TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) -- Funding can play a big part in creating the next big thing in the tech world, so the research department at Florida State University is helping five groups get one step closer to turning their ideas into reality.
"Some of the greatest satisfaction a faculty member has is when their research actually goes out and makes a difference in the world," said Gary Ostrander, Vice President of Research at Florida State University.
And thanks to grants from FSU, research groups are getting the funding they need to make that happen.
Twice a year, FSU hosts the GAP awards. It's where researchers can pitch their ideas to potential investors in a Shark Tank-style competition. Up for grabs? More than $100,000 in available grants.
"There's lots of great ideas out there, but it's reducing them down to a product that gets to be very, very difficult," said Ostrander.
Five groups won grants at the most recent GAP awards, including Yaacov Petscher.
His team is working on a new app that helps teachers better understand what test scores mean for student development.
He says the GAP awards process really forces you think outside the box.
"It's a very different way to have to think about research. It was a really good exercise in thinking more practically about our research problems, not just as a research question that data can hopefully answer, but as a way to really be able to connect with the people that you want to consume your research the most," said Petcher.
Adrea Truckenmiller is on the app research team. She says this funding will help them make what they already have more appealing - and hopefully improve the way kids learn in the classroom.
"We already had these assessments available. Teachers have been using them for decades to determine what things to need to work on with her students. Now with this app, there's a clear and direct line between how they're doing in their letter sounds and sounding out words in kindergarten and first grade, drawing it directly to their probability of failure in third grade," said Truckenmiller.
Along with this educational app, fellow winners this year include a new screening for cancer; environmentally friendly plastic; a process to create more efficient LEDs, and new sensors that can withstand extreme conditions.
