Third Frontier Program
The majority of state funding opportunities related to energy currently come through the Third Frontier Project, administered by the Ohio Department of Development.
Five Third Frontier programs are particularly applicable to faculty interested in funding for research projects related to energy and related environmental work.
- Research Commercialization Program (RCP) - supports collaborations among Ohio universities, non-profit research entities, and Ohio companies for projects in the areas of 1) Advanced Materials; 2) Instruments-Controls-Electronics; 3) Information Technology; 4) Power and Propulsion; and 5) The Biosciences that will provide positive economic impacts and improvements in Ohio's technology base.
- The Ohio Research Scholars Program (ORSP) - supports clusters of research excellence, led by Ohio's universities with a priority focus on 1) Advanced materials; 2) Biosciences; 3) Instruments-controls-electronics; 4) Information technology; and 5) Power and propulsion
- Third Frontier Advanced Energy Program (TFAEP) - supports organizations seeking to commercialize new products, manufacturing processes or technologies, or to adapt or modify existing components or systems that can reduce the cost of advanced energy systems or address technical and commercialization barriers.
- Third Frontier Fuel Cell Program (TFFCP) - The Third Frontier Fuel Cell Program provides grants that support the growth of Ohio's fuel cell industry through collaborations that involve Ohio higher education institutions, non-profit research organizations, and Ohio companies.
- Wright Projects (WP) - Provides grants to support specifically defined near term commercialization projects requiring major capital acquisitions and improvements at Ohio higher education institutions and non-profit research organizations. Projects must involve one or more Ohio companies and be in the areas of advanced materials, power and propulsion, information technology and instruments, controls and electronics.
The FY 2009 RFPs for Advanced Energy and Fuel Cells were released on July 28, 2008. Letters of Intent are due August 21, 2008
As of March 1, 2008, OSU faculty had submitted or been listed as a collaborator in 18 Third Frontier proposals related to energy.