What is the Innovation Network?
From the emergence of Nike in the 1960s to infant hearing assessments developed by UO spinout Perceptivo in 2020, the University of Oregon has a history of transferring research and ideas to our community to accelerate the impact of our work.
The Innovation Network helps find new ways in which we at the university work with and alongside private industry to increase the impact of our research. This can take many forms, such as:
- serving on an advisory or scientific board of a company or nonprofit,
- licensing a research tool or technology to an existing business,
- conducting research or developing a new tool paid for by a company, or
- launching a new company to get your research or technology into the hands of more people who need it most.
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External engagement brings many benefits to faculty, including:
- Using your passion and expertise to have a broader impact on the world,
- Connecting graduate students to the careers of tomorrow,
- Meaningfully reconnecting with alumni,
- Expanding your network and perspectives,
- Diversifying funding for your graduate students, lab, institute, or center,
- Finding new questions that bring energy and excitement to your program.
You already make a difference in the lives of your students and on campus. Engaging in industry research provides you with an opportunity to make a difference on a regional and global stage, improving the quality of life for many.
"The entire university benefits when we collaborate with industry."
- Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg, director of the UO Institute for Health in the Built Environment, and founder of Taskshade
Many graduate students will continue their careers in academia. And many won’t.
Industry research collaborations provides students with an opportunity to work with private industry, get a sense of the culture and expectations, and develop additional professional skills to prepare them for careers in private companies, nonprofits, or NGOs.
Some faculty find new energy in working in industry research collaborations. Experience entrepreneurship without some of the risks that can accompany it.
And, of course, if you do want to start your own company, we’ll be with you every step of the way, helping you develop a plan and a sustainable funding model as well as connecting you to resources.
Alumni often tell us they want to re-engage with the university, but they don't know how.
Industry research collaborations and mentorship opportunities offer you a reason to meaningfully reconnect with alumni and invite them to be part of your at-large team. Maybe they now have a connection that could provide an experiential internship for one of your students or their company has an interest in a research collaboration.
External engagement helps get your research and ideas out into the community, and it also helps you identify new problems that are directly related or adjacent to your field that need new solutions.
Increased connection with colleagues in industry improves the questions researchers ask and diversifies their access to resources and talent while providing greater opportunities for their students.
Get a closer look at the ways in which problems in your field manifest in our community. Make connections with people “in the trenches” grappling with some of the same issues you study.
"Beyond the financial support to start developing our app, UVDF [translational funding and support from Industry, Innovation, and Translation] connected us to other researchers. Thanks to them, we found a perfect partner right here on our own campus."
- Chris Minson, Kenneth and Kenda Singer Professor in human physiology and chief science officer for NatureQuant
Many industry engagements result in financial support—in the form of contracts or royalties—that can be used to support your graduate students, lab, institute, or center.
This financial support diversifies your funding base, allowing you to use funds in a more unrestricted way than a typical cost-reimbursable research grant.
Funding diversification is imperative in creating a sustainable research model with today’s realities. Unobligated funds are difficult to secure and can make the difference for keeping a critical mass of graduate students working or seeding research that isn’t ripe yet for federal or other sponsored funding.