The Gap Fund @ UNM provides funding to support the advancement and commercialization of innovative technologies developed at the University of New Mexico (UNM). The goal of the program is to increase the likelihood of technologies being successfully licensed by industry or a startup company. This year marks the fourteenth call for proposals aimed at supporting early-stage, unlicensed UNM technology that have been disclosed to UNM Rainforest Innovations.
Proposals submitted are carefully evaluated by a diverse committee comprised of seasoned investors and local business community members. Each submission is evaluated based on merit and uniqueness of the technology as well as its potential for commercialization. Selected proposals may receive funding up to $25,000 to help bridge the gap from concept to market readiness.
This year, a wide range of proposals were received spanning innovations in battery diagnostics, carbon utilization, wireless sensors, pain management and cryocooling, among others. See the list of the four proposals awarded below:
PI Name | Proposal Title | School/Department | Funds Awarded |
Dongchang Chen, PhD, Assistant Professor | Fiber-Optics-based Spectroscopic Diagnosis & Prognosis for Batteries Operating Under Extreme Conditions | College of Arts & Sciences: Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology | $25,000 |
Sungjin Kim, PhD, Assistant Professor | From Greenhouse Gas to Sustainable Building Material: Mineralizing Carbon Dioxide into Eco-Friendly Cool Roof Coating | School of Engineering: Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering | $25,000 |
Fernando Moreu, PhD, Associate Professor | Low-Cost Efficient Wireless Intelligent Sensors (LEWIS) Sonars for Long-term Deployment and Monitoring Outdoors | School of Engineering: Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering | $25,000 |
Karin Westlund High, PhD, Distinguished Professor & Vice Chair for Research | Block of Receptors Reduces Chronic Orofacial Pain | School of Medicine: Department of Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine | $25,000 |