A big funding lift announced recently by the federal government will advance work of the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education at Oklahoma State University.

OSU was named to join a number of partners, including the Osage Nation, Tulsa Innovation Labs, Tulsa Ports, Osage LLC, Partner Tulsa and the Tulsa Regional Chamber, under the umbrella of The Indian Nations Council of Governments to contribute to development of a planned Tulsa Regional Advanced Mobility Corridor.

According to a release, funding to expand the Aerospace Institute’s reach and impact was awarded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration as part of a $38.2 million award to boost the TRAM Corridor.

Jamey Jacob, who directs OSU’s Unmanned Systems Research Institute, described the funding as a “game-changer” for the university and state.

“While Oklahoma is already a leader in advanced air mobility, this grant will provide new capabilities, expanding OSU’s role in AAM and attracting new companies and projects to the state,” he said. “This award, the first for OSU’s new Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education, exemplifies and cements OSU’s leadership position in aerospace and aviation at the state and national levels.”

Specifically, the funding will be used to create the LaunchPad Center of Advanced Air Mobility at the Helmerich Research Center on the OSU-Tulsa campus and support ongoing research activities at OSU, such as the NASA University Leadership Initiative led by OSU and the recent agreement between the state governments of Oklahoma and Arkansas to develop advanced mobility pilot programs across the border. The new center will focus on research and development of drone technology and urban air mobility – urban air taxis. OSU researchers also will work with the Osage Nation and its SkyWay36 Droneport northwest of downtown Tulsa.

“Quality partnerships open the door to new possibilities,” OSU President Kayse Shrum said. “Oklahoma State University has seen incredible success in other Tulsa-area partnerships, and we’re delighted to be a key stakeholder in this coalition. OSU is the state’s leader in aerospace and aviation, with specialized infrastructure dedicated to the research and design of unmanned systems.”