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DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford recently announced that for 2010, the automaker has awarded 13 University Research Program grants to 12 different schools throughout the world.

The research funding is designed to support exploration of a wide range of new ideas and technologies that could benefit future Ford vehicle development, according to the automaker.

The newly added three-year collaborative research projects are very different, ranging from testing the properties of thermoplastics modified with nano materials to developing an in-vehicle safety alert system for diabetic drivers to studying the environmental and economic impact of batteries for electric vehicles.

Ford has now invested in about 30 studies in partnership with 26 universities throughout the globe. Overall, the automaker said it has provided more than $60 million for research projects over the last two decades.

"Research collaborations are a driving force behind the innovations bringing consumers to Ford, and will be crucial to keep them coming back," explained Gerhard Schmidt, Ford chief technical officer and vice president of research and advanced engineering.

"The spirit of collaboration fostered by initiatives such as the Ford University Research Program maximizes our chances of developing relevant technologies our customers want and value," he added.

Recently, Ford has apparently moved away from more exploratory and long-term university research programs to highly collaborative projects focused on innovations with more near- and mid-term implementation potentials, according to officials.

This in turn, makes the competition for the grants "much tougher," pointed out Ed Krause, external alliances manager for Ford Research and Advanced Engineering. For the latest programs, Ford looked at more than 70 project proposals, and only approved 13.

"As our scientists and engineers have become increasingly adept at innovating with their university counterparts, the quality of the proposals has risen and the interest in awards has become more intense," Krause highlighted.

Over the last 20 years, the projects have led to successful results for Ford, covering the topics of alternative power systems, auto engineering and safety, environmental issues, infotronics, electrical and electronics and controls, materials and structures, manufacturing and quality, and powertrain.

University of Michigan professor Jessy Grizzle, who has been conducting engine and emissions control research with Ford via an ongoing strategic alliance the automaker has with the school, said the collaborative spirit of the alliance provides a rich learning experience for the students as well as professors as they explore and develop new ways to teach curriculum.

Ford also has ongoing alliances with MIT, Northwestern and the Boeing Co.

Opening the door to even more research projects, Ford said it's ready for its next proposal competition. Researchers, working with university faculty, have begun submitting their project proposals. Another round of grant winners will be announced in early 2011.