PTAP - Photonics Technology Access Program

Final PTAP Solicitation Now Open

Solicitation Closes January 30, 2008

 

The final solicitation (#10) of the Photonics Technology Access Program [PTAP] is now open. The Program officially ends in July 2008. We have made changes to the solicitation to reflect the relatively short time line that we have to review proposals, issue purchase orders, and pay the vendors. I invite you to participate in this solicitation.

I would also like to thank all of the researchers and vendors that have made this program be successful. We invite your feedback on your experiences with PTAP and suggestions for follow-on activities that we can propose to our sponsors.

 

Click Here to Visit the PTAP Website

 

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What is PTAP?

 

The Photonics Technology Access Program [PTAP] provides pre-commercial, state-of-the-art photonic devices to universities for teaching and research.

The rationale behind PTAP is that in a rapidly changing technical field, if researchers have to acquire devices on the commercial market, by the time their research is completed and published, the devices are one or two generations behind. By providing researchers access to devices before they are available on the market, the quality and timeliness of their research product is improved. Furthermore, students gain hands-on experience with leading-edge technology, which in turn enhances the quality of their academic experience. Lastly, the program creates and strengthens relationships between faculty and industry.

PTAP compensates industry for the devices that they supply to the program. PTAP allocates government-funded devices to researchers based on brief proposals that are competitively evaluated. Alternatively researchers can request devices and pay for them with their own funds.

 

IMPORTANT: PTAP does not provide research funds - only devices. Researchers are expected to demonstrate in the proposal that they have funds necessary to perform the research using the device requested.

 

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA-MTO) sponsor PTAP. It is administered by the Optoelectronics Industry Development Association (OIDA), which acts as the broker between industry and the universities.