CESCA Newsletter : October 2012

The projects carried out by CESCA Faculty and their students represent a valuable resource of intellectual property. CESCA has a model in place that helps industry to benefit from this knowhow and these results - CESCA's Industry Affiliate Program (IAP). The objective of CESCA's IAP is to provide industrial partners with privileged access to our results including graduating students, faculty know-how, and project intellectual-property. We offer three specific benefits for IAP members. First, an IAP member may engage CESCA in directed research, by initiating collaboration around a specific research problem. Second, an IAP member may team up with CESCA Faculty to write proposals for government funding (such as SBIR). Third, an IAP member may engage CESCA Faculty in one-on-one consulting, providing external expert advice on specific research problems. In addition to the above mentioned benefits, IAP members of CESCA also get early access to CESCA's major product - graduating students. Our graduating students are experts in the research topic of their advisor. By working with CESCA Faculty through the IAP program, affiliates will get in touch with students early-on. In return for these benefits, CESCA affiliate members contribute a yearly membership fee. There are two levels of membership. The basic IAP costs $10K per year, and includes the above benefits apart from directed research. The extended IAP costs $40K per year, and includes support of a graduate student specifically assigned to support the affiliate member in directed research. Full details of the CESCA Affiliate Program may be found at the CESCA website, through the URL http://www.cesca.centers.vt.edu/Affiliate/index.html. Questions and requests for further information may be directed to Patrick Schaumont (schaum@vt.edu).