This award is to Northwestern State University to support the activity described below for 36 months. The proposal was submitted in response to the Partnerships for Innovation Program Solicitation (NSF-03521).
Partners The partners include Northwestern State University (Lead Institution), Consortium for Education, Research, and Technology of North Louisiana (Bossier Parish Community College, Biomedical Research Foundation of Northwest Louisiana, Centenary College of Louisiana, Grambling State University, Louisiana Delta Community College, Louisiana State University Health Sciences in Shreveport, Louisiana State University in Shreveport, Louisiana Tech University, Louisiana Technical College, Northwest State University, Southern University in Shreveport, University of Louisiana at Monroe), Louisiana Board of Regents, Louisiana Department of Economic Development, Enterprise Computing Systems, Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, InterTech Science Park, Natchitoches Economic Development Commission, Praeses Corporation, Softdisc, SeriFx
The primary objective of this partnership is to facilitate the transformation of knowledge into innovations that will create new wealth and strengthen the regional economy in the area. University partners provide the research and development and the technologically literate workforce, and the company partners provide the manufacturing and commercialization. The academic partners actively identify needs of the industrial partners in both technology and workforce and match research and educational programs at the eleven academic institutions in a coordinated manner to these needs.
Potential Economic Impact Louisiana ranks very low nationally in technology-based innovation. The state has recognized this and is mounting a concerted effort to change this as stated in the Louisiana Vision 2020. The university consortium is poised to provide knowledge through the combined research of its members to the regional private sector to promote technology-based innovation. In addition the academic consortium covers the entire spectrum of education and training for a technologically literate workforce. The proposed effort of knowledge transfer, workforce education and training, and establishment of a strong enabling infrastructure for sustainable innovation will provide jobs and a workforce to perform those jobs will result in economic and societal well being in the state. The partners have committed a very large sum to this effort. The management plan is sufficient to give the infrastructure a very high probability of being sustained after the award has terminated.
The intellectual merit of the activity lies in creating the web-based informational infrastructure and organizational skills to coordinate the needs of the industry in the region with the research and education of the combined academic institutions in the consortium. The resources of the state government and the regional Chambers of Commerce are all pledged to promote the activities with funds and agency skills and labor.
The broader impacts of the activity include educational diversity, educational outreach to industry, and regional economic development to ensure long-term sustainability of economic and societal well being. Underrepresented groups will participate in the activities of the award.
