Propelling UO research to the marketplace

December 1, 2024
A researcher works on a laptop in an innovation space. Blueprints and formulas are displayed behind them.

The Translational Opportunity Program (TOP) at the University of Oregon provides enterprising innovators with a nurturing environment and funding sources to commercialize their ideas. 

TOP creates a suite of wrap-around services for innovators and startups to accelerate intellectual property created at the UO toward the market. Existing TOP funding and future programming add value before a startup is formed or a licensing partner is found. Primarily, the program is designed to address the so-called “valley of death” that exists between academic research and the marketplace. 

Bridging the Funding Gap Between Federal Support and Industry Buy-in

To maximize the impact of research to benefit society, IIT staff: 
  • Aid in identifying, developing, and protecting intellectual property.
  • Help researchers find funding to accelerate discoveries.
  • Connect early-stage entrepreneurs with mentoring, coaching, and training.
  • Build relationships with industry partners.
  • Manage contracting for licensing and corporate-sponsored research. 

It's an unfortunate situation that many university-based innovators find themselves in: They’ve received federal or foundation funding for fundamental research that they know can be catalyzed into a commercial solution that will benefit industry or society. But between the peaks of discovery and producing a product at scale is the long trough of the development and iteration phase where funding is scarce. Before investing in or licensing a technology, corporations want proof that both technical and commercial risk has been reduced. 

“To have maximum impact on society, most academic research would benefit from continuing development along the path to commercialization,” said Christine Dixon Thiesing, associate vice president for Industry, Innovation, and Translation (IIT) at the UO. “In my career, I’ve seen the tremendous impact academic research can have. But so many innovations with great potential aren’t picked up by the market because they are currently too risky from a business perspective, or no one knows about them. I’m passionate about ensuring these ideas can get out to the marketplace, and that’s the role TOP can play in Oregon.” 

Resources for UO Innovators

Whether forming a startup or developing a technology for licensing, there are many options available to university innovators. 

  • The TOP Award accelerates research development within the university to achieve commercially relevant milestones and add value prior to partnering with external companies. The tiered funding program helps innovators de-risk both their technology and their commercialization plan. Startup formation is a potential outcome after full utilization of the fund. In the past four years, the fund has made 15 awards ranging from $10,000–$250,000, depending on the maturity of the technology, for a total of $830,000.
  • The Onward Women’s Network, which began at the University of Oregon as the Women’s Innovation Network but has since shifted under the organization Onward Eugene, is a female-founder focused, year-long professional development program open to both university employees and students as well as the wider community outside of the UO. The program was founded to address the innovation gap women face: According to the United Nations, only 17% of inventors holding international patents in 2022 were women. UO affiliates (faculty, staff, post-docs, and graduate students) may have their participation fee covered by the university. Please reach out to Program Advisor Christine Gramer at cgramer@uoregon.edu for financial support.
  • With help from IIT staff, the US Small Business Administration’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs provide important sources of funding for deep tech startups. Researchers Keat Ghee Ong and Beth Stormshak leveraged more than $300,000 in TOP Award funding to later attract SBIR and STTR funding totaling more than $5 million. 
  • Finally, some researchers may come out of the TOP programmatic experience by funneling into its sister organization, Launch Oregon, which provides UO-affiliated startups with equity investments of up to $300,000 in pre-seed/seed funding. 

In the next few years, IIT will expand its services and programming to provide innovators and entrepreneurs the skills and resources needed for long-term success. The unit will also hire a director of commercialization and new ventures to provide crucial insight into the pathway to the market, whether it be via a startup or a licensing opportunity, as well as deliver bootcamps for innovators and startups, SBIR/STTR training, and more. 

“Bringing academic innovations to the market benefits the economy and improves society and individual lives,” Dixon Thiesing said. “The UO is home to some of the most creative researchers in the world. We help them create impactful outcomes that can truly change lives.”  

— By Kelley Christensen, Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation