FedEx Institute Announces Innovative R&D Plan

03/09/2005. Memphis, TN. The University of Memphis FedEx Institute of Technology has launched two new programs to support faculty working on innovative research. This investment in research represents a unique effort to secure a lasting technology transfer relationship with major local, regional, and national corporate partners.

The Institute's new approach capitalizes on a Partner Network whose participants make an annual investment to support research and operations at the Institute. In return, the Partners have a voice in identifying priority research support areas and receive exclusive advanced briefings on emerging product and technology developments on campus. Current participants in the FedEx Institute of Technology's Partner Network are FedEx, Steelcase, AutoZone, BellSouth, Time Warner Cable, Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare, Oak Ridge National Laboratories and Memphis Business Interiors. The Institute also benefits from a separate joint venture agreement for intellectual property development with Memphis-based Challenger Corporation.

The annual investment made by Partner Network participants is invested into priority campus research through two competitive funds: the Research Investment Fund and the Innovation Fund. The Research Investment Fund focuses its support on three interdisciplinary agendas designated as critical to industry and within the scope of focus for the University and Institute research faculty. These critical research agendas are learning technologies, biomedical technologies and business network tools. For example, the University houses one of the foremost experimental psychology faculties in the world with specific expertise in human discourse, natural language simulation and the design and deployment of artificial agents. This expertise provides a potential foundation for expanded research on learning technology applications for medicine, vocational learning and industrial training needs.

The Innovation Fund supports innovation across all academic departments and is intended to engage the entire University and its corporate Partners to build regional research capacity and infrastructure. To be eligible for support from either fund, projects must result in a product, process, technique, tool or other tangible work product or market testing within a six-month timeframe.

To learn more about becoming a participant in the Institute's Partner Network or for more information, visit fedex.memphis.edu or contact Dr. Andrew Meyers, Executive Director, at (901) 678-5105.

For more information:
Marcy Sanford
Marketing and Communications Manager
mjandrsn@memphis.edu
901-678-5581