Professor Alexander Orlov Receives SUNY TAF Funding

Stony Brook University researcher Alexander Orlov, a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, has received seed funding from SUNY’s Technology Accelerator Fund (TAF). TAF grants help faculty inventors and scientists turn their research into market-ready technologies, targeting critical research and development milestones which demonstrate that an idea or innovation has commercial potential, with the goal of increasing their attractiveness to potential investors.

TAF funding is awarded through a competitive process that weighs several factors, including the availability of intellectual property protection, marketability, commercial potential, feasibility and breadth of impact.

Orlov received the grant for his project, Green Polymer Nanocomposites, an environmentally friendly and cost-effective method for producing functionalized cellulose for use as a nanofiller in high-performance polymer composites.

“SUNY faculty are leading the way in cutting-edge research in areas like health and sustainability, and we are proud to help turn SUNY research into real-life solutions at scale,” said SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. “We commend the work of our SUNY researchers, especially those awarded TAF grants this year. We remain committed to doubling research and solving some of the most pressing issues facing humanity.”

In this round of funding, eight SUNY campuses received grants for a total of nine ongoing, potentially groundbreaking research opportunities on technologies.

Since the launch of TAF in 2011, SUNY has invested more than $3 million in the program to successfully advance the commercial readiness of 65 innovations born at SUNY campuses. The program has catalyzed follow-on investment of an additional $16 million from development partners, including government agencies, industry licensees and early-stage investors.