The aim of the NKF Seed Grant Program is to promote creative use of ideas in product and process development for the agriculture and food industry through innovative collaboration with Cornell University, and the Infotonics Technology Center. The program seeks to develop new technologies that can spur the creation of new business and jobs within the Finger Lakes Region. The program is supported under the National Science Foundation-sponsored Finger Lakes New Knowledge Fusion Project. Co-funding is provided by Ontario County Economic Development Office with other co-funders yet to be identified.

The NKF Seed Grant Program is intended to provide a ‘stepping stone’ to enable researchers from two very different institutions to collaborate in development of new ideas that address challenges to the agriculture and food industry. Solutions to these challenges should be products that can be commercialized and serve to strengthen the regions economy. Third-party (industry) involvement in development and execution of funded projects is encouraged.

The proposal should:
1. Clearly demonstrate collaboration of an interdisciplinary team composed of, at a minimum, a Cornell scientist and an Infotonics scientist;
2. Describe, from a scientific/technological perspective, the challenge associated with the product/process development;
3. Briefly outline the full research project and explain why the NKF Seed Grant is a necessary first step;
4. Describe in the detail the research activity to be undertaken in the NKF Seed Grant Proposal;
5. Clearly demonstrate the intended industrial partner(s) and the rationale supporting their involvement in the project.


Who may Apply and When

The Program is open to Cornell University scientists, Infotonics Technology Center (ITC) scientists, as well as scientists at institutions affiliated with the ITC. Businesses are encouraged to be involved in the proposals, but lead institutions university- or ITC-based. An annual Program call will operate for three years. Solicitations will be made in the fourth quarter and decisions will be made before the end of the calendar year. Funding of successful projects will commence on January 1 of the following year.

Scope of Program

The scope of the Program includes all science and engineering disciplines. The focus should be on innovative product and/or innovative process development that address challenges experienced in food and agriculture industries. Emphasis is placed on the new ideas and products that results when very different groups of scientists collaborate. Marketing and Business Studies are not eligible, however, technology assessments can be funded if the proposers can demonstrate the need to survey particular technologies with the intent to use that technology in an innovative way.

Priority is given to projects that (a) ultimately lead to successful joint proposals between the submitters and their collaborators to competitive funding agencies and/or (b) lead to pilot production at ITC and system-level integration and/or evaluation.

The Seed Grant Program is used to foster new technology development using the combined capabilities and capacities of both Cornell and ITC. We use a format similar to that used by ITC, but with topic areas that impact the needs of the agriculture and food industries. Topics include, but are not limited to:
• Sensors for pest detection
• Microsystems for food process monitoring
• Tools to meet traceability standards
• Continuous wine quality assessment during fermentation
• Whole plant physiological monitoring of water stress
• In-field assessment of gene activation in plants
• Detection of volatile organic chemical signals from plants under stress


Degree of Innovation

Projects should demonstrate a reasonable level of technical innovation and should carry a degree of technological risk. Projects involving direct consultancy, routine testing, or purely fundamental research are not eligible.

Duration of Project and Subsequent Support

The duration of an NKF Seed Grant will be not more than twelve calendar months. Requests for second-year funding will be accepted, but rationale for support beyond one year must be compelling. Indirect support beyond the first year generally involves facilitation of resources from other support or funding agencies. Support can be in the form of business plan or marketing strategy development, mentoring, access to seed capital, or assistance in proposal writing for other grants (e.g., SBIR).

Costs and Financial Structure of Feasibility Projects

A realistic budget is required and will be assessed as part of the evaluation of the NKF Seed Grant Proposal. Eligible expenditure includes also:
Cost of employing a Research Assistant
Cost of Materials
Cost of Specialized Equipment (for example, not routine IT equipment)
Cost of Specialist Studies and Training
Directly Relevant Travel

The maximum amount of any grant award will be $25,000

Please contact me if you are interested in being a partner with Infotonics and Cornell on this seed stage opportunity.