Trask Innovation Fund Awards

Spring 2021 Awards

Guang Lin, “Machine learning driven contouring system for high-frequency four-dimensional cardiac ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging” ($50,000)

Somali Chaterji, “OptimusAI: Cloud-hosted databases optimized for loT and computer vision” ($25,000)

Robert Kramer, “Production of Hydrogen Using a Biological Process Employing Yeast” ($25,000)

Eckhard A. Groll, “In-situ oil circulation ratio (OCR) measurement using separation method in suction lines of systems running vapor compression cycle” ($37,740)

Fall 2020 Awards

Jean Chmielewski, “Cell Penetrating Antibacterial Peptides for Treatment of Serious Lung Infections” ($33,628)

Arun Bhunia, “Authentication of Listeria Adhesion Protein (LAP)-Mediated Drug Delivery Across the Epithelial Barrier” ($25,000)

Na Lu, “Prototyping Piezoelectric Sensing Device for Real-Time Concrete Strength Monitoring” ($50,000)

Pedro Irazoqui, “A Wearable Alerting Device for Monitoring Impending SUDEP Risk Through Multiple Biomarkers” ($25,000)

Paul Robinson, “Handheld Device for Real-Time Detection of Pathogens, Toxins and Contaminating Chemicals for Biodefense and Food Analysis” ($50,000)

Jeffrey Youngblood, “Processing of Near-Minimum Viable Product Prototype for Biodegradable Packaging from Cellulose Nanofibrils” ($25,000)

Spring 2020 Awards

Young Kim, “Scalable production and deposition of luminescent silk microparticles for ‘on-dose’ medicine authentication” ($47,845)

Pavlos Vlachos, “Automated Analysis for Improved Heart Health” ($20,000)

Philip Low, “Development of Targeted Therapies for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis” ($50,000)

Yoon Yeo, “Abxtal for cancer immunotherapy” ($25,000)

James Caruthers, “Composite Board Binder Systems from Rice Lignin” ($50,000)

Arman Sabbaghi, “Enhancing the Commercial Value of AMapi: An API for Additive Manufacturing Systems” ($20,000)

Fall 2019 Awards

Kaushik Roy, “Electric Vehicle Current Sensing” ($46,000)

Blumsoo Han, “Collapsible Spheroid Basket Array” ($34,585)

Spring 2019 Awards

Brad Duerstock, “Portable device that helps people with visual impairments “see” digital images” ($50,000)

Georgia Malandraki, “Wearable technology in the evaluation and treatment of dysphagia from a distance” ($47,937)

You-Yeon Won, “A radiation-controlled drug-release formulation that is shown to improve the treatment of locally advanced tumors” ($37,149)

Chunhua Zhang, “A compound effective in controlling weeds that also is safe for people and the environment” ($15,000)

Fall 2018 Awards

Vilas Pol, “Purdue’s Sodium Powder Technology for Sustainable, Low Cost Sodium-ion Batteries” ($50,000.00)

Jian Jin, “LeafSpec: An Accurate, Affordable, and Portable Hyperspectral Crop Imager” ($50,000.00)

Mohammad Rahman, “A Lightweight, Scalable, Privacy-Preserving Solution for Online B2B Transactions” ($21,218.00)

Spring 2018 Awards

Mohammad Jahanshahi, “CRAQ: Crack Recognition and Quantification Software” ($40,835.00)

Linda Wang, “New Technologies for Converting Polyolefin Plastic Waste into Pristine Polymers or Clean Fuels” ($25,000.00)

You-Yeon Won, “Development of Radiation-Controlled Chemotherapeutic Release Formulations for Intratumoral Chemo-Radio Combination Therapy for Locally Advanced Tumors” ($20,000.00)

Robert Stwalley, “Hog Cooling Panel – Control Package Upgrade” ($20,000.00)

Fall 2017 Awards

Jean Chmielewski, “Cell-Penetrating Dual Antimicrobial Agents for Treatment of Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia Infections” ($25,000.00)

Tamara Kinzer-Ursem, “Portable Platform for Pathogen Detection” ($29,705.00)

Sunil Bhave, “Wafer Level Vacuum Packaging for Opto-Mechanical Devices” ($35,000.00)

Xiaoming Wang, “Additive Manufacture of High Strength Aluminum Metal Matrix Composites” ($25,000.00)

FY 2017 Awards

Chemielewski, “The Pharmacokinetics of Cell Penetrating Antimicrobial Peptides” ($20,000.00)

Pol, “Low Cost, High Capacity, Faster Charging Carbon Anodes for Sodium-Ion Batteries” ($35,000.00)

Sandhage, “Cost-Effective Friction Stir Welding Tools for Joining High-Strength High-Temperature Metals” ($40,000.00)

Kinzer-Ursem, “Portable Platform for Pathogen Detection” ($12,000.00)

FY 2016 Awards

Davisson, “Application of Raman Sensing Enhancement Technologies” ($20,000.00)

Stantz, “3‐D Dosimetric Imaging of Particle Beams for Radiation Therapy” ($30,000.00)

Rocheford, “Development of Orange Corn Hybrids High in Provitamins A and Total Carotenoids” ($25,000.00)

Topp, “Phosphate Esters of Glucagon” ($30,000.00)

Peroulis, “Development and Integration of Low-Cost Moisture Sensors with Crop and Food Storage Bags” ($10,000.00)

Lelievre, “Disease-on-a-Chip for Improving the Design and Screening of Anticancer Therapies- PHASE II going High Throughput” ($27,061.00)

Reklaitis, “Personalized Medicine Through Precision Printing” ($45,378.00)

Simpson, “Triboluminescence Detection of Trace Crystallinity in Amorphous Pharmaceutical Solid Dispersions” ($43,561.00)

FY 2015 Awards

Blatchley, “Continuous-Flow Solar UV Disinfection System” ($30,512.20)

Chen, “A Bioreactor System to Produce Enzyme and Mitigate Membrane Fouling for Municipal Wastewater Reuse” ($27,685.60)

Ziaie, “SmartGait: A device to assess gait parameters and predict falls” ($20,000.00)

Ebert, “Decision Support Technology and Practices under Changing Climate and Drought Conditions” ($40,000.00)

Irudayaraj, “Ultrasound triggered drug release and Imaging using Oxygen Nanobubbles” ($25,000.00)

Boudouris, “Engineering a Time-Dependent Erasable Ink and Delivery Vessel for High Value Testing” ($40,149.00)

Rhodes, “Portable, Integrated, Microscale Sensors (PIMS) for Explosives Detection” ($50,000.00)

Rickus, “Biosilica-islets 2.0: Biosilification of Therapeutic Stem Cells to Treat Type I Diabetes” ($43,629.00)

FY 2014 Awards

Savran, “High-throughput Cell Detection for Cancer Diagnostics” ($50,000.00)

Abu-Omar, “Selective Catalysis for the Production of High Value Flavor and Fragrance Chemicals from Wood Biomass” ($50,000.00)

Bagchi, “Achieving Predictable Performance on the Public Cloud” ($30,815.60)

Kim, “Prototyping Compact and Automated Mesoscopic Imager for Clinical Studies” ($50,000.00)

Weller, “Diagnostic Tools for Detection of Glyphosate Resistance in Giant Ragweed” ($50,000.00)

Lelievre, “Disease-on-a-chip for Improving the Design and Screening of Anticancer Therapies” ($48,563.00)

FY 2013 Awards

Delp, “TADA Commercialization” ($32,944.00)

Rickus, “BioShell Islets to Treat Type I Diabetes” ($50,000.00)

Collodi, “Large-scale Production of Non-fertile Fish for Aquaculture and the Pet Industry” ($44,233.00)

Trumble, “Scale-up of LSEM: A Low Cost and Energy Efficient Manufacturing Process for Metal Sheets and Strips” ($37,950.00)

Panitch, “Development of Proteoglycans for Treatment of Osteoarthritis: A Pivotal Animal Trial” ($45,203.00)

Hu, “Critical Prototype Development of Eprof: Fine-Grained Smartphone Energy Profiler” ($50,000.00)

Neu, “Critical Advancement of a New AFM/NMR Instrument” ($50,000.00)

Siegmund, “Metamaterial Sound Insulation Panels” ($33,626.00)

Wendt, “Development of SPEAK more! A Language Training App for Individuals with Severe Autism” ($50,000.00)

Cheng, “Fast Spectroscopy Imaging by Parallel-detection of Stimulated Raman Scattering” ($50,000.00)

Jung, “Wireless Positioning and Tracking Technology for Indoor Location Based Services” ($49,548.00)

FY 2012 Awards

Hill, “New Chemical Entities for Novel Insecticides” ($45,000.00)

Collodi, “Large-scale Production of Non-fertile Fish for Aquaculture and the Pet Industry” ($46,870.00)

Trumble, “Reducing to Practice the Proposed Invention, Copper-based Casting Alloys and Process for Producing the Same” ($26,533.47)

Yeo, “Development of Membrane Filters for Endotoxin Removal” ($45,000.00)

Borch, “Immune Response Enhancement Using Linker-Modified Proteins” ($44,829.00)

Shi, “Novel Anti-Acrolein Therapy to Mitigate Myelin Damage and Improve Behavioral Outcome in Multiple Sclerosis” ($36,779.00)

Scharf, “Termite-Derived Biocatalysts for Use in Sustainable Energy Production” ($40,590.00)

Pinal, “Development of Novel Prefabricated Film Based Dosage Forms: Eye on Commercialization” ($49,999.00)

Nolte, “Dynamic Imaging for In Vitro Embryo Viability Assessment: A new Assisted Reproductive Technology” ($48,324.00)

McCullouch, “Trask Initiative 3iD” ($36,655.00)

FY 2011 Awards

Adams, “Minimal Sensing Impact Identification for Helmet Load Monitoring” ($50,000.00)

Akkus, “A Novel Actuation Device for Expedited Closure of Wounds” ($47,600.00)

Borch, “Immune Response Enhancement Using Linker-Modified Proteins” ($35,860.00)

Borgens, “Enhanced Osmotic Effect: Safety and Efficacy in Animals” ($47,755.00)

Colby, “Stable Salts to Generate Fluoroform” ($20,000.00)

Keener, “Sterilization of Medical Devices Using In-Package Ionization” ($44,228.00)

Nauman, “Evaluation of a Multiscale Polymer-Based Armor for the Dissipation of Blast Waves” ($50,000.00)

Nolte, “Tissue Dynamics Spectroscopy for Drug Discovery” ($46,669.00)

Rickus, “BioShell Islets to Treat Type I Diabetes” ($50,000.00)

Shi, “Novel Anti-Acrolein Therapy to Mitigate Myelin Damage and Improve Behavioral Outcome in Multiple Sclerosis” ($29,000.00)

FY 2010 Awards

Woodall, “Control and Delivery of On-Demand Hydrogen Gas” ($50,000.00)

Hillhouse, “Chemical Liquid Deposition and Solution Phase Chalcogenization for the Formation of Multinary Metal Chalcogenide Thin Films” ($100,000.00)

Applegate, “Prototype development of a rapid, easy to use, highly cost effective test for visual detection of E.coli O157:H7 contamination in food and water samples” ($49,975.00)

Porterfield, “Nano-Assembled Glucose Biosensor Technology to Enable Non-Invasive Blood Glucose Measurement” ($83,165.00)

Ivantysynova, “Mechanical Implementation of Hydraulic Pump & Motor Interface Waved Surface State of the Hydraulics Industry” ($56,420.00)

Mohammadi, “Silicon on Insulator High Power Amplifiers (SOIHPA)” ($27,327.00)

Carpita, “Photosynthetic Recycling of CO2 to Feedstock for BioFuel Production” ($50,000.00)

Neu, “Magnetic Prototyping for Osteochondral Repair in a Large Animal Model” ($40,000.00)

Cipra, “Remotely Operated Surgical Assistant Using Permanent Magnets” ($31,205.00)