UWM Research Foundation awards new catalyst grants
The University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Research Foundation has awarded grants to five new research projects as part of its catalyst grant program.
The program invests in promising early-stage research at UWM, particularly in areas with the potential for commercializing new technology. Grants are supported by the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation and the Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation.
UWM’s Innovation Accelerator in Wauwatosa opened in 2014. The university nearly doubled its research expenditures between the 2003-’04 academic year and 2009-’10.
More than $4.5 million has been awarded to 85 projects over the 10 years the program has existed.
The five recipients this year will split $191,000 for projects that range from new materials for removing arsenic from groundwater to improving batteries for electric cars.
The recipients are:
- Alexander “Leggy” Arnold, James Cook and Doug Stafford of UWM’s Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery will explore the link between neuro-inflammation and many central nervous system disorders, including neuropathic pain.
- Shangping Xu, associate professor of geosciences, is collaborating with Kohler Co. to develop and test the efficacy of the company’s ceramic filters for removal of arsenic from groundwater.
- Researcher Benjamin Schultz is developing a material that may offer a low-cost method for producing custom biomedical parts, such as orthopedic implants.
- Junjie Niu, assistant professor of materials engineering, is creating a low-cost anode for lithium-ion batteries that improves the batteries’ performance and allows electric cars to travel longer distances before having to recharge.
- Jian Zhao, associate professor of civil engineering, seeks to improve the safety of epoxy concrete anchoring systems, which require drilling, by redesigning them to minimize concrete failure.