MUNCIE, Ind. - People and businesses looking for assistance in developing innovative projects may turn to a new think tank and resource center at Ball State University.

iDEA MART opened in January to serve as a clearinghouse for ideas considered "outside the box," said Joe Misiewicz, telecommunications professor and think tank director.

"Faculty members, private individuals and business leaders may forward their ideas or projects to us and we will seek funding sources and talent to get them off the shelf," he said. "By assisting with projects from concept to launch, these innovative ideas may eventually develop into real products."

While all projects should have a digital component, the emphasis will be on developing new methods, approaches, designs and concepts at the "marketplace for new ideas," Misiewicz said.

iDEA MART is part of the university's iCommunication initiative, funded by a $20 million grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc. The campus-wide initiative is designed to prepare Ball State students for high-tech careers in digital communications.

"Our goal for iDEA MART is to reach out to regional, national and international communities," Misiewicz said. "We want to link our students and faculty with their counterparts at other colleges and universities as well as industry professionals."

Misiewicz will operate iDEA MART from an off-campus office at 1414 Marsh St. beginning the week of May 20. The location allows for more extensive research and meeting facilities for off- and on-campus clients.

Several projects have been submitted, including:

• Distributing compact discs overseas to raise awareness of the educational opportunities at Ball State. The CDs would feature interviews of visiting students done by telecommunications majors.
• Producing a DVD featuring theater students re-enacting life in the 1700s and 1800s at Conner Prairie State Park. Telecommunications majors would shoot the feature with recently acquired digital cameras.
• Shooting scenes at various Indiana communities for use as background material for the state's commercial and public broadcasting stations as well as for educational use.

For more information about iDEA MART, contact Misiewicz at ideamart@bsu.eduor (765) 285-2466.

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Misiewicz at jmisiewicz@bsu.edu, drjoe@localnet.comor (765) 285-2466.)