Promising university research does not become a product, process, or tool overnight. Between early discovery and real-world use lies a critical stretch of work that often determines whether an innovation moves forward or stalls. Translational funding supports that stage by helping researchers build prototypes, generate validation data, reduce technical risk, and show that a discovery can solve a real problem beyond the lab.
That support matters because many high-potential discoveries fall into a familiar gap: too advanced for basic research funding, but still too early for private investment or commercial licensing. Translational funding helps close that gap. It gives researchers the resources to answer the practical questions that matter most—can a technology be scaled, deployed reliably, and adopted by the people or industries it is meant to serve? For Michigan, that means a stronger pathway for turning public research into economic growth, industry partnerships, and solutions with public benefit.
Michigan has built one of the country’s strongest translational funding models through MTRAC, an acronym for Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization. Administered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and funded through the Michigan Strategic Fund, MTRAC connects targeted public investment with the expertise needed to help university discoveries move toward licenses, startups, and market-ready solutions. Five Innovation Hubs across the state, in key technology areas, support projects from all institutions of higher education, hospital systems and nonprofit research centers and provide a pathway to accelerate the creation and transfer of new technologies into the commercial market.
That statewide commitment reflects a broader confidence in Michigan’s ability to turn strong research into future businesses with lasting public value. “Michigan has a long history of solving difficult problems through disciplined effort,” said Alison Todak, Vice President of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the MEDC. “These projects transform advanced research into practical solutions that benefit communities, industries, and Michigan’s economy.”
At Michigan State University (MSU), that work takes shape through the MTRAC AgBio Innovation Hub, managed by the MSU Innovation Center. The hub supports technologies in agricultural and industrial biotechnology, biomaterials, bioprocessing, and related fields, helping researchers move innovations closer to commercial readiness. This year’s Spring awards offer a clear picture of that impact. The hub’s Oversight Committee reviewed more proposals than at any previous meeting in program history and awarded a record $1,140,400 across fourteen projects. Every Full Grant winner had already progressed through earlier-stage translational support, reflecting a deliberate model for advancing strong ideas toward real-world use.
The strength of this year’s portfolio also speaks to the rigor of the review process and the expertise guiding each funding decision. “The ingenuity of Michigan’s scientists and researchers is on full display in this year’s portfolio of projects,” said Larry Herriman, Statewide University Technology Programs Director for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the MEDC. “We are especially grateful to the members of the MTRAC AgBio Innovations Hub’s Oversight Committee, who volunteer their expertise to rigorously evaluate these opportunities and help ensure public investments are directed toward the most promising technologies.”
Through the work of the MSU Innovation Center, this year’s Full Grant recipients illustrate how translational funding helps move promising research closer to practical use, commercial potential, and broader public impact.
Selected 2026 Full Grant recipients include:
EdgeForestry: Two-Tiered Forest Health Monitoring System
Dr. Rahat Ibn Rafiq, Grand Valley State University, $147,700
Forests face growing threats from invasive insects and disease, but the tools used to monitor them are often reactive, labor-intensive, and too costly to scale. EdgeForestry combines satellite-based remote sensing with UAV and edge-AI analysis to create a two-tier monitoring system: one layer identifies large-scale forest stress and potential hotspots, while the second delivers targeted, species-specific diagnosis in the highest-risk areas. By helping land managers focus limited time and treatment resources where they can have the greatest impact, the platform could make early detection more practical, frequent, and affordable across large forested landscapes.
Wearable Sensing System for Uterine Contractions in Cattle
Dr. Hanne Hoffmann, Michigan State University, $150,000
Safe, timely calving is critical to herd health and farm productivity, yet producers still lack affordable tools to continuously and noninvasively monitor uterine contractions in cattle. This project is developing a wireless sensing system that combines a flexible skin-strain patch, a compact reader, and a mobile interface to detect contraction patterns in real time and alert farmers to labor onset or potential complications such as dystocia. If successful, the technology could reduce labor-intensive monitoring, support earlier intervention, and improve outcomes for both animals and producers.
Carbon Dioxide Laser Welding to Manufacture Transparent Microfluidic Devices
Dr. Brian Johnson, Michigan State University, $150,000
As regulators and researchers push for more human-relevant alternatives to animal testing, demand is rising for microfluidic devices that can support advanced in vitro models. Dr. Johnson’s team has developed a CO₂ laser-welding method that rapidly bonds clear, biocompatible thermoplastics without solvents or adhesives, producing leak-free devices in a standard microplate format. The approach could reduce cost and fabrication time, improve reproducibility, and expand access to the organ-on-chip and microphysiological systems used in drug discovery, toxicology, and disease modeling.
ACESS: A Low-Cost Adaptive Carbon-Fiber Electrochemical Platform for Field Monitoring of Heavy Metals
Dr. Wen Li, Michigan State University, $90,000
Heavy metal contamination in water, soil, and food remains difficult to monitor in real time because conventional testing is expensive, slow, and often confined to centralized labs. Dr. Li’s ACESS platform is designed as a portable, low-cost electrochemical sensing system that uses a carbon-fiber electrode, wireless potentiostat, automated fluidics, and smartphone-based reporting to detect multiple priority metals in the field. By giving users faster, more sensitive on-site screening, the technology could support stronger environmental monitoring, food safety, and agricultural decision-making.
BreakerWise: AI-Driven Power and Energy Management with Built-In Breaker-Level Safety and Asset Protection
Dr. Mohammed Ben-Idris, Michigan State University, $150,000
Traditional breakers can interrupt power during a fault, but they offer little insight into what caused the disruption or whether power can be safely restored. BreakerWise adds intelligence at the panel through AI-driven monitoring, fault analysis, and circuit-health assessment, with the long-term goal of enabling safe remote restoration and better management of critical electrical loads. For farms, barns, and production facilities, the technology could help reduce downtime, detect deteriorating equipment earlier, and improve both safety and operational resilience.
This year’s MTRAC AgBio Full Grant recipients show why translational funding is more than a bridge between research and commercialization. It is a strategic investment in Michigan’s innovation capacity. For legislators and state stakeholders, programs like MTRAC demonstrate how targeted public support can help convert university discoveries into technologies with economic value, public benefit, and long-term growth potential. For MSU faculty, they underscore that there is a real pathway for moving promising research beyond the lab, with support from the MSU Innovation Center. For corporate partners, these projects reflect a growing pipeline of innovations that may lead to licensing opportunities, collaborative development, and sponsored research.
Researchers can learn more about translational funding opportunities through the MSU Innovation Center’s translational funding initiatives page. Learn more: MSU Translational Funding Opportunities
Corporate partners can explore MSU technologies and partnership opportunities through the MSU Innovation Center’s corporate partnership resources. Start the Conversation
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About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads.
About the MTRAC Program
Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) is a statewide initiative that accelerates the commercialization of high-potential technologies emerging from Michigan’s universities and research institutions. Administered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and funded through the Michigan Strategic Fund, MTRAC supports translational research, technology validation, and startup development through specialized innovation hubs across the state—advancing discoveries toward licensing, new ventures, and market-ready solutions.
Learn more: MTRAC at MSU Innovation Center
About the MSU Innovation Center
The MSU Innovation Center connects Michigan State University’s world-class research and innovation ecosystem with industry and community partners to accelerate discovery, commercialization, and real-world impact. As part of a leading public, land-grant research university, the Innovation Center advances ideas from campus to the marketplace through corporate engagement, technology transfer, startup support, and translational funding initiatives—strengthening Michigan’s economy and delivering solutions that benefit society.
Learn more: MSU Innovation Center