Institute for Physical Research and Technology

Contact Us

(515) 294-3045
iprtinfo@iastate.edu


Institute for Physical
Research and Technology

Iowa State University
2156 Gilman Hall
Ames, IA 50011-3110

IPRT Works for Iowa

The IPRT Edge

IPRT is the Institute for Physical Research and Technology, a network of scientific research centers located at ISU.

Our Unique Advantages

IPRT brings a unique set of services, resources and opportunities to ISU faculty, including:

  • Experience in research and development.
    IPRT has been supporting such world-class research since its founding. And over the last three years, more than 50 percent of the patents issued on ISU inventions have involved IPRT center activity.

  • Expertise in industry interaction, company assistance and technology transfer.
    Since the formal creation of IPRT in 1987, we have assisted in development of more than 40 new high-tech businesses and have entered into more than 50 license/option agreements with existing and start-up companies. These technologies include new magnetic materials and materials utilized in the electronics industry, computer animation software, analytical instruments used in chemical research and utility applications and flexible film photovoltaic cells. See Startup Assistance for more information on how IPRT assists in development of new business ventures.

    Indeed, through IPRT Company Assistance, we have some 150 interactions with Iowa companies each year, helping them solve technical problems, create new products and increase productivity and quality.

    IPRT is also a primary reason that ISU overall does well -- very well -- at technology transfer. In fact, among our peer land grant universities, ISU is number 1, with 7.2 License/Options executed per $10 million in research.

  • Successful history of working with ISU faculty and facilitating interdisciplinary research. Just about every project we do involves faculty from more than one department and often more than one college. Many of our centers were borne of the need to bring various disciplines to bear on a new research opportunity. In fact, seven of our center directors are also ISU faculty members.

What's more, many ISU faculty members also work for IPRT. IPRT is also an ideal vehicle for projects in which ISU faculty need to team with other researchers and scientists outside of the university.

Our Mission

IPRT's mission is to foster economic development, with a focus on Iowa, through basic and applied research, to transfer our technologies to the marketplace and to provide technical assistance to manufacturers.

We use the words "physical research" in our name because it represents areas of science appropriate to our mission--those being materials science, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and engineering. IPRT complements these areas of study through its interdisciplinary research centers focusing on energy and sustainability, nanotechnology, infrastructure, and technology applications.

Our Role at ISU

IPRT's home is on the ISU campus; however, you won't find us in one building since our activities are spread out across campus. More important, though, is understanding where IPRT fits into the ISU organizational structure.

IPRT is an integral part of ISU's strategic plan, called, "Aspiring to be the Nation's Premier Land-Grant University." IPRT supports several of the university-wide goals outlined in this plan:

  • Strengthen graduate, professional, and research programs.
  • Strengthen outreach and extension efforts.
  • Strengthen initiatives to stimulate economic development.

IPRT also works closely with the Ames Laboratory, a Department of Energy lab run by ISU. The Lab conducts basic and applied research in physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences. The Ames Lab is a world-class resource upon which IPRT can draw for researchers, technology, and facilities.

Contact Us

For more information, contact IPRT Director's Office, 294-8902 or e-mail iprtinfo@iastate.edu