The CPC Pilot Funding Program will award five projects with seed funding for commercialization, as well as business development support from the Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization initiative at North Carolina State University’s College of Management. The five CPC member Institutions are Clemson University, Duke 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 until Oct. 12. All submissions will be evaluated by an advisory committee composed of university leaders and external photonics and business experts. Funding decisions will be announced by Nov. 15. Details about the CPC Pilot Funding Program can be found at www.carolinasphotonics.com.

“Launching the CPC Pilot Funding Program is a significant milestone for the Carolinas Photonics Consortium,” said Jeff Conley, CPC’s interim director.

“The CPC is committed to helping advance the commercialization of photonics-based technologies from our member universities. This seed funding program puts that effort in motion by identifying the first five technologies to receive maturation support,” Conley said.

“The consortium has been invited to participate in an investment conference which will provide valuable exposure for the funded projects,” he 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.”

About CPC

CPC is a consortium of five 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 micro systems, 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 millions 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.