Led by Rensselaer, with partners Boston University and the University of New Mexico, the Engineering Research Center for Smart Lighting will investigate and develop LED technologies with an eye toward new applications in fields ranging from biotechnology and transportation to computer networking and displays.
The project is expected to receive up to $50m in funding over the next decade, the bulk of which will come from the NSF. Additional support will flow from New York state, Rensselaer, and 18 industrial partners.
A multidisciplinary team will focus on developing novel materials, device technology, and systems applications to further the understanding and proliferation of smart lighting technologies.
Twenty faculty researchers from Rensselaer, along with 10 researchers from partners Boston University and the University of New Mexico, will staff the new center. Students, postdoctoral researchers, and visiting industry engineers will also be regular contributors to the research conducted at the Smart Lighting ERC.
New U.S. Centre for Efficient Lighting, Photonics
A new research centre funded by a five-year, $18.5m (US) grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation aims to supplant the common light bulb with smarter, greener, and more versatile lighting devices. The centre is to be located at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.