Shamma, Baras receive MIPS grant funding

Two ISR faculty members will be working with local companies on projects granted through the Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) grants competition.

Professor John Baras (ECE/ISR) is working with Frederick, Md.-based Cerona Networks on research funded by a $268,600 MIPS grant. The team will develop a broadband Internet-via-satellite system with two-way performance that approaches terrestrial Internet connections. The system will save costs for providers and can be retrofit to existing systems.

Professor Shihab Shamma (ECE/ISR) is working with College Park-based OmniSpeech LLC on research funded by a $135,000 MIPS grant. The research will improve the performance of software that separates speech from background noise for clear cellular and other communications.

The funding is part of Round 47 of MIPS awards, which total $3.7 million to 16 teams of Maryland companies and faculty developing commercially promising technology products. The projects combine $2.4 million from participating companies and $1.3 million from MIPS. Funding supports research in the laboratories of participating university faculty, who work closely with partner companies to advance their products. More than 450 different Maryland companies have received MIPS grants since 1987.

"As Maryland transitions into the new economy, programs like MIPS are proof that by investing in innovation, we can move forward by creating high-tech jobs," said Governor Martin O'Malley. "Together, we can continue to make the choices that spur innovation, choices that promote education and achievement, and choices that advance the creative capacity of our people."

MIPS is an initiative of the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) at the University of Maryland.

For more information, visit the MIPS website.

Published February 20, 2011