Part I of CUMIRP retains the NSF-I/UCRC format in which the
research cost and results are shared with other members in a focused,
team-oriented approach. Research Clusters, targeted toward specific
research areas, allow small team dynamics between Industry Sponsors and
University Faculty, Staff and Students. Members of CUMIRP Part I can
choose which cooperative research areas (Clusters) they wish to support
with their membership dues. Part I members can obtain a non-exclusive,
royalty-free license to a University patent resulting from the research
done in their specific Research Cluster. Other benefits include
invitations to: the member-specific Cluster meetings, the bi-annual
meeting featuring hot topics in science, the annual UMass Polymer
Poster Symposium and the various Materials Research Science &
Engineering Center (MRSEC) meetings and workshops. CUMIRP also assists
sponsors of all Parts in recruiting future employees.
CUMIRP Part I has structured its fee schedule to be accessible to
companies of all sizes, and encourages small and mid-sized companies to
participate. Membership
dues for the CUMIRP Part I Clusters are $6,000, $18,000 and $30,000
depending on company size. Companies wishing to participate in multiple
Clusters are offered a 40% discount for joining a second Cluster or can
become a Member-at-Large, selecting up to four cluster
memberships at a significantly discounted rate. Our Part I structure
makes Industrial participation an affordable and attractive investment.
The sharing of research and patent costs by Cluster members allows for
a tremendous leveraging of a sponsor's dues. Industrial Sponsors from
all sized companies find the cooperative Research Cluster concept a
great value for their research dollar.
Part I: Fee Structure Table
Part I offers sponsors a selection of several research clusters.
Additional clusters in the Part I (I/UCRC) format will be formed around
university core competencies as industrial needs dictate.
You must have Adobe Reader to view Research Cluster Flyers.
Research Cluster B - Polymers in
the BioArena
Maria Santore and Gregory Tew, Coordinators
Polymer science has much to contribute in the areas of biotechnology, biology and medicine since many naturally occurring biomolecules are indeed polymeric, and since the interaction of synthetic polymeric materials and biological systems forms the basis for numerous medical advances, separations, diagnostics, sensors, delivery systems and treatments. The mission of cluster B is to develop fundamental insight into the complexities of the biomaterials interface in order to facilitate the discovery of novel technologies, smart materials and new products which will improve the health of our population.
Sponsors: Bausch & Lomb, Becton Dickinson, Ethicon, Medtronic, US Army
Research
Cluster E - Polymers in Energy
E. Bryan Coughlin and S. "Thai" Thayumanavan, Coordinators
Introductory Letter to Industry
This newly created cluster will focus on polymers used in the energy field. The initial research areas will be on polymers used in fuel cells and solar energy. The fuel cell research will be geared toward the next generation of PEM’s, while the solar energy research will focus on new, organic photovoltaic materials for tunable, higher efficiency devices. This cluster is leveraged from several centers at UMass already active in this area.
Sponsors: Kuraray America, Solutia, W.L. Gore
Research Cluster F - Fire-Safe
Polymers and Polymer Composites
Todd Emrick and E. Bryan Coughlin, Coordinators
Funded initially by the Federal Aviation
Administration, sponsors and faculty collaborate in the production of
fire-safe polymeric materials for all applications. Research
concentrates on the design and synthesis of polymers to yield fire-safe
materials with high mechanical performance properties, especially for
aircraft interiors.
Sponsors: Boeing, Federal
Aviation Administration, Multina,
NIST, Sekisui Chemical, Solvay, US Army
Research Cluster G - Green
Chemistry, Physics and Engineering of Polymers
Shaw Ling Hsu and Thomas McCarthy, Coordinators
This cluster endeavors to take on the challenge of
translating the concepts of green chemistry into tangible research
results. Initially, the cluster will have two thrusts in the areas of
'New Solvent-FreeCoatings Technologies' and 'Chemistry and Processing
in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide', both directed at minimizing the
amounts of organic solvents used in the preparation and processing
of polymeric materials. New areas of research will be added as the
cluster expands and evolves.
Research Cluster M - Mechanics
of Polymers and Composites
Alan Lesser, Coordinator
The goal of this research cluster is to develop a new
set of theoretical and experimental tools that enable the streamlined
design, selection, and evaluation of polymeric materials. The research
initiatives in this cluster focus on determining what basic
characteristics define the engineering performance of polymers and
polymer-based composites. Both the materials and applications studied
in this cluster will be guided by the cluster members.
Sponsors: Fosta-Tek Optics, Johns Manville
Research Cluster N -
Nanostructured Materials
Thomas Russell and Kenneth Carter, Coordinators
This research cluster focuses on the generation and
fabrication of polymer-based nanostructured materials. Through
molecular design, synthesis and characterization of block copolymers,
hybrid polymers and functionalized nanoparticles, the self-assembly of
polymers can be harnessed to produce nanostructured materials with
hierarchical structure. By manipulating the chemical nature of the
polymers, controlling interfacial interactions or applying external
fields, self-assembly processes are being directed so as to achieve
specific structural and functional properties ranging from the
mechanical to magnetic to optical.
Sponsors: Eastman Kodak, Fosta-Tek
Optics, Medtronic,
Kuraray
America, US Army
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