Rochester Area Wins Mega-Grants for Photonics Research

The Defense Department plans to announce Monday that it is awarding a $110 million grant to the State University of New York Foundation, which is coordinating an effort by Rochester-area universities and businesses to be the home of a major new photonics research center, The Democrat and Chronicle reported. Senator Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, announced the news Wednesday. The Rochester team apparently beat out proposals from the University of Southern California and the University of Central Florida. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo pledged that if the Rochester team won the grant, New York State would provide more than $200 million in additional support.