COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State researchers recently were awarded nearly $9 million through the Ohio Federal Research Network (OFRN) for six collaborative research projects that will advance aerospace, defense, autonomy, quantum systems and advanced materials. University researchers are leading three of the projects and are contributing expertise to three additional projects involving academic and industry partners across the state.
“These awards highlight the strength of Ohio State’s research ecosystem and the critical role our faculty and students play in advancing technologies that matter for the nation,” said John M. Horack, vice president for research and leader of the Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge. “We are proud to lead and support projects that will shape the future of hypersonics, space systems, autonomy and quantum technologies while driving economic opportunity across Ohio.”
OFRN is managed by Parallax Advanced Research in partnership with the Ohio Department of Higher Education. The projects supported in this OFRN round are expected to create 64 new jobs across Ohio and generate more than $69 million in projected follow-on activity.
Ohio State is the lead research institution for three OFRN-funded projects in this round, partnering with universities and industry organizations across the state and region.
- The Gas-insulated Cable with Integrated Partial Discharge Detection for Aerospace Systems project is led by Jin Wang, PhD, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering. Julia Zhang, PhD, associate professor in the same department, serves as a member of the research team. This effort brings Ohio State together with Miami University, Case Western Reserve University, GE Aerospace Electric Power and GE Aerospace Research.
- Leadership of the Space GUIDE project comes from Sanjay Krishna, PhD, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering. The university is collaborating with the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), SK Infrared and SenseICs.
- Work on the Photonic Interfaces for Atom-based Quantum Processors project is directed by Kevin Singh, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences. Partners on this effort include Denison University and SRICO, Inc.
Ohio State researchers are also engaged in three OFRN-funded initiatives led by industry organizations.
- For the HERCULES: Hypersonic Engineered Reusable Ceramic Ultra-Lightweight Enduring System project, Christine Thomas, PhD, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences, serves as part of the research team. The project is led by AsterTech LLC, with Cleveland State University contributing as partners.
- Participation in REACT-X: Resilient Explainable AI for Casualty Triage with Logistics Awareness Using Deep Topological Modeling comes from Amanda Agnew, PhD, professor and co-director of the Injury Biomechanics Research Center in the College of Medicine, and Randee Hunter, PhD, associate professor in the College of Medicine. Mined XAI leads the project, joined by Wright State University and the Ohio Manufacturing Innovation Center (OMIC).
- Support for the Joining of ODS Additive Materials project is provided by Dimitri Papazoglou, PhD, principal engineer in the College of Engineering. Laser Fusion Solutions LLC leads the work, with project partners including Wright State University, Hyphen Innovations, Powder Alloy Corporation and North American Manufacturing Pros.