ADVANCED MANUFACTURING MATERIALS & PROCESSING

Apply for R&D project funds

The Center of Excellence in Materials Informatics (CMI) annually supports Faculty-Industry Applied Research (FIAR) opportunities. The FIAR program focuses on opportunities to foster applied research efforts that drive economic growth and impact with commercial value to materials and manufacturing businesses in New York State.

By partnering with a UB faculty researcher, materials and manufacturing companies can gain access to funds for collaborative R&D and prototyping projects up to $50K in areas such as clean energy, environment, sensors, semiconductors, AI and wireless technology.

A close-up macro photograph of a circular metal disc with copper and silver colored surfaces, viewed through what appears to be a glass or transparent container. The disc has a small hole in its center and concentric circular patterns. The image has a purple-tinted background with blurred flower petals or purple elements framing the edges of the frame. The lighting creates a reflective, metallic sheen on the surfaces.

Steps to apply

All projects must have: a materials component; computational component; interested industry partner with a clear, vested interest in commercialization of technologies; and a commitment to the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion.

  1. Review full RFP for project requirements. 
  2. Submit completed letter of intent below by March 7, 2025.
    If you have questions, please email Adrian Levesque at apl3@ buffalo.edu as soon as possible to learn more.
  3. If the project is in alignment with a FIAR focus area, faculty will be invited to submit a full project proposal by May 2, 2025.

Not ready to submit? Check out our other advanced manufacturing resources.

Featured Collaborations

Smart farming agricultural technology Robotic arm harvesting hydroponic lettuce in a greenhouse.

Akron Ag Products, Inc.

Jun Liu, PhD and Ehsan Esfahani, PhD
Self-powered tactile sensor-integrated compliant robotics system for smart agriculture

close-up of a precision machine with a nozzle depositing patterns on a metal surface.

Copprium

Luis R. De Jesús Báez, PhD
Striding across the molecular frontier: Informatics-fuided Formulation for particle-free Copper inks

lithium battery pack module with bms available for electric car or storage power station.

Custom Electronics, Inc.

Y. Chris Li, PhD and Fei Yao, PhD
Understanding the formation of solid-electrolyte-interface from fluorinated solvents for Li and Na batteries

Quantum processor chip powerful supercomputer, Modern technology and computing concept on virtual screen.

HYPRES

Bibhudatta Sahoo, PhD
Precision multi-channel current sources for superconducting electronics and qubits

Rfid tags close up on a table.

ONY Biotech

Ehsan Esfahani, PhD
Soft robotic gripper for calf lung massaging to enhance surfactant extraction

Rfid tags close up on a table.

Starco Lighting

Jinjun Xiong, PhD and Sreyasee Bhattacharjee, PhD
Design and optimization of a dynamically adjustable multispectral LED lighting fixture to close the loop from monitoring to improving indoor growing plants’ health

UB Letter of Intent

Project period July 1, 2025 ‐ June 30, 2026