AEDC engineers display innovation ideas Published Aug. 29, 2013 By Raquel March AEDC/PA ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, TENN. -- A display of AEDC engineer's ATA Innovation Grant ideas were recently viewed at an AEDC Technical Excellence Seminar Poster Session Aug. 15 where there were 18 posters displayed. The posters displayed innovation ideas that may be implemented at AEDC and were developed by individual ATA engineers and teams. "This poster board session provided an opportunity for one-on-one interaction between the innovation team and other members of AEDC," said Louis Vanacore, an ATA director. "The session had a good turnout and with plenty of interaction." To date, there have been 30 innovation ideas submitted and 21 grants awarded totaling $330k. Employees may be awarded a grant if the proposed innovation has the potential to produce significant cost savings, productivity improvements, improved quality of deliverables, or enhanced customer satisfaction promoting new customer business for AEDC. "The innovation team's members know where there is opportunity for improvement. They are incubating their ideas through a proof of concept to confirm the feasibility," Vanacore said. The innovation grants program differs from other ATA idea programs like the continuous improvement and suggestion programs in that it seeks greater learning and exploration performed by those proposing the idea. The next Innovation Grant submittal deadline for the third cycle is Sept. 16. For more details contact Vanacore at 454-7063.