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Facts About SwRISouthwest Research Institute (SwRI), headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is one of the oldest and largest independent, nonprofit, applied research and development (R&D) organizations in the United States. Founded in 1947, SwRI provides contract research and development services to industrial and government clients. The Institute is governed by a board of directors, which is advised by approximately 100 trustees. SwRI initiates contracts with clients based on consultations and prepares a formal proposal outlining the scope of work. Subject to client wishes, programs are kept confidential. As part of a long-held tradition, patent rights arising from sponsored research are often assigned to the client. SwRI generally retains the rights to Institute-funded advancements. SwRI consists of 11 technical divisions that offer multidisciplinary, problem-solving services in a variety of areas in engineering and the physical sciences. Historically, nearly 2,000 projects are open at the Institute at any one time. These projects are funded almost equally between the government and commercial sectors. SwRI’s total revenue for fiscal year 2007 was $501 million. During 2007, SwRI provided $6 million to fund innovative research through its internally sponsored R&D program. SwRI’s headquarters occupy almost 2 million square feet of office and laboratory space on a more than 1,200-acre site in San Antonio. The Institute serves clients from more than 20 locations worldwide. At the close of fiscal year 2007, the staff numbered 3,134. Of this number, 251 hold degrees at the doctorate level, 486 at the master’s level, and 778 hold bachelor's degrees. In 2007, staff members published 473 papers in the technical literature; made 451 presentations at technical conferences, seminars, and symposia around the world; submitted 70 invention disclosures; filed 56 patent applications; and received 51 patent awards. The Institute supports professional development of its staff through onsite technical and training courses and tuition reimbursement. The Institute holds more than 870 patents awarded to its staff members, has earned 32 R&D 100 awards, and has been inducted in the U.S. Space Foundation’s Space Technology Hall of Fame. The Institute has received two Department of Defense James S. Cogswell Outstanding Industrial Security Achievement Awards. Dr. Thomas W. Ryan III was elected the 2008 president of the Society of Automotive Engineering International, the leading standards research and development organization for mobility engineering. C. Nils Smith was named the Engineering Manager of the Year by the Engineering Management Society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Steven G. Fritz was elected a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and Steven R. Westbrook received the American Society for Testing Materials International 2007 Award of Merit, which recognizes him as an ASTM Fellow. Several SwRI divisions have achieved ISO 9001 or ISO 14001 certification and ISO/IEC Guide 24 accreditation. The Ford Motor Company has designated the Institute a Tier 1 product development engineering services supplier and has awarded the Institute its Q1-2000 award. A partial listing of research areas includes antennas and propagation; automation, robotics, and intelligent systems; avionics and support systems; bioengineering; chemistry and chemical engineering; communications systems; corrosion and electrochemistry; Earth and planetary sciences; emissions research; engineering mechanics; fire technology; fluid systems and machinery dynamics; and fuels and lubricants. Additional areas include geochemistry and mining engineering; hydrology and geohydrology; space science and engineering; materials sciences and fracture mechanics; modeling and simulation; nondestructive evaluation; oil and gas exploration; pipeline technology; surface modification and coatings; training systems and simulators; and vehicle, engine, and powertrain design, research, and development. Thomas Baker Slick Jr., an oilman-rancher-philanthropist, founded SwRI. Slick's vision of an internationally known scientific research center in San Antonio, took root with his donation of a ranchland site west of the city -- where Institute operations are still carried out. Slick challenged a group of pioneer scientists and engineers from around the nation to move to the new center to seek revolutionary advancements in many areas by developing and applying technology. The Southwest
Foundation for Biomedical Research, located one mile west of SwRI, is another research organization
founded by Slick. Independent of the Institute, the Foundation conducts biomedical
research and houses the world's largest nonhuman primate colonies used to study human
diseases. For more information about SwRI and its capabilities, contact the Business Development Office, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, P.O. Box 28510, San Antonio, Texas 78228-0510, Phone (210) 522-2122, Fax (210) 522-3496.
SwRI
December 02, 2008 |
