USC Multimedia Research Center Wins New Funding

The National Science Foundation has renewed its funding for USC’s Integrated Media Systems Center, the only national research center focused on multimedia.

USC is expected to announce this week that the federal agency has approved $14.2 million in base funding over the next five years and supplemental funding of $915,000 for new research initiatives.

The center, known as IMSC, was established in 1996 with a five-year, $12.4-million NSF grant. That grant prompted other government sources and corporate partners to contribute tens of millions of dollars in additional research funding. The center focuses on developing technologies that will ultimately create three-dimensional virtual environments for living rooms, workplaces and entertainment centers.

Since its founding, IMSC has worked on projects including 3-D face modeling, immersive audio systems and data compression. IMSC has also transferred some of its advanced technologies to industry, created new academic programs for students, and spawned new companies, said Chrysostomos “Max” Nikias, the center’s director.