JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced Tuesday that $500,000 grant will be awarded to East Tennessee State University (ETSU) for two projects.

The funds were awarded through the Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO), which aims to diversify Tennessee’s economy by leveraging public and private sector assets to attract mobility research and development investment to the state, TNECD said in a news release.

“As industries evolve, it’s important that companies recognize the exceptional research happening here in Tennessee,” Governor Bill Lee said in the release. “TNGO funding drives continued collaboration between government and the private sector, fuels new growth and innovation in our key industries and creates greater opportunity for Tennesseans.”

The following projects will receive funds:

• ETSU and Bell Textron Inc., Project I: Design of 3D Printed Tooling for Bird Impact-Resistant Aircraft Windshields – $311,054
  • Address the design, fabrication and proof-of-concept testing of advanced polymer form tooling produced through precision 3D printing to support polycarbonate windshields for rotorcraft applications, according to the release.
• ETSU and Bell Textron Inc., Project II: Rotor Collision Avoidance Alert System (RCAAS) – $188,945
  • ETSU and Bell Textron will develop a high-fidelity simulation environment to demonstrate technical feasibility, performance capabilities and safety benefits of the Rotor Collision Avoidance Alert System.

“ETSU is grateful to Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development for their continued investment in innovation and research that drives economic opportunity across our state,” ETSU President Brian Noland said in the release. “These TNGO awards underscore the essential role of higher education in fostering industry partnerships, advancing safety and mobility technologies and promoting long-term economic prosperity for our region. These projects, in collaboration with Bell Textron, exemplify ETSU’s focus on conducting research to meet real-world needs and positioning Tennessee at the forefront of transformative development.”