuals at either the D.C. office or the Arlington, VA office.
for EFI
Dr. B.M. Kramer
(703) 306-1328
for CRISP, and other suggestions for GOALI
Dr. M.C. Roco
(703) 306-1371
for IUCRP
Dr. D. Senich
(703) 306-1390
Recently two individuals have joined the Office of Intellectual Property (OIP). Mr. Gordon Carlisle, Director of Venture Development, joined OIP September 1, to work full-time with MSU people interested in developing for -profit companies based on MSU technologies. Mr. Carlisle provides various types of assistance including business planning guidance, locating potential customers, and seeking potential financial supporters, facilities and personnel. Presently, Mr. Carlisle is concentrating his efforts on seven faculty groups. He is also available to provide assistance to those interested in the SBIR and STTR programs. As part of his duties in OIP, Mr. Carlisle will be working with the Michigan Biotechnology Institute (MBI) to assist it in locating tenants for the MBI bio-based incubator. Mr. Carlisle can be reached at 355-2186 (OIP) or 336-4642 (MBI).
Mr. Michael Martin joined OIP in July to serve quarter-time as a licensing associate. Mr. Martin is available to assist those in the College of Engineering in identifying inventions, providing intellectual property information, locating potential licensees, interfacing with patent attorneys, and providing any other assistance needed by an inventor. Mr. Martin has made the OIP Invention Disclosure form available on Gopher. This form can be accessed in two ways: from the Root Gopher Server menu use "Keyword Search of Titles in MSU's Gopher" and search for "patent", or directly through the "Division of Engineering Research" and select "Patents/ Disclosure Information". Mr. Martin can be reached at 355-2186 (OIP) or 353-8747 (Engineering).
Ms. Janyth Sherman is now serving as a licensing associate and is available to assist in identifying inventions, providing intellectual property information and in licensing technologies. She can be reached at 355-2186.
Invention disclosure activity is quite high. In 1993 more than 75 inventions were disclosed and almost 60 inventions have been disclosed so far in 1994. More than 20 inventions or technologies have been licensed since January 1993. Royalties are being received from some of the licensees and are being shared with departments as well as the inventors. License negotiations are on-going with seven companies. OIP has also negotiated several research/license agreements with companies. Through these agreements, support is provided to researchers and, if they are successful in developing a new technology, a potential licensee is available to commercialize this technology.
If you have any questions relating to intellectual properties or want additional information, please do not hesitate to contact any of these people at OIP. They are willing and eager to help.
By Jeffrey C. Shull, Dr. Jianghua Wei,
Jamal Daas, Dr. Eugene Shin, Dr. Martin C. Hawley,
Dr. Gilbert Baladi, and Dr. Lawrence Drzal
The long term pavement performance of asphalt concrete surfaced roads is a function of traffic load and volume, material properties, construction practices, and environmental factors. A typical asphalt concrete surfaced pavement deteriorates over time and with increasing number of load repetitions. Pavement deterioration manifests itself in several common types of distress including rutting, fatigue cracking, low temperature cracking, reflective cracking, aging, ravelling, and stripping.
The conventional materials used in an asphalt concrete mixture may perform satisfactorily relative to one distress type but fail prematurely relative to the others. For example, asphalt binders will have low fatigue and temperature cracking but, high rutting potentials. Hence, modification of the asphalt to enhance its performance at extreme temperatures and under traffic loading is essential to the success of constructing superior pavements. Such modifications include the addition of polymers to enhance the binder properties at both low and high temperatures. And indeed, it has been shown that polymer modified asphalts can improve pavement performance. However, most studies have been concentrated on specific materials and properties. The need for a systematic study of polymer-fiber-rubber modified asphalt pavement is required.
Michigan State University is currently conducting a study of polymer modified asphalt pavements that will address the above considerations. The study is divided into three sections including, the fundamental physical, chemical, and thermodynamic properties of asphalt binders, the basic morphology and microstructure of polymer-fiber-asphalt-aggregate mixtures, and the structural and engineering properties of polymer-fiber-asphalt-aggregate mixtures under extreme low and high temperatures found in Michigan. Figures 1-4 schematically demonstrate the systematic study being pursued. This approach will enable us to identify the controlling parameters for both straight and modified mixtures and relate these parameters to the fundamental properties of the mixture constituents.
FIGURE 2. Relationships and Properties for Modified Asphalt Binders
FIGURE 4. Relationships and Performance for Modified Asphalt Surfaced Pavement
It is anticipated that the modifiers may fundamentally change the way mixtures behave when subject to deformation. If this is the case, the controlling parameters for modified mixtures will be different from those of straight mixtures. If modifiers have any effects on the binders and mixtures properties, a change in the threshold value will be required for pavement design. Depending on the nature of the modifiers, the effects on the binders will be different. Materials being used in the study include a range of soft to hard asphalts modified with styrene-butadiene-styrene, styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene, epoxy, polyethylene, ethylene-vinyl-acetate, various fibers, and recycled crumb rubber tires.
Arlene Klingbiel: Office Supervisor
Arlene started at MSU in 1978 and worked for the Dept. of Electrical Engineering. In 1979 Arlene left MSU to work for Thrun, Maatsch, and Nordberg, a law firm in Lansing. In 1982 she returned to MSU as a Clerk Typist in the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering. In 1983 she was promoted to a Secretary II in the Dept. of Materials Science & Mechanics. Arlene joined the CMSC in 1985 as a Secretary II. Again, Arlene was promoted to a Secretary III. While in that position, she earned her Associates Degree at LCC. As of September 1, Arlene was promoted to Supervisor II. Supervision has been added to her current duties.
Jean Rooney: Secretary
Before moving to East Lansing, Jean worked as a secrectary/editorial assisatant for several publishers and ad agencies in New York City and San Francisco. Some of her duties at CMSC include maintaining appointment calenders, processing travels, and being the student payroll clerk. In her spare time Jean is an artist who does prints and drawings.
Cara Weitzsacker: Research Assistant
Cara is originally from Lockport, New York (near Buffalo). Cara studied at the University at Buffalo/SUNY, earning a B.S. in Chemistry in 1987 and a PhD in Analytical Chemistry in 1992. She then did post-doc at Kansas State University from 1992 to 1994. Her research has focussed on surface chemistry and analysis of complex systems such as coal, organic monolayers, and carbon fiber reinforced composites.
Steve Rozeveld: Research Associate
Steve recently joined CMSC as the operator for the new ESEM. He is a native of Hudsonville, Michigan (near Grand Rapids). He attended Michigan Tech. University and received a B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering. He then worked at General Electric Aircraft Engines in Cincinnati, Ohio, before attending graduate school at Carnegie Mellon University. While there, he earned a PhD in Materials Science in 1991. His thesis was on the measurement of residual stresses in Al-SiCw composites. He then spent two years at Max Planck Institute in Stuttgart, Germany working on interface reactions in Al-SiC and Al-spinel systems. He returned from Germany to join the group at Argonne National Lab working in High-Tc films using high resolution TEM. Steve, his wife Ann, and daughter Susan currently reside in Eaton Rapids.
Composite Materials and Structures Center
College of Engineering
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824-1326
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web@cmscsun.egr.msu.edu
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