For Immediate Release

Contact: Carol Renner

701.231.5174

[email protected]

NDSU Receives Grant From Dakota Medical Foundation For Consortium For Radio Frequency Identification In Healthcare

October 26, 2006 – Fargo, N.D. – North Dakota State University, Fargo, has received a grant of $75,000 from Dakota Medical Foundation to study establishing a consortium for radio frequency identification (RFID) in healthcare.

With funding from Dakota Medical Foundation, the NDSU Office of Research, Creative Activities and Technology Transfer will establish an advisory board and retain a consulting firm to conduct a technical and business evaluation and assess the feasibility of creating an RFID Healthcare Consortium. The project will address segments of healthcare that can best benefit from RFID technology. Fast Track Technologies projects the market for RFID-based applications in hospitals alone may grow to more than $8.8 billion by 2010.

Potential RFID applications in healthcare include: tracking equipment, positively identifying patients to ensure the right care is provided to the right person at the right time, monitoring the integrity of biopharmaceuticals in the supply chain, preventing counterfeit medications from entering the supply chain, enhancing security, and using RFID technology for portable medical records in emergency situations.

Objectives of the RFID Healthcare Consortium include: conducting advanced research to promote the development of comprehensive, practical applications of RFID technology in healthcare, and establishing the Fargo area as a leader in the development and commercialization of RFID in healthcare. With the award from Dakota Medical Foundation, a feasibility assessment, report and plan will be developed for the RFID Healthcare Consortium. The proposed consortium’s mission includes fostering collaboration among healthcare providers, public sector organizations, governments, academic and research institutions, and technology companies.

“There are hundreds of possible RFID applications in the healthcare environment,” said Philip Boudjouk, vice president of research, creative activities and technology transfer at NDSU. “This potential consortium could lead the development of many new, cutting-edge applications of RFID technology, implementing them as pilot projects and later as full-scale projects in many of the region’s healthcare facilities.”

About Dakota Medical Foundation

Dakota Medical Foundation, based in Fargo, N.D., focuses its efforts on improving access to medical and dental care. Since its inception in 1995, the Foundation has invested nearly $27 million in more than 275 non-profit organizations to help them measurably improve health and access to healthcare. For more information, see www.dakmed.org

About NDSU

With a reputation for excellence in teaching and multidisciplinary research, North Dakota State University, Fargo, links academics to real world opportunities. At the 55-acre NDSU Research & Technology Park, faculty, staff and students work with private sector researchers on cutting-edge projects. The Scientist magazine places NDSU among the top 35 research institutions in North America for individuals pursuing postdoctoral positions. As a metropolitan land grant institution with more than 12,000 students, NDSU is listed in the top 100 of several National Science Foundation annual research expenditure rankings in the areas of physical sciences, engineering and chemistry. The NDSU Research & Technology Park has received the 2006 Award of Excellence in Technology-Led Economic Development from the U.S. Department of Commerce. www.ndsu.edu/research

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