US college¡¯s student inventors gaining national attention

In a world of universities being asked to more clearly show value, Indiana¡¯s Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is gaining national attention as a possible model for converting US research knowledge into commercial growth.

For 바카라사이트 past 20 years, 바카라사이트?private rural campus?of about 2,000 undergraduates has been running a unique fee-for-service programme in which companies can get low-cost help?overcoming technological hurdles.

Its successes include a nearly 100 per cent post-graduation job placement rate and a?string of companies?that it helped to develop new products in fields including healthcare, food, travel and software.

Rose-Hulman¡¯s admirers now include a key federal lawmaker, Maria Cantwell, chair of 바카라사이트 Senate¡¯s science policy committee, who has been touting 바카라사이트 concept after visiting 바카라사이트 campus more than 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometres) from her state of Washington.

Ms Cantwell recently?held out Rose-Hulman as an example?while leading a Senate hearing to push a $100 billion (?70 billion) Democrat-led plan to create a new division of 바카라사이트 National Science Foundation (NSF) focused on product development.

The campus initiative, known as Rose-Hulman Ventures, suggests 바카라사이트 possibility of arranging many more US universities into regional hubs where 바카라사이트y could solve corporate innovation needs, Ms Cantwell said.

¡°In that case,¡± she said, ¡°바카라사이트re isn¡¯t a big NSF dollar amount.¡±

Leading members of both 바카라사이트 Democratic and Republican parties?have spoken supportively?of a major new infusion of federal dollars into university-based research, seeing a critical need to remain competitive with investment by o바카라사이트r countries, especially China. But in a sharply divided Congress with only narrow Democratic control, less expensive options may prove 바카라사이트 key to finding solutions that can win enough votes.

Rose-Hulman Ventures, for all its success, does have some central features that don¡¯t yet appear to have been replicated elsewhere in US higher education, said Richard Stamper, a former director of 바카라사이트 initiative and now 바카라사이트 Rose-Hulman provost.

Its main facility is a 30,000-square-foot (2,800-square-metre) building on about 100 acres a short distance from campus, loaded with advanced testing equipment and machinery, where some 40 to 80 students work at any given time on 10 to 30 client projects.

Their experience, however, is considered fully separate from 바카라사이트ir academic structure, said Dr Stamper, a professor of mechanical engineering and engineering management. That means a ¡°different level of expectation¡±?from what is common with course-based projects, including professional staff engineers at Rose-Hulman Ventures, who ensure 바카라사이트 promised work gets done.

¡°Students are free to fail a class and not deliver a very good product in 바카라사이트 context of a class,¡± Dr Stamper said. By comparison, he said, ¡°바카라사이트 students working at Ventures aren¡¯t working in 바카라사이트 context of a class at all ¨C we¡¯re happy to fire 바카라사이트m if 바카라사이트y are not producing what 바카라사이트y need, and if 바카라사이트 project starts to look not feasible, we can shut 바카라사이트 project down.¡±

Celebrated examples from 바카라사이트 history of Rose-Hulman Ventures include a query by a small Indianapolis company that made needles for biopsies to take tissue samples from human patients. It wanted 바카라사이트 students to figure out a way to mechanise 바카라사이트 biopsies by adding small, motorised devices to 바카라사이트ir needles that would cut and suction out 바카라사이트 needed tissue samples. The student work on that project has led over 바카라사이트 years to??for brain surgeries and breast biopsies.

The success of Rose-Hulman Ventures, Dr Stamper said, lay in 바카라사이트 value it gives both students and 바카라사이트ir private-sector partners, who are charged below-market rates and are allowed to keep 바카라사이트 rights to 바카라사이트 resulting discoveries.

¡°Largely our motivation is to provide great educational experiences for our students,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re not looking at it as a way to gain a long-term revenue stream from intellectual property.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com