The University of Tennessee System’s core mission is to serve Tennesseans and beyond through education, discovery, and outreach to enable economic, social, and environmental well-being. The UT Research Foundation is proud to support UT’s mission.
UTRF serves as the bridge between groundbreaking research and the marketplace, transforming ideas into products and services that change lives. From assisting the university with its partnerships with Moderna to fight COVID-19 to funding from industry to cure systemic amyloidosis, UTRF has been a vital force driving economic growth and technological progress with various programs it runs and supports, ranging from technology maturation grants to outreach efforts and supporting UT’s larger research goals via UTRF subsidiaries.
Technology Maturation Grant
One barrier to advancing new innovations to market is funding. UTRF’s annual maturation grant seeks to alleviate this roadblock by awarding researchers up to $20,000 in direct costs. Since 2010, UTRF has awarded over $1.5 million in grant funding.
The program is open to all faculty, staff, and students across the UT System. Eligible submissions include prototypes, proof-of-concept, meaningful improvements to the intellectual property of an existing technology, and projects that address specific questions or offer improvements for potential licensees.
Innovation is Everywhere
Innovation knows no bounds. Whether helping inventors in facility services or non-STEM departments with invention disclosures and research agreements, UTRF is there every step of the way.
UTRF, with a strong team of subject matter experts, works closely with UT’s faculty, students, and staff to educate them on the commercialization process for their innovations. Earlier this year UTRF’s Knoxville office launched the Innovation is Everywhere Tour, where UTRF staff members travel across campuses, provide researchers with the opportunity to ask questions and to discuss unique needs for the commercialization of their research.
Similarly, UTRF’s team at the UT Health Science Center hosts monthly commercialization discussion events, covering topics such as how patents are not all created equal, preclinical data packages, and practical aspects of technology transfer.
Additionally, UTRF’s Memphis office Vice President Todd Ponzio and Staff Attorney James Parrett teach the course “Strategic Entrepreneurship in Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences” (PHAC 832) to provide a comprehensive understanding of the intersection of health technology and entrepreneurship.
The Collaborative Composite Solutions Corporation
UTRF houses special-purpose entities like the Collaborative Composite Solutions Corporation (CCS), to further support UT’s research. CCS operates one of DOE’s Manufacturing USA institutes: the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI). This institute is a partnership of industry, universities, national labs, and federal, state, and local governments to drive research and adoption.
IACMI is a critical player in the North American composites industry, securing a spot among the top five programs on the continent—a field that was essentially non-existent before 2015. Some notable research and development projects during the organization’s first few years include its work with Volkswagen and a bridge project in Morgan County, Tennessee.
At Volkswagen’s first innovation hub at UT Research Park at Cherokee Farm (UTRP), researchers helped create a novel composite liftgate for the Volkswagen Atlas. This liftgate reduces weight by 35% with a reduced investment cost.
In Morgan County, IACMI worked with member company Composite Applications Group to install a fiber-reinforced polymer bridge embedded with fiber optic sensors. This bridge is lighter than traditional concrete structures and is quickly deployed, making it optimal for rural applications. It could also be an optimal solution for disasters, such as the hurricanes and floods the region has recently experienced.
In 2023, IACMI was the first clean energy institute to be renewed by the Department of Energy (DOE). It received federal funding across five fiscal years, with a first-year investment of $6 million. This funding builds upon the initial $70 million allocation from DOE and over $130 million from IACMI’s member partners.
During what I refer to as ‘IACMI 1.0,’ there were 60 R&D projects that resulted in 40 commercial products. This ratio is outstanding,” said Chad Duty, Chief Executive Officer of IACMI. “This new bucket of funding from DOE, along with additional funding from the university and key stakeholders, has come along at the perfect time and will enable even more impact.”
Looking ahead, IACMI is relocating its headquarters and research facilities to Innovation South at UTRP. Uday Vaidya, a prolific researcher, industry leader and advisor, will lead these efforts.
As UTRF looks ahead to its next 90 years, our mission remains clear: Continue transitioning UT’s groundbreaking research into real-world solutions that benefit society,” said UTRF President Maha Krishnamurthy. “I’m so proud of our team, who foster an environment where UT’s research can be translated into products and services that impact lives.”