MEDIA ALERT
Contact: Cody Allred
Idaho Commerce
208.334.2470
cody.allred@commerce.idaho.gov
Idaho Department of Commerce Announces IGEM Grant Recipients
BOISE, Idaho (July 8, 2021) — Idaho Commerce is pleased to announce the latest recipients of Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission (IGEM) grants. IGEM funds are awarded to Idaho public research universities to partner with industry leaders on research projects geared toward commercialization.
The IGEM Council awarded the University of Idaho with supplemental grant funding in the amount of $96,530 to assist industry partner, RILE AG. Inc. increase the number of genetic traits and information captured by their proprietary genomic selection tool, Flock54™.
“Both the University of Idaho and RILE Ag are global leaders in the sheep industry,” Idaho Commerce Director Tom Kealey said. “This supplemental funding will propel RILE Ag’s technology forward and have a positive economic impact for Idaho sheep ranchers as well as the U.S. sheep industry.”
The IGEM Council also awarded Boise State University (BSU) a total of $98,022 from two supplemental commercialization grants. One award in the amount of $49,011 will assist BSU researchers and industry partner, Iris Light Technologies Inc. in continued research and development on scaling ink synthesis and tailoring the conversion process for silicon chips.
The second award of $49,011 will aid BSU and industry partner, Pitch Aeronautics in iterating their software and hardware design in response to testing and customer feedback.
“Both projects will challenge the cutting-edge talent at Boise State University toward next-generation innovation,” Kealey said. “From ink synthesis to pioneering aeronautical designs, IGEM fosters unique partnerships with Idaho companies and Idaho universities for ‘first to market’ opportunities and commensurate economic rewards.”
This fiscal year, the IGEM Council has awarded $1,020,240 for research and development of innovations that benefit Idaho and beyond.
Please visit the IGEM website at http://igem.idaho.gov for program and application information.
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