NSF engineering centers aim to revitalize industry

The National Science Foundation initiated the Engineering Research Centers (ERC) Program in 1985 in response to concern that US industries have not been as successful as their international competitors at converting the fruits of basic and applied research into profitable commercial ventures. A description is given of aspects of the program at the University of Illinois, Columbia University, and University of Colorado research centers. These deal with optical interconnects, telecommunications, and optical computing, respectively.<
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