Empire State Development (ESD) Centers for Advanced Technology (CAT) Program

Anyone who plans to submit a proposal to this program must provide the information requested below to [email protected]by 9:00 a.m. on Friday, March 16, 2018.  “ESD CAT” should appear in the subject field of the email.  No internal proposal is required at this time.

Please provide the following information:

  1. PI – Name, department and contact information
  2. Co-PIs – Name, department and institution
  3. Participating Organizations
  4. New York State Industry Partners
  5. Technology Focus (from list below)
  6. Confirmation that the required 100% matching funds have been secured.

Questions should be sent to Greg Culler at [email protected].

RFP: https://esd.ny.gov/sites/default/files/rfp/CAT-RFP.pdf

Program Goals and Objectives 

Empire State Development (ESD) anticipates designating two Center’s for Advanced Technology (CAT or “Center”) under this RFP. The CAT program is designed to spur technology-based applied research and economic growth in New York; encourage applied research collaboration and innovation with industry; promote workforce development; better leverage State funds with investments from the federal government, industry, foundations and not-for-profit economic development organizations; and increase the competitiveness of New York State companies over the Center’s ten-year designation period.

The designee must use ESD funds to enhance its resources in a specific Technology Focus (refer to Section I.G. of this RFP) to help New York State companies remain competitive and solve production, applied research and development, and technical problems. To ensure the CAT’s resources are invested in areas with the greatest commercial relevance to industry, the CAT must create an Industrial Advisory Board that includes representatives from companies operating within the proposal’s Technology Focus.

Technology Focus

For this RFP, ESD has identified four Technology Foci that hold significant potential for expanding the New York State economy. Specific application areas of each of the Technology Foci for which ESD will consider proposals are defined below. Proposals submitted in a Technology Focus other than one of these four and/or in an application area of a Technology Focus beyond the scope of those defined herein will be rejected without review. Select the Technology Focus that is most representative of the research that will be conducted by the CAT.

  1. The intersection of big data and medicine, especially pertaining to pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and diagnostics;
  2. Medical manufacturing, including advances in pharmaceutical production, medical device development, and biomanufacturing;
  3. Materials Science and Engineering involving the properties of matter and its applications to various areas of science and engineering. This science investigates the structure of materials to develop new materials with advanced properties. It includes elements of applied physics and chemistry, as well as chemical, mechanical, civil and electrical engineering. The material sciences may include such areas as advanced ceramics technologies and research focused on colloids and surfaces such as chemical- mechanical planarization; or 
  4. Internet of Things as it pertains to software development, cybersecurity, manufacturing processes, manufacturing, smart communities, machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI) and consumer products.

The CAT must be organized to address the needs of industry within its identified Technology Focus leading to the attraction and expansion of businesses within New York. As explained in Section V (Appendices), the applicant must specifically identify industries that will benefit from the CAT’s work, demonstrate knowledge of companies’ needs within the industry, and explain how a collaborative academic-industry partnership can address these needs and promote economic development in New York.

Award Information

The awarded CAT will be eligible to receive up to $921, 200 per year, subject to availability of State funds.  Matching Funds are required at a rate of 100% for the first five years, with increasing required rates in years six through nine.