In wake of receiving a grant from the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities (APLU) for innovation, Iowa State’s interim vice president of Economic Development and Industry Relations (EDIR) David Spalding, discussed innovative programs that lead toward winning the grant.

While not a monetary grant, the grant for innovation is a physical award that celebrates innovation being made at universities. Ultimately beating the University of Memphis, the APLU highlighted a specific range of programs from the EDIR as attributing reasons for why Iowa State received this grant.

“In putting in our award submission, we highlighted the work of three of our programs here at Iowa State,” Spalding said.

The three programs Spalding highlighted are the Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS), Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship and a startup from one of EDIR’s programs called ETALYC.

Each warranting their own recognition for innovation, CIRAS most notably made strong efforts in securing personal protective equipment for front-line workers during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship received recognition for their continued work in promoting the growth of small businesses along with the continued work of the Startup Factory program. The last program highlighted by Spalding was ETALYC, a company started by Iowa State associate professor Anuj Sharma. 

“All of this work is an important part of our mission here at Iowa State,” Spalding said. “And it’s great to receive recognition for the innovation that goes on here at Iowa State with this innovation award we received.”

Spalding went further into the achievements so far from EDIR’s programs.

Bringing it back to the Startup Factory, Spalding talked about the sizable amount of businesses that have been created through the 52-week program and how in the last four years, companies in the program have received over 35 million in funding from venture capital investors.

While this heralded as good news, this is not Iowa State’s first grant from the APLU for innovation. Receiving the grant from the APLU puts Iowa State at its third time being recognized for innovation.

As longtime members of the APLU, Iowa State had only received eligibility to receive grants like these five years ago after applying to be designated as an Innovation and Economic Prosperity university (IEP). The following year they were able to be in the running for various grants and had won three out of four eligible years.

“Innovation at Iowa State is really a new branding that we have here at Iowa State,” Spalding said. “Innovation at Iowa State is a part of President [Wendy] Wintersteen’s thrust for the institution to really emphasize and talk more about innovation that goes on here at Iowa State.”

Wintersteen also received the National Food Systems Leadership award from the APLU. An extension of the grant received by the APLU through the EDIR’s work, Iowa State shows off its hard work in innovation from the top down.