Carl Albert State College Grants Department received notification of selection to participate in FACE's French film grant program, the Tournees Festival, for the 2009-2010 academic year. The grant of $1,800 will provide 5 DVD French film screenings to be shown March 21 - 26, 2010 at CASC. This French film festival will be advertised throughout the region and open to the public.  The Hamilton Auditorium at CASC will accommodate up to 500 persons.  Marcus Blair, CASC Film Studies Instructor, is the coordinator of the grant and the film festival.  You can go to www.facecouncil.org for more information on the French American Cultural Exchange (FACE) grant and the Tournees Film Festival. 

The Southwestern Oklahoma State University College of Pharmacy received a $10,000 award from retail pharmacy Walgreens to fund cultural diversity and leadership initiatives at the pharmacy college.

Rose State College was awarded a $125,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to be used for a cyber security program. As part of the program, students will be trained on how to use systems used by hackers. The money also will be used to upgrade the college's program to create virtual computer systems. The virtual systems will create images of computers on multiple servers to allow students access from home. The virtual computer systems can also be accessed through a mobile device. The purpose of the program is to help students learn technology used by hackers, so an Internet or computer system attack can be prevented. Ken Dewey, the college's Cyber Security Program director, cited recent attacks by hackers on banking institutions and President Barack Obama's recent appointment of a White House cyber security coordinator as reasons to improve cyber security efforts.

Dr. Charlotte Simmons, Chair of the UCO Department of Mathematics & Statistics, has received a 5-year $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation's Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM) program.  The Center for Undergraduate Research and Education Student Scholars in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (CURE S-STEM) program will serve as an extension of the STEP@UCO project, also funded by the NSF, that provides support for UCO freshmen majoring in STEM disciplines. CURE S-STEM will support these STEP@UCO participants with scholarships allowing them to continue their undergraduate research projects with faculty mentors.  Dr. John Barthell and Dr. Wei Chen serve as Co-Principal Investigators (PI) on the project and are also PI and Co-PI, respectively, of the STEP@UCO grant.

As challenging economic times impact the Oklahoma business community, the need for stimulating entrepreneurship and innovation becomes even greater. Rewarding innovative thinking and attracting ideas and resources from outside the state are key to improving Oklahoma's economy.
  
Traditionally, we have thought about strengthening Oklahoma's economy by competing against other states. But in today's world, capital and talent are great attractants, and states frequently compete and collaborate simultaneously for   these resources. Those states with capital and talent can attract resources from other states. Showcasing our talents on a national level to attract external resources involves outreach and collaboration with outside entities - a strategy enabled by the EDGE initiative.
  
Gov. Brad Henry began Oklahoma's Economic Development Generating Excellence (EDGE) program in 2004, and it was funded by the Legislature to support entrepreneurial, technology-based initiatives in Oklahoma. The mission is to bolster Oklahoma's long-term economic growth by investing the earnings into Oklahoma's knowledge infrastructure. Through a unique and legislatively mandated collaboration of public and private sectors, EDGE identifies research needs of Oklahoma companies and connects them with the state's research community.
  
During the last two years, the EDGE fund invested millions of dollars in competitively selected technology-based research and development projects across Oklahoma, from large cities to rural areas. An advisory committee of scientists, technology experts and business leaders reviews applications and selects recipients based on the project's merit, technical approach, potential to advance and benefit Oklahoma and budgetary considerations.
  
All funded projects are Oklahoma based so that EDGE dollars stay in state for the benefit of Oklahoma citizens. However, since these projects involve the latest ideas and cutting-edge technologies, they attract collaborative interest in the United States and abroad, connecting Oklahoma with collaborators in Texas, California and Michigan, as well as in Japan, Italy and Denmark. This collaboration increases the strength of the EDGE-funded projects and contributes to the state's reputation as an advanced member of the global economy.  
  
This national and international network established by EDGE joins great minds from across the globe and further positions Oklahoma as a significant player in technology-driven economic development. As these projects attract talent and capital, Oklahoma reaps the benefits because these collaborative projects create more high-paying jobs and expand and diversify our economy.
  
To date, projects supported by EDGE funds include agriculture, aerospace, biotechnology, energy, information technology, nanotechnology, sensors and weather science. In 2010, the EDGE Policy Board will report the returns on these investments to the citizens of Oklahoma and will provide analysis and recommendations on additional ways in which the EDGE fund will advance economic development in Oklahoma. Due to the forward-thinking minds in the Legislature and our ability to collaborate with groups across the world, the EDGE fund will continue to invest in and improve the state's economy, thus providing greater prosperity for Oklahomans now and in the future.  
  
By Paul G. Risser

Risser, former Oklahoma chancellor for higher education, is executive director of the EDGE Policy Board.

 

Bring strong collaborators to your grant project! All granting agencies want to see the best program for their money in a collaborative partnership.

If you focus on research, add undergraduate students, graduate students, colleagues, and consumer agencies to your project. They all receive the benefit of the research and contribute to the project focus in their own way.

If you focus on program improvement, add area k-12 school students and teachers, related businesses and related community agencies to your project. They all receive great information about the program and contribute to the project focus.

Yes, the planning takes more time, but it results in richer projects.

Work and share with partners. Your project will be richer, dissemination will be broader, and the granting agency will receive a more valuable project for its money.  

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