UWF Haas Center awarded $400K NSF EPIIC Grant

The University of West Florida's Haas Center has been awarded a $400,000 Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity, or EPIIC, grant from the National Science Foundation. The three-year grant will support the creation of a new Office of Industrial Innovation, which will serve as a front door to connect UWF faculty experts with regional industry needs, making it easier for businesses to access the University's research capabilities and talent.

Housed within the Haas Center, the Office of Industrial Innovation will serve as a centralized hub for industry collaboration. The office will identify faculty subject matter experts, connect them with businesses in need of research and development support, and ensure partnerships move at the speed of business. This initiative will also create funded research opportunities for students, giving them valuable hands-on experience with real-world projects.

"With this seed funding, we aim to establish mechanisms that enable our researchers to pursue public- and private-sector opportunities at the speed of business, unbound by the constraints of the academic calendar," said Nicole Gislason, executive director of UWF's Haas Center and co-principal investigator.

The grant is part of a project called Advancing Regional Innovation through Sustainable Engagement, or ARISE. The project's goal is to enhance institutional capacity for applied research partnerships with industry, government and other educational institutions, strengthening each university's role in regional economic development. UWF is one of five universities comprising the ARISE initiative, along with Frostburg State University, Northern Virginia Community College, University of Texas Permian Basin and University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

"The technical knowledge and skills of UWF faculty researchers is world-class, reflecting their extensive academic and professional preparation," said Dr. Matthew Schwartz, professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and co-principal investigator. "The goal of NSF EPIIC and the UWF Office of Industrial Innovation is to make sure that UWF can easily establish contractual partnerships to connect regional industries, municipalities, NGOs and other groups with UWF researchers in support of regional research and development."

The EPIIC program was designed to help smaller research universities like UWF expand their role as key contributors to regional economic growth. The grant will allow UWF to build the infrastructure and processes needed to better partner with private industry, support workforce development and ultimately strengthen the region's capacity for innovation. The effort also positions UWF to contribute to national research priorities in areas such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, biotechnology, cybersecurity, energy efficiency technologies and materials science.

"UWF is full of talent that some in the community are not aware of," said Dr. Mohamed Khabou, dean of the Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering and co-principal investigator. "This grant will help unveil these talents to the regional industries and kickstart new opportunities in key areas of the economy."

For more information about UWF's Haas Center and how to partner with the Office of Industrial Innovation, visit haas.uwf.edu.