ϳԹ has collaborated with Ardiem Medical, Inc., of Indiana, on a Small Business Innovation Research Grant Phase I application to the National Institutes of Health.
Faculty members from the Physics and Biology departments collaborated on the grant application. This is the first time that IUP faculty members have worked with a business to help to secure an SBIR grant.
“IUP is proud to work with Ardiem Medical on this significant and innovative research project,” Dr. Tony Atwater, IUP president, said. “The intellectual capital of our faculty is a tremendous asset for our region and state.”
Ardiem Medical is a medical device and design manufacturer of biomedical products and services.
If awarded, the grant will fund research for technologies associated with implantable electrode devices. Electrode devices are important to expanding the treatment of neurological conditions, including paralysis and spinal cord injury, and can significantly reduce surgical intervention time and medical costs. Additional details of the filing were not disclosed.
“The benefits of implantable devices are well understood by the medical community, and, if we receive the funding, the grant will enable our project engineers to partner with IUP to help us research and test the product design,” Ardiem President Jim Cupp said.
“Contracting with IUP faculty will provide expertise that will assist with prototype development and provide access to well-equipped labs and other equipment in the science building,” Cupp said.
“We are very pleased to participate in the grant filing with such an experienced company,” Tracey Missien, interim director of Economic Development, said. “As our first collaborative SBIR application, the project represents a new milestone that we believe will continue to advance our reputation as a research university.”