The project is one of nine which have been given grants of up to $250,000 each under a new scheme, known as the Proof-of-Concept (POC) scheme, by the National Research Foundation (NRF), a Government agency which promotes innovation and entrepreneurship here.

The foundation has a total kitty of $75 million to fund researchers from universities and polytechnics here who come up with innovative ideas which could eventually be marketed commercially.

The nine who received grants were picked out of 138 submissions by a panel which included heads of prominent firms in the biomedical and technology sectors.

Of the first batch of recipients, only one was from a polytechnic - Dr Zuruzi Abu Samah from Nanyang Polytechnic who is working on using current flexible pressure sensor technology to develop a prototype that is cheaper and more efficient. Pressure sensor technology has many applications, particularly in the healthcare industry.

Dr Michael Khor, the foundation's director of projects, said the grant covers funding for one year, after which the researchers will be expected to come up with a product prototype.

Dr Francis Yeoh, NRF's chief operating officer, said: 'The broader intiative is to create an environement that provides resources for ideas which can be followed on from R&D in labs to commercialisation.'

However, he said the success of the projects will depend on the appeal of the prototypes the researchers come up with to venture capitalists at the end of the first year. 'Ultimately, the commercial viability of these projects will have to be subjected to the disciplines of the market.'

The foundation will take in submissions again next March (09) and again later in the year.

This year's projects range from a system which promises to transfer data faster and more efficiently between wireless networks, to a portal which can allow mobile phone and PC users to view images and videos in 3-D format.

Read the full story in Friday's edition of The Straits Times.