There’s good news for budding entrepreneurs at Southern California universities. The Department of Energy has awarded a new $1 million grant to the University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University.
The funding will help move renewable energy technology from university laboratories to the marketplace.
“The focus of the grant is on energy technologies. For example, next generation batteries, new materials for cheaper solar panels or new ways for generating hydrogen,” said Rosibel Ochoa, the UCSD grant coordinator.
Graduate or post-graduate students and faculty from any university in the region can apply for the grant.
The money will help researchers looking for seed money and expert advice in a sluggish market.
“You have many options in San Diego. You can go to CONNECT or CleanTECH San Diego. But if you are a university researcher, your idea is in the early stages and you need a lot of help,” Ochoa said.