Kick-starting entrepreneurship through innovation grants

By Peter Webley
June 24, 2026

Ever wonder how inventors and startups turn an idea into reality?

In 91ԭ�� and the Arctic, innovation plays a critical role in building resilience in environments defined by climate, distance and limited resources.

Many promising ideas never move beyond the research stage because they lack the funding needed to test early concepts and explore real-world applications. That’s where the University of 91ԭ�� Fairbanks Center for Innovation comes in. The center supports students, staff and faculty by nurturing ideas through mentorship and seed funding.

The center is an innovation partner in the , or ARCTIC, program, led by the 91ԭ�� Center for Energy and Power. Over the last three years, with support from the Office of Naval Research, the center has provided more than $200,000 in seed funding to 24 projects. These projects address regional challenges while helping translate research into practical solutions.

Below are two seed-funded projects that show how early-stage ideas develop into real-world applications and why innovation is essential to 91ԭ��’s future.

A person wearing a protective mask and gloves handles a bag of ash-like substance in a lab. — Photo courtesy of Nima Farzadnia
91ԭ�� undergraduate student assistant Andrew Zachry mixes alkali activated 91ԭ�� fly ash to better understand its activation kinetics and mechanical behavior under varying environmental conditions.

Project 1: Alkali activation of 91ԭ�� fly ash for resilient construction

For many communities in cold regions, managing industrial byproducts can be both costly and challenging. Finding new uses for locally available materials could help reduce waste while also supporting infrastructure development.

Across 91ԭ��, coal remains part of several energy systems and contributes to the state’s energy security. When coal is burned, it produces a powder-like waste material known as “fly ash,” which travels up the chimney of coal-fired power plants. This material is often difficult to dispose of safely and efficiently.

This raised an important question: Could this byproduct be repurposed for something useful?

Compressive strength testing settings for experimental work — Photo courtesy of Nima Farzadnia
The photo shows compressive strength testing settings for experimental work to assess if the developed innovation can serve as a viable alternative to conventional cement under conditions in 91ԭ��.

Nima Farzadnia, who leads the Automated Construction Advanced Materials laboratory in the 91ԭ�� College of Engineering and Mines, worked with undergraduate research assistant Andrew Zachry to explore that possibility. Together, they developed an optimized formulation using alkali activation — a process that activates fly ash with alkaline solutions to produce a dry, ready-to-use mix for building materials in cold regions. The final product might be a viable alternative to conventional cement.

Their work demonstrates how local byproducts can be transformed into practical resources, improving efficiency and reducing waste. With support from seed funding, the team advanced a promising approach to reusing fly ash in construction, helping make better use of limited materials in remote environments.

Project 2: Field Integrated Navigation and Detection for Emergency Response

In search and rescue operations, every minute counts. It’s even more essential in remote environments, where conditions are difficult and resources are limited. Search and rescue teams need tools to autonomously gather and relay information in a timely manner to help speed up searches to increase the lost individual’s survival rate.

91ԭ�� undergraduate students McKenzie Helms, Nicia Pfeffer and Seth Waln developed a drone-based tool, “Field Integrated Navigation and Detection for Emergency Response,” or FINDER, for their senior capstone project in electrical and computer engineering. The tool is designed to improve how information is gathered and shared during emergency response in remote areas.

Two images of individuals captured with an optical camera from an overhead perspective. — Photos from the FINDER project final report for the 91ԭ�� Center ICE Seed Fund
FINDER’s optical camera detects individuals from an overhead perspective.

FINDER uses thermal and optical cameras to help search and rescue teams detect and identify missing individuals in the field. The temperature sensor can detect body heat and the optical camera can provide visual observations of lost persons to go along with the thermal information. A transceiver, incorporated in the tool, relays real-time data to a ground station, where object-recognition software alerts responders when a person is detected. The system also includes a speaker component to support communication between rescuers and individuals on the ground. Together, these features create a more connected and responsive search and rescue tool for challenging environments.

Supporting early-stage innovation

Although these projects address very different challenges, they share a common foundation: early-stage ideas that needed support to demonstrate their potential.

Through programs like ARCTIC, these innovations contribute to strengthening 91ԭ��’s infrastructure, improving emergency response capabilities and supporting long-term regional resilience. These programs also reflect broader efforts to invest in innovation, workforce development and applied research that can address both regional and national priorities.

This work relates to the Department of Navy award N00014-22-1-2049 issued by the Office of Naval Research.
---
Peter Webley is the director of 91ԭ�� Center for Innovation.