1237997 Iowa State University; Byrony Bonning 1238087 University of Kentucky; Subba Palli
The proposed Center for Arthropod Management Technologies (CAMTech) will streamline and link the efforts of industry and academia toward effective management of arthropod pests through a formalized and extended research partnership. The research efforts will be anchored by Iowa State University (ISU) as the lead institution, partnered with the University of Kentucky (UKY).
The proposed Center comprised of Iowa State University and the University of Kentucky will serve as an incubator for novel technologies. CAMTech will provide the basic research foundation necessary for the applied research goals of industry and will extend the utility of current arthropod management practices. An interdisciplinary team of 26 faculty members has been assembled with UK researchers extending and complementing the skills and expertise of ISU researchers. The goals of CAMTech will be to (i) conduct pre-competitive research and transfer knowledge to industrial partners for in house development, (ii) optimize and extend the versatility of current technologies, and (iii) train undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdoctoral scholars for potential future employment within industry.
The diverse team of researchers will provide knowledge of fundamental systems relevant to arthropod management, including those of hemipteran pests, allowing Center members to derive value from fundamental research and to expand the utility of current approaches. Students and postdoctoral researchers within the proposed Center will receive outstanding professional development training at both ISU and UKY. Center trainees, including minorities and underrepresented groups, will be drawn from diverse backgrounds. Research findings will be disseminated internationally. Establishment of this Center will enhance the partnerships between industry and academia toward a common goal, and will have a significant broader impact through technology transfer. Society will benefit directly from the expedited development of novel arthropod management technologies and from well trained personnel for industrial positions.
Funds were used to support travel and other expenses for planning meeting of Center for Arthropod Management Technologies. Eight faculty members from University of Kentucky participated in the planning meeting and presented six projects and four additional ideas at the planning meeting. Twenty representatives from 15 companies involved in management of arthropod pests attended planning meeting. Company representatives completed LIFE forms and provided feedback. This meeting helped to recruit seven industrial partners to become members of Center for Arthropod Management Technologies. The planning meeting also helped to select six top ranked projects for inclusion in the NSF IUCRC center proposal submitted to National Science Foundation. Another benefit of planning meeting is the interaction between twenty industrial representatives and students and faculty from Iowa State University and University of Kentucky. Overall, the planning meeting achieved its objectives stated in the proposal. Successful recruitment of seven industrial partners and selections projects that are interest to industrial partners are evidences for the success of planning meeting. Knowledge gained by the students and faculty from students and faculty from Iowa State University and University of Kentucky on the industrial needs of research in the area of Arthropod management is an example of intellectual merit for this grant. Some of the students and faculty from Iowa State University and University of Kentucky attended planning meeting are women and or belong to minority groups
