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.
The objective of the Planning Grant for the proposed NSF I/UCRC Center for Arthropod Management Technologies (CAMTech) were to present a compelling case for the Center to prospective members and to determine the initial research agenda. During the award period, the proposed center director, Dr. Bryony Bonning, attended the 2012 NSF I/UCRC Directors’ meeting, which provided an outstanding opportunity to gain further insight into the successful planning for and operation of an I/UCRC. In September of 2012, the CAMTech Planning Meeting was held at Reiman Gardens in Ames, IA. In addition to faculty members, researchers and administrators from the proposed center’s lead institution, Iowa State University, and attendees from the partner institution, University of Kentucky, this meeting was attended by 20 representatives from 15 different companies with vested interest in arthropod management. The goals of the meeting were to provide information about benefits of center membership to industry attendees, and to define the program of research to be conducted within the center. A key outcome of this meeting was alignment of research to be conducted within the center at the Iowa State University and University of Kentucky research sites, with the research needs of industry partners. Ultimately, this partnership will benefit the United States through the expedited delivery of arthropod management technologies. Commitments to membership made by companies following the center planning meeting allowed for formal establishment of CAMTech in August 2013.
