Award Data

Rural America has significantly less access to broadband networks and telecominfrastructure. The disparity between network coverage in rural areas versus urban areas isreferred to as the "digital divide." This divide limits those in Rural America in many ways; withthings as simple as inadequate or unreliable means of communication to the more seriousimplications of having limited to no access to a ...

PROJECT SUMMARYIsoTruss Inc.Title: Versatile network access through lightweight and durable IsoTruss mobile cell sitesPI: Jensen David W. Institution: IsoTruss Inc.Versatility is an important feature for rural broadband solutions aiming to close thedigital divide and better support the needs of rural communities. Mobile cell sites or cell-on- wheels (COWs) provide temporary connectivity for a host ...

PROJECT SUMMARYImproperly cleaned soft serve ice cream machines are a known significant contributor to foodborneillnesses worldwide. Studies indicate that from 12% to over 50% of soft serve ice cream machinesare contaminated with unsatisfactory levels of bacteria. Contamination issues are due largely tothe complex and costly disassembly cleaning and sanitizing (DCS) process required for allmachine ...

Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of western wildfires.The threat to peopleand infrastructure is growing with more population living in the wildland-urban interface.Advances in technology provide the opportunity to improve wildfire mapping accuracy timelinessand dissemination. An un-stabilized airborne fire mapping sensor is proposed utilizing an array ofminiature thermal inf ...

Over the past decade the U.S. has experienced substantial growth in the number of new agri- food businesses launched. At the same time rural firms and farms face obstacles impeding theirabilities to fully capitalize on food startup opportunities. A significant barrier to entry is theability to navigate food laws and regulations and legal and regulatory resources for rural foodentrepreneurs are sca ...

7. SummaryInland oyster seed production utilizing artificial seawater in a closed recirculating aquaculturesystems is being developed in Baton Rouge Louisiana at the Louisiana State UniversityInnovation Park. The Gulf Coast (and East and West Coast) oyster industry faces numerouschallenges including increased exposure to anthropogenic pollution climate change oceanacidification harmful algal bloom ...

The project goal is to integrate a fixed-film bioclarifier with suspended growth "biofloc" technology to increase production capacity and improve reliability for small Midwest farmers producing marine shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) in tanks. Research will focus on the determination of nitrification kinetics associated with an external aerated sludge basin, the confirmation of the maximum shrimp den ...

In order for America to remain competitive in the world market in agriculture production and processing it must continue to innovate and create technologies that decrease the cost of food production. If America can do so, it maintains the ability to produce high quality products. Sorting and grading is an expensive and time consuming part of agriculture production and decreasing its cost through t ...

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will demonstrate techno-economic feasibility of a novel bioprocess to produce fatty acids from lignocellulosic biomass leading to commercialization. These fatty acids are primary components of several consumer products such as skincare, cosmetics, soaps, shampoos and vitamins. The proposed process utilizes metabolically engineered E. coli cu ...

Despite its clean and green nature when utilized in fuel cells and other devices, most hydrogen is currently produced primarily from non-renewable sources, such as natural gas, oil, and coal. Anaerobic digestion provides a potentially improved alternative to manufacturing hydrogen from petroleum and natural gas. Anaerobic digesters can produce hydrogen from inexpensive and renewable energy sources ...