NFPA Research Supplements Now Available for 2019-20 Academic Year

Application deadline = May 18, 2019

By Eric Lanke
NFPA President/CEO

The National Fluid Power Association (NFPA), in collaboration with the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP), sponsors its Research Supplement Program to help principal investigators with existing research awards and their graduate students attend and present their research at designated industry conferences and research summits. In doing so, the program helps support an industry/academic forum where research and education topics in fluid power can be explored and acted on for mutual benefit, and it also supports the careers of current and future academic faculty who are and will be in a position to teach fluid power to undergraduate engineering students.

Applications are now being accepted for supplements to be awarded in the 2019-20 academic year. Go here to complete the online application form.

Applicants must be the principal investigator on a research award that represents at least $50,000 in funding for the investigator’s institution. In addition, the objective of the research award must be related to fluid power components or systems.

For the 2019-20 award cycle:

• The supplement amount will be $10,000.
• Recipients will attend and present the project associated with their research award at the two summits of the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP), to be scheduled for October 2019 and April 2020.
• Recipient will encourage their graduate students to attend the two CCEFP summits, and will ensure that at least one student attends each summit.
• Recipient will present the project associated with their research award on one of the CCEFP webinars scheduled for the 2019-20 academic year.
• If requested, recipient will attend and present the project associated with their research award at a research symposium co-located with the International Fluid Power Exposition (IFPE), scheduled for March 11-13, 2020, in Las Vegas, Nevada. An additional supplement of $2,500 will be awarded to these recipients.
• Recipient agrees that any funds not used to support their participation and presentation at these events will be used as supplemental support of the project associated with their research award.

CCEFP Summits are great places for the fluid power industry to connect and engage with the investigators and students performing cutting-edge fluid power research.

The CCEFP will play a key role in reviewing the applications and determining which are best aligned with their overall research strategy and the content objectives of each CCEFP summit. “Our goal is to showcase the best fluid power research being conducted,” said Professor Zongxuan Sun, CCEFP Director. “In a landscape where great fluid power research is being funded by the CCEFP, by the U.S. Department of Energy, and by a growing list of funding agencies and research organizations, this partnership with the NFPA will help us ensure that the CCEFP Summits offer the best content possible.”

All NFPA members are welcome to attend one of the CCEFP Summits being held this year. Typically reserved only for companies that are members of the CCEFP, this partnership offers a great opportunity for NFPA members to come and “kick the tires,” before determining if direct membership in the CCEFP makes sense for their organizations. Specific dates and locations for the CCEFP Summits will be announced soon.