Wichita State University is among the 40 winners in the first stage of the U.S. Small Business Administration's Growth Accelerator Fund Competition.
In the category of domestic manufacturing and production, WSU will receive a $50,000 cash prize to build strategic partnerships that support the launch, growth and scale of small businesses and startups focused on STEM and research and defense, or R&D, according to a news release from the university.
Wichita State will move on to compete for an additional $50,000 to $150,000 later this summer.
“Our goal is to ensure that entrepreneurs with technology-focused innovations have access to the resources, participation, and support needed for a successful outcome,” said John Tomblin, senior vice president of WSU Industry and Defense Programs, in the news release.
The university's Industry and Defense Programs, which are geared toward developing resources to support and expand the region's industries as well as provide applied learning opportunities for students, include the National Institute for Aviation Research, GoCreate, the Shocker Career Accelerator and the Molecular Diagnostics Lab — among several others.
WSU said its strategic initiatives office will manage the grant, as well as prepare the application for the next stage of the competition.
Since its launch in 2014, the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition has awarded 387 prizes totaling over $19 million to nearly 300 winners across 52 states and territories, according to the website.
The 2023 competition introduced a multi-stage approach, with stage one focused on catalyzing an ecosystem around a particular theme.
Outside of domestic manufacturing and production, winners were selected in the area of national security and global competitiveness, climate and renewable energy, and underserved communities.
The 40 winners in stage one come from 30 states, including Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. WSU was the only award winner representing Kansas in stage one of the competition.
The nod from the SBA is the latest recognizing WSU's efforts to support the region's manufacturing industry, including $51.4 million that was awarded in September to help bolster advanced manufacturing technology focused on the aerospace industry — part of the Biden Administration's Build Back Better Regional Challenge.
The university has said the federal funding will go toward the construction of an advanced manufacturing training center near the local office of Airbus Americas Engineering, as well as equip the facility and design the training courses that will be part of the Smart Manufacturing Adoption Program being stood up by the award.
"From inequity and climate change, to supporting national defense and community-driven economic prosperity, the real opportunity is now to build up innovation ecosystems, and Wichita State is eager to make an impact,” said Debbie Franklin, WSU associate vice president of strategic initiatives for Industry and Defense Programs.
