Singapore, 2 Feb 2010 – Making collaborative web search a reality for work groups? What about a made in Singapore art-focused 2D puzzle platform game that pushes both the aesthetic and interactive aspects of gaming to new heights? These are some innovative ideas by students from local universities selected by the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology’s (SMART) Innovation Centre for its student grant programme. The Innovation Centre today announced that it is awarding S$1.3 million in grants to seven faculty research projects and four student projects in the areas of media & entertainment, infectious diseases and cancer drug research, water treatment and therapeutic stem cells. Amongst the winners are students and scientists from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), local universities and research institutes.

“We are pleasantly surprised with the quality of applications received. The ideas are very innovative and some projects have good commercial promise. In fact, quite a few have the potential to transform into real world applications that can benefit lives,” said Howard Califano, Director of SMART Innovation Centre.

He continued, “The Centre plays a critical role in identifying and nurturing innovation. By adopting the best practices of MIT, the Centre not only provides grant funds, we also provide the necessary business expertise to accelerate product development from the laboratory to the marketplace. Each project is managed by the Innovation Centre to meet goals to de-risk technology and establish a got-to-market strategy. We have also set-up an extensive network to connect student and faculty innovators with investors, entrepreneurs and the venture capital and business community. Our ultimate goal is to develop a well-defined business opportunity attractive to start-up company formation or licensing to a commercial firm.”

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