Colorado State University patents, research funding strengthens position in innovation ecosystem

Colorado State University set new research records in Fiscal Year 2014, reinforcing CSU’s role as a significant contributor to the state’s innovation ecosystem.

CSU researchers filed 122 invention disclosures and were issued 49 patents, beating out the previous records of 119 and 27 respectively. The University also tied its record for license agreements. CSU Ventures, the technology transfer and commercialization agent for the University, negotiated 41 agreements with companies to license CSU technologies.

Research expenditures exceeded $300 million for the seventh consecutive year. The amount of industry funding for research rose 24 percent, and the most recent National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development Survey ranked CSU in the top 10 percent of universities in the country – an all-time high.

“Particularly in the post-earmark era, this tells a great story about the productivity of Colorado State’s faculty and the importance of their work on some of the most challenging issues of our day,” said Colorado State President Tony Frank. “The research and discovery that happens at CSU returns huge benefits to Colorado – in terms of economic activity and innovation.”

Alan Rudolph, CSU’s vice president for research, said the University’s efforts to diversify its funding portfolio in the wake of federal budget reductions and the elimination of earmarks are starting to show results.

“It was a strong year for research and innovation at Colorado State University,” Rudolph said. “In addition to the outstanding discoveries across a broad landscape of research we are also excited about the 24 percent increase in funding from industry. Given the federal funding pressures, we continue to diversify our sponsor portfolio and impact across campus to pursue our land-grant mission.”

Todd Headley, president of CSU Ventures, said this year’s record-breaking numbers are the result of the University’s focus on encouraging and disseminating CSU innovations, engaging industry partners, and supporting researchers and faculty who want to launch their own startup companies.

“CSU researchers continue to be extremely productive and very entrepreneurial,” he said. “We are very proud of their accomplishments.”

Other FY 2014 research highlights include:

• The amount of Department of Defense-funded research rose 13 percent.
• Twenty-six of the grants awarded to CSU researchers were $1 million or greater.
• CSU researchers formed five new startup companies, bringing the total number of active startups to 43.
• CSU startup companies employed nearly 500 people, most of them in Colorado.
• Inventor participation reached a new high with 246 CSU researchers involved in new inventions and disclosures.
• CSU Ventures launched the Creative Works Program to support innovative research projects in the social sciences, humanities and the arts – areas that often fall outside of the traditional focus of most technology transfer offices.

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