CMU receiving $55,000 in state grants to support three entrepreneurship plans
Central Michigan University has received $55,000 in grants from the Michigan Initiative for Innovation and Entrepreneurship to fund three upcoming projects on campus.
The grant funds, allocated to several universities by the President's Council of State Universities of Michigan, could create 200 new start-up businesses around Michigan.
About $25,000 was awarded to develop a New Venture competition between CMU and Michigan Technological University, $22,000 for the commercialization of new mercury-absorbent technology for coal-fired power plants and $8,000 for a market assessment for the commercialization of tap water filters.
“The main purpose of these grants are to push for new economy jobs,” said Kathy Backus, assistant director of public relations. “They foster job start up in our community, which is beneficial for those receiving the grants.”
In the past seven months, CMU has been awarded 108 grants and contracts equaling about $13 million.
James Hageman, interim vice provost for research, works for the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. ORSP holds the responsibilities of finding, obtaining, supporting and advising appropriate funding opportunities to interested faculty and staff.
“Grant money is always coming from the efforts of faculty and staff,” Hageman said. “Both contribute in important ways. Our office deals with anything that is a grant or a contract that has obligations to do certain things with the allotted portion of money.”
Hageman said ORSP deals with many grants that are revocable, meaning if grant money is not used in a certain way, penalties may be initialized and funding could be taken away.
“If you don’t do what you say you are going to do with the money, there may be penalties,” Hageman said. “When federal agencies give grants, those grants can be recovered if you fail to do what you say you are going to do, but, happily, we generally follow through.”
Since 2009, ORSP has received contracts and grants from 68 organizations. According to the ORSP Grant and Contract Activity Fiscal Year Comparison, the “dollars requested” by CMU from July 2011 to January 2012 are nearly 34 percent greater than the “dollars awarded.”
“The money comes to a particular active group that is seeking it,” Hageman said. “If you don’t ask, if you don’t write a grant, if you don’t write a good proposal ... even if you do write a good proposal, it’s often that you won’t get it funded. Then you have to keep trying.”
Because of the steps necessary to receive grant money, Hageman said grant distribution is not equal, but individualized.
Backus said the university finds great purpose from the grants it receives. Like many other grants awarded to CMU, the MIIE broke down the funding to support three entrepreneurial projects on campus.
“There are lots and lots of things,” Hageman said in regard to the numerous grants offered to support on-campus projects. “You just have to find an adviser and a project that is interesting to you, and it doesn’t matter what the discipline is. There are ways to fund it.”
