The Ohio Federal Research Network (OFRN) cultivates strategic partnerships between industry, academia, and government throughout Ohio to foster innovation and commercialization that drives economic growth in Ohio.
The OFRN’s model for building innovative strategic partnerships is based on Parallax Advanced Research’s nonprofit research model, which is the Triple Helix Model of Innovation (Adapted from Etzkowitz & Leydesdorff (2000)). The model enables:
Collaboration across the State of Ohio, between academia, industry, and government to solve problems
Resources, competencies, and perspectives from different sectors to drive innovation and commercialization
Innovation ecosystems within a region
With this model in mind, the OFRN can produce exceptional value and results for its clients, partners, and stakeholders, which are accomplished through the OFRN’s tailored services.
For Our Government Partners
The OFRN government partners play an important role as developers of the areas of interest (AOIs) that are the foundation of OFRN R&D project solicitations. These AOIs are based on the government partners’ national security plans and emphasize military and commercial value. The AOI development process is iterative and involves meeting with the OFRN leadership to provide feedback on the overall OFRN program and each Research & Development (R&D) funding opportunity and its selection process.
The OFRN government partners attend quarterly reviews and monthly meetings during which they provide feedback to improve the OFRN program and feedback on the most qualified R&D project proposals. The OFRN government partners are also actively engaged in helping selected OFRN R&D project leads where necessary.
The OFRN government partners are the core of the program, and it is their guidance, direction, and R&D priority insights that form the basis of the program’s unique value provided to Ohio and Ohio innovators in academia and industry.
View our statewide R&D portfolio here.
For Our Industry Partners
The OFRN works with industry, such as Ohio businesses and entrepreneurs, to develop research that fulfills the areas of interest and/or mission-critical needs of our government partners. The OFRN program leadership has taken considerable measures to design the program into an easily accessible and valuable resource for industry partners who contribute to innovation and economic growth in Ohio.
Additionally, the OFRN helps its industry partners transition and commercialize their OFRN-funded research projects into viable technologies used in laboratories across the State of Ohio as well as by other government and industry consumers. The OFRN provides its industry partners with the following support and services that are key to driving innovation and commercialization:
Commercialization/Technology Transfer
The OFRN offers a multi-phase approach to commercializing OFRN-funded R&D projects, which includes I-Corps training that teaches innovators how to commercialize their technologies, technology transition by connecting technology providers to technology consumers within Ohio’s federal laboratories, and leveraging Parallax Advanced Research’s data analytics capability to identify business solutions and private sector funded research based on OFRN capabilities and government partners’ AOIs.
Workforce Development
The OFRN also supports Ohio’s workforce development inherently through the R&D work it funds, which results in commercialized technologies, spinouts, and thus the creation of high-quality jobs in Ohio. Also, the OFRN offers Ohio students, I.e., the future Ohio STEM workforce, the opportunity to participate in the Student Experiential Engagement (SEE) program, which is a new opportunity to partake in OFRN-funded research and development projects. SEE enables project teams to recruit and hire student interns to work and learn throughout the project development. Students are provided the opportunity to actively participate in moving technology from research to business application to meeting defense mission requirements to commercialization and market entry. By focusing on industry and military research and development needs and continuing the systematic and proven methods of engagement between companies, universities, and federal partners, the OFRN can strengthen and grow Ohio’s workforce. This research to reality type of experiential learning with business and military involvement along with matched educational requirements provides students with unique and industry-leading career credentials.
Funding
Funding of research and development projects in Ohio is backed by financial resources provided by the Ohio Legislature and the training Ohio Department of Higher Education. These monies are earmarked for select R&D projects that solve specific defense challenges set by the OFRN’s federal partners.
Networking, Collaboration & Team Matchmaking
Industry partners want to network and collaborate with federal agencies and congressional members in Ohio, whether that be through personnel connections or at OFRN-hosted industry outreach events organized throughout the year. The OFRN hosts several topic-specific collider events throughout the year during which industry partners can meet face-to-face (whether in person or virtually) with the larger OFRN network of partners, including academia and the government.
Team matchmaking entails helping industry partners find a partner in academia, government, and/or industry, which fulfills a solicitation requirement and helps applicants solve the solicitation's identified problem together.
Education, Training, and SBIR/STTR Process Navigation
Education and training offer in-person mentoring, training programs, and educational content that is focused on increasing academic and industry engagement and partnerships with federal and state agencies for science and technology research and development.
Furthermore, the OFRN helps its industry partners put their best feet forward during the proposal process for R&D solicitations by providing them 1:1 consulting on product commercialization strategies and proposal training workshops.
The OFRN also provides Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) process training for meeting federal and state priorities reflected in a solicitation.
Marketing & Communications
The Parallax marketing and communications team works with OFRN R&D project leads and subs to develop case studies, success stories, and demonstration videos about the OFRN-funded technologies and promotes these stories across the web, in media, and at various events throughout the year.
The OFRN also regularly monitors the R&D ecosystem for opportunities and sends that information to the OFRN industry network via monthly and weekly newsletters.
Our industry partners can take advantage of our services today! Visit our service page and send us a message.
For Our Academic Partners
The great state of Ohio is nationally recognized for its institutions of higher education that provide state-of-the-art science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs to students from all over the globe. The OFRN understands the technical prowess of Ohio’s universities and colleges and academic talent as the state’s greatest assets for developing the next generation of science and technology for federal and state missions and for advancing innovation in Ohio. Therefore, the OFRN has partnered with 21 Ohio universities and colleges and connected them with the OFRN’s small business network to collaborate on research and development projects together, which supports the Air Force Research Laboratory, NASA-Glenn Research Center, National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), and the Naval Medical Research Unit-Dayton.
The OFRN provides its academic partners with the following support and services that enable academic innovators to participate in bringing funded research to their college or university and have that research transitioned to market.
Commercialization/Technology Transfer
Working with the university or college transfer offices on the best practices to successfully transfer technology out of the college or university is vitally important. The OFRN team is here to support all academic partners in the successful commercialization of their technologies.
Workforce Development
Each OFRN-funded R&D project is aligned with federal requirements, has a clear path to job creation, and capitalizes on Ohio’s investment involving multiple Ohio research universities and firms that provide cost-share to further leverage the Ohio investment and attract other Department of Defense and industry funding in Ohio. Therefore, each OFRN-funded R&D project inherently contributes to workforce development and has resulted in spinouts, the creation of high-quality jobs in Ohio, and commercialized technologies.
Also, the future Ohio STEM workforce, I.e., Ohio’s students, can participate in a new OFRN program called the Student Experiential Engagement (SEE) program, which recruits and hires student interns to work and learn throughout an OFRN-funded R&D project. This research to reality type of experiential learning with business and military involvement along with matched educational requirements will provide students with unique and industry-leading career credentials.
Funding
The bulk of OFRN financial resources are entrusted by The Ohio Legislature and are earmarked for various projects identified by OFRN partners and collaborators.
Networking, Collaboration & Team Matchmaking
Networking and collaboration involve identifying science and technology capabilities across academia, industry, and the government in Ohio and building strategic partnerships between each sector to support federal missions. Matchmaking involves matching academia with industry to collaborate on research and development projects.
Education, Training, and SBIR/STTR Process Navigation
Education, training, andSBIR/STTR proposal navigation are relayed through a tailored and multimedia curriculum and are free of charge to all academic partners.
Marketing & Communications
The Parallax marketing and communications team works with OFRN R&D project leads and subs to develop case studies, success stories, and demonstration videos about the OFRN-funded technologies and promotes these stories across the web, in media, and at various events throughout the year.
The OFRN also regularly monitors the R&D ecosystem for opportunities and sends that information to the OFRN industry network via monthly and weekly newsletters.
Take advantage of our services today! Visit our service page and send us a message.
Listed here are the OFRN partners:
Government
1. Air Force Research Laboratory
2. NASA Glenn
3. NASIC
4. Naval Medical Research Unit-Dayton
5. Ohio National Guard
Academic
1. Air Force Institute of Technology
2. Bowling Green State University
3. Case Western Reserve University
5. Clarke State Community College
9. Lorain County Community College
10. North Central State College
11. Ohio University
12. Sinclair Community College
13. The Ohio State University
Industry
1. AAB
3. AEP
6. AlphaMicron
7. Americarb
8. Amperand
11. Battelle Memorial Institute
12. Berriehill corp
14. Bosma Technology
16. CAL Analytics
17. CAR Technologies
18. Caterpillar
19. Cincinnati Inc.
23. CRG
24. Crown Equipment
25. CSA America
26. DataScience.com
27. Dayton Childrens
28. DelphicDB
29. Demeter UAVs
30. DesignKnowledge
31. Eaton
32. Electrodyne
33. EMS Adhesives
35. Fenix Magnetics
36. Flightprofiler
37. Ford
38. Galois
39. GE Aerospace
40. GE Aviation
41. GE EPIS Center
42. General Dynamics
43. GhostWave Inc.
46. GrafTech
48. Hewlett Packard
49. Honeywell
51. Innovative Scientific Solutions, Inc.
52. Inorganic Specialist Materials
53. Ipsos
54. IS4S
55. KeyW Corp
57. Lexis Nexis
59. Lincoln Electric
60. Lockheed Martin
62. Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems
63. Lubrizol
64. Lucintech
65. MacAir Aviation
67. MatchTx
68. Meggitt
69. NONA Composites
70. Norman Noble
71. Nuance
72. Orbital Research
73. Orbital-ATK
74. Parker Hannifin
76. Perduco
77. Persistent Surveillance Systems
78. ph Matter
79. Powdermet
80. Premier Health
81. Resilient and Secure UAS Flight Control
82. ResilienX
84. Rubix
85. SAFRAN
86. Simlat, Ltd
87. SK Infrared LLC
88. SpineDynX
89. Tenet3
91. UES
92. United Technology Corporation from Dayton
93. Unmanned Science, Inc (USI)
94. UTRC
95. Xerion
