HP Labs Seeks Help with Research from Academia

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 05/09/08

HP has launched a new research program that invites colleges, universities and research institutions to participate in joint research with HP Labs, the company's central research facility, through an open and competitive process.

Members of academia can submit proposals through the new HP Labs Innovation Research Program. The broad areas of research include information explosion, dynamic cloud services, content transformation, intelligent infrastructure and sustainability. Specific areas of research that HP is seeking collaboration on include custom networks on demand, exascale datacenters, social computing and digital press technology.

"The research landscape is shifting toward a model of increased collaboration between academia and the private sector," said Beth Burnside, vice provost of research, University of California, Berkeley. "The HP Labs Innovation Research Program is a great step toward mobilizing the sectors to work together in pursuit of scientific breakthroughs."

The program is the first offering of the HP Labs Open Innovation Office, which was established earlier this year.

"Collaborating with the brightest minds is essential to making progress in solving the world's most complex technology challenges," said Prith Banerjee, senior VP of research at HP and director of HP Labs. "We look forward to reviewing the proposals and investing in projects that drive open innovation and set the agenda for breakthrough research relevant to technology customers."

Proposals are due by June 18, 2008. HP will award selected applicants funding in the $50,000 to $75,000 range for one year, which will be renewable. Each award includes support for one graduate student researcher, who also will be eligible to apply to an HP Labs internship program.

Proposals will go through a review process within HP Labs and winners will be notified in August.