March 14, 2014 -- Gov. John Hickenlooper and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced on March 13 the Advanced Industry Accelerator Grant Program grantees. A total of $1,889,972 was awarded for both Proof-of-Concept and Early Stage Capital and Retention Grants to support key industries.

"Regardless of the industry, businesses must innovate or they die," Hickenlooper said. "This is not a new reality, but in today's technologically-driven world, it's a reality that has become more and more apparent. Colorado has a robust private sector filled with brilliant minds leading the way. Whenever possible, we will be a partner. With this Advanced Industry Accelerator Program, we are growing Colorado's innovative, collaborative business ecosystem and building a trained workforce. The grants will help entrepreneurial companies to compete globally, encourage faster commercialization of technologies and create Colorado jobs."

The current grant funding cycle for the Advanced Industry Accelerator Programs awarded 15 grants with a total of $1,889,972. The program received a total of 58 applications requesting $13.1 million in funding. Applications for the next grant cycle are due April 1.

The Proof-of-Concept grants are open to Colorado research universities, federal labs located in Colorado, and other private, nonprofit and for-profit labs with valid technology transfer offices. Proof-of-Concept grants are for pre-commercialization research and commercialization preparation.

The Proof-of-Concept project grantees at Mines are:

• Rapid point-of-care LFCC detection of serum cancer biomarkers, $22,500 (Kent Voorhees)
• Polymer modified nanoparticles as contract agents for non-invasive measurement of pH in vivo, $22,500 (Steve Boyes)
• Virus-mimicking polymer molecular brushes as a novel family of highly potent antimicrobial agents, $22,500 (Hongjun Liang)
• Development of pre-lithiated silicon nodes for next generation lithium ion batteries, $22,500 (Yongan Yang)

The Advanced Industry Accelerator Programs were created in 2013 to promote growth and sustainability in these industries by driving innovation, accelerating commercialization, encouraging public-private partnerships, increasing access to early stage capital and creating a strong infrastructure that increases the state's capacity to be globally competitive. The programs encompass three distinct grant programs: Proof of Concept, Early Stage Company and Commercialization Infrastructure.

To learn more about the other grants, visit the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade website.