One of the projects that received a Research Alliance grant is Toys and Technologies for Rehabilitation, a group with members at Hasbro, Brown, RISD, and Afferen. They are developing specially designed, interactive toys for children with neurological conditions.

If the kind of partnerships that created Toys and Technologies for Rehabilitation continue, said Jeff Seeman, co-chair of the advisory council, it will go a long way in creating the kind of foundation that will reinvigorate Rhode Island’s economy.“If we do this every year,” Seeman said, “I promise you that in the next 10 to 15 years you will seen an increase in federal funding in Rhode Island and you will see an ever increasing number of companies in the state.”