Agenda - 05-18-2010 - 8b - Laserfiche WebLink

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campuses of The Ohio State University, combined, and ahead of the University of Texas - Austin, which has nearly twice the student population. The Office of Sponsored Research is the major administrator of externally- funded research. In FY2009, research grants and contracts totaled $716 million, an increase of 5.6% from the previous year and its largest sum to date. Contracts and grants came primarily from federal sponsors, especially the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. The School of Medicine attracted the largest proportion (48.8 %) of this total. Other departments receiving funding awards include the School of Public Health ($103 million), College of Arts and Sciences ($110 million), and School of Pharmacy ($16 million). However, the approach to research within the greater UNC system is changing. In the summer of 2009, UNC system faculty and researchers partnered with IBM and other private industry leaders in evaluating a strategy going - forward for technology commercialization within the entire UNC system. Beginning in September, campus -based teams began an evaluation that will culminate in a final report in September, 2010. They are each completing their evaluation using six recommendations established this summer. These 6 recommendations are listed in Table 1. • Identify unique strengths at each UNC institution • Seek to combine the strengths of each institution within an overall system strategy • Form comprehensive mentoring strategies within and among campuses • Enhance the incentive programs for faculty, staff, and students • Pilot new relationship -based staffing models • Create commercialization legal guidance forms Along with these recommendations, two broader concerns were identified. One is a need to redefine the concept of technology transfer and normalize its definition across each campus. The second is a need to reorient the offices which manage the commercialization process from a transaction -based approach to a relationship -based approach. The new strategy will enhance the University's relationships with private industry and public agencies and will impact who funds research activities at UNC - Chapel Hill and what industries will have interest in locating or collaborating in Orange County. Research Centers and Institutes Research centers and institutes are conducting over 80 research and service projects in Orange County and over 3,000 throughout North Carolina. These units provide 772 jobs in Orange County and nearly 1,500 across the state. The units attracted more than $123 million in external funding in 2008 which accounted for 87 %'of the total budget among all centers and institutes. Sixteen research units report to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development. This office plays an important role in the University's relationships with foundations, federal agencies, corporations, and state and federal governments. Technology Commercialization at UNC - Chapel Hill The liaison between the many researchers and inventors in campus laboratories and private industry is the Office of Technology Development (OTD). The principal services provided by OTD include: • Evaluating an innovation for its commercial potential by leveraging its business expertise and industry contacts • Obtaining appropriate protection for the intellectual property represented by an innovation • Identifying strong prospects for commercial partnership 871 Page