Eight Arizona university R&D projects receive grants to advance national security technology
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Eight university research and development projects landed grants to support the growth of Arizona’s national security missions.
The eight projects, based at Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona, will each receive $90,000 to support technology validation, mentorship and commercialization training, according to a news release.
“Arizona’s universities are pioneering technologies that advance both national defense and commercial innovation,” Doug Goodyear, chair of ABOR, said in a statement. “By bridging research with real-world application, these projects strengthen our state’s role as a hub for dual-use technology, ultimately driving discovery that keeps our nation secure and powers new industries across Arizona.”
Teams will also gain access to follow-on funding opportunities through a Phase II acceleration program and participate in a six-month startup accelerator focused on customer discovery, with the Southwest Mission Acceleration Center providing access to military leaders to better align university research with defense needs.
The funding is through the Regents Grant program, a partnership between the Arizona Board of Regents and the recently established Arizona Office of Defense Innovation, which is a public-private partnership between the Arizona Commerce Authority and SWMAC.
The collaboration between the two organizations is designed to leverage federal investments in applied research, focused on fostering dual-use innovations to support both commercial and national security markets.
“This initiative redefines how Arizona’s research enterprise moves ideas from the lab to the marketplace,” Drew Trojanowski, CEO of the Southwest Mission Acceleration Center, said in a statement. “By aligning our universities more directly with industry and federal partners, we’re accelerating commercialization, driving economic growth, and ensuring that critical technologies make it into the field where they’re needed most.”
The ACA and SWMAC selected the projects through a competitive application process, which consisted of more than 55 applications. Proposals were evaluated based on alignment with key technical domains, such as advanced propulsion systems, artificial intelligence and secure connectivity.