Columbia Awarded New York State Grant For Science And Technology
Renewal of $10 Million 10-Year Grant to Help Build NY High Tech Economy
NEW YORK, NY, Aug. 10, 2004– The State of New York has awarded a $10 million grant to Columbia University’s Center for Advanced Information Management (CAIM).
The grant renews Columbia’s participation in the state’s Center for Advanced Technology (CAT) program, which is funded by the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR). Columbia’s Center, which is one of 15 current CATs statewide, has been part of the program since its creation in 1983. The term of the new grant is ten years, with funding up to $1 million a year.
The CAT program goal is to enhance economic development in the state’s technology sector by partnering the University’s expertise with industry’s know how and business strength. In the last three years alone, the Columbia CAT has had an economic impact on New York State estimated at nearly $12 million, including the creation of 40 new jobs.
“For the last 20 years Columbia’s CAT has helped build a stronger economic future for New York State by establishing it as an international leader in biomedical informatics, genomics and systems biology, computer science, and biomedical imaging” said Vincent Tomaselli, deputy director of CAIM. “By connecting our researchers with industry leaders, we continue to promote commercially viable product development in New York’s private sector.”
As part of its grant program, the CAT has helped Robotic Surgical Tech, Inc., a Columbia spin-off, develop a robotic scrub technician, which uses computer vision, voice recognition and artificial intelligence to assist surgeons. Also, the CAT’s imaging specialists have worked with Liberty Imaging, a small New York technology company, to evaluate and test a high-resolution video camera, which has important potential uses in security and medical imaging applications.
“The collaboration between our CAT researchers and the information technology industries we serve continues to create innovative solutions to today’s important challenges, and strong partnerships with industry,” said Ted Shortliffe, CAT Director and Chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics at Columbia University Medical Center.
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*Located in New York City, Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic and clinical research, medical education, and health care. The medical center includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, and other health professionals at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, the School of Dental & Oral Surgery, the School of Nursing, the Mailman School of Public Health, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. The pioneering tradition of Columbia University health scientists, who have achieved some of the 20th century's most significant medical breakthroughs, continues today.