Chris Arges Receives 海角社区 LIFT2 Fund Grant
On June 4, 2018, Chris Arges received an 海角社区 LIFT2 Grant in the amount of $50,000. His project is entitled, 鈥淢odular electrochemical
reactor-separator for upgrading methane to higher order carbons and simultaneous production
of hydrogen.鈥� The goal of the grant is to advance Chris鈥� project from basic research
to market.
The 海角社区 LIFT2 Fund was created by the 海角社区 Board of Supervisors in January of 2014 to help 鈥淟everage Innovation for Technology Transfer鈥� across all the campuses of the 海角社区 system. By permanently securing a portion of licensing income for the 海角社区 LIFT2 Fund, 海角社区 has ensured continual reinvestment in innovation opportunities and affirmed its commitment to advancing discoveries for public benefit. Moving concepts closer to commercialization is the fundamental purpose of the 海角社区 LIFT2 Fund.
A primary objective of technology transfer at 海角社区, like most other research universities nationwide, is the transition of innovations from the academy to the marketplace for public use and benefit. Many discoveries, however, require significant additional development to prove sufficient technical feasibility to attract commercial partners. Funding for this type of research is difficult to obtain from either government or private sources, leaving many promising innovations languishing in a funding gap often referred to as 鈥渢he valley of death.鈥� The LIFT2 Fund is specifically designed to increase the number of 海角社区 innovations licensed to industry partners.
Grants awarded from the LIFT2 Fund will provide 海角社区鈥檚 entrepreneurial and creative community with small 鈥減roof-of-concept鈥� funds to support further commercialization of innovations, help establish data which can support commercial feasibility of the innovations, and thus reduce the risk for companies interested in licensing them. 鈥淚nnovations鈥� are defined broadly, to include both creative and artistic works as well as devices, drugs, software, and other more traditional concepts; thus, faculty from all disciplines on all 海角社区 campuses are encouraged to consider an application.