The Commonwealth Technology Research Fund (CTRF) continues to advance technology and economic development in Virginia by investing in Higher Education Research.

Article 4: Technology Transfer Series - The Commonwealth Technology Research Fund

Our fourth article in our series on Technology Transfer, takes a closer look at the The CTRF Program at the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT). The Patriot Entrepreneur recently reviewed the 2007 and 2006 Annual Reports of the Commonwealth Technology Research Fund that is administered by the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT). Based on the annual reports, we thought we would share with our readers the origin, impact, and highlights of this truly innovative program that serves as a catalyst for advancing technology and economic development in Virginia:

Recently released draft guidelines invite proposals, which are due November 1, 2007

The origin and impact of CTRF in VA:

The CTRF was created in the 2000 session of the General Assembly to attract public and private research funding for institutions of higher education, in order to increase technological and economic development in Virginia. Awards from the Fund are made to Virginia public institutions of higher education or their associated intellectual property foundations. The Fund has four components: Strategic Academic Enhancement Program, Matching Funds Program, Industry Inducement Program, and Commercialization Program. The impact of the CTRF has been broad in terms of financial leverage as well as technology and economic development. From Tidewater to Central and Southwest Virginia to Northern Virginia; from bioinformatics to information technology to defense and homeland security, the CTRF has led to significant benefits at participating institutions, their communities, and the Commonwealth in general. CTRF outcomes include increased federal funding, development of curricula and degree programs, intellectual property creation, and company creation.

The money flow:

The CTRF’s initial appropriations funded twelve projects between 2001 and 2003; the Commonwealth’s investment totaled $24.6 million. These CTRF projects were completed by June 30, 2006, and the 2006 CTRF Annual Report provides information on the awards and their outcomes. The CTRF did not receive additional funding until the FY2006 session of the General Assembly, when legislators appropriated $2M for CTRF in the FY2007 budget. The following year, the General Assembly appropriated a $1M for the CTRF, for a total of $3M in new CTRF funding.

A sampling of achievements up to 2007:

• To ensure that CTRF monies would most effectively drive innovation, activities in FY2007 focused on governance and operations. Key activities included 1) developing updated guidelines, 2) forming and convening a nine-member Grant Allocation Committee to hone guidelines, review proposals and make award decisions, and 3) engaging with the research community and elected officials about CTRF activities and opportunities. In addition, the Fund administrator fielded inquiries from university administrators as well as industry and university researchers, and it received twelve proposals from four universities. Proposals were submitted by Eastern Virginia Medical School, George Mason University, Old Dominion University, and the University of Virginia.
• CTRF funds fostered national and international collaborations between Virginia universities and academic and industry colleagues. The establishment of strategic partnerships with businesses and other organizations, such as the partnership between Virginia Commonwealth University, George Mason University, and INOVA that is working on cancer genomics and related diagnostic tools and therapies, has advanced Virginia’s leadership in technology research.
• Relocation of a leading bioinformatics company to Virginia in 2006 – INCOGEN invested $2.4 million to relocate from South Carolina as a result of the College of William and Mary Industry Inducement Award. Incogen received a $2 million SBIR Phase II award for cancer diagnostics and currently owns and occupies a building in a new research and technology park in Williamsburg, VA.
• In 2006, CTRF projects led to local and regional benefits. The CTRF-sponsored Battle Lab at Old Dominion University’s Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center (VMASC) increased the strength and recognition of the modeling and simulation cluster in Hampton Roads. A program to train K-12 teachers through an NSF-funded grant, leveraged from the CTRF, between CTRF-funded Virginia Bioinformatics Institute and Galileo Magnet High School in Danville, VA. In addition, the Center for High Performance Manufacturing delivered more than one hundred presentations in more than 70 cities and counties in the Commonwealth.

What’s next for CTRF?

In order that the Fund take full advantage of its ability to drive innovation in the Commonwealth, FY2007 focused on governance and operations. Secretary of Technology Aneesh Chopra took a great interest in the Fund as a tool to substantially expand “top down” and “bottom up” research and development. In the case of “top down” R&D, the CTRF was viewed as a catalyst to collaborative R&D between Virginia research institutions and Fortune 500 companies that perform limited or no research and development in Virginia. It was envisioned that collaborative R&D could result in significant economic impact in Virginia. In the case of “bottom up” R&D, the awards from the Fund would advance R&D concepts of university researchers, including through intellectual property commercialization performed by the best and brightest at Virginia’s institutions of higher education.

New awards will be announced shortly - award announcements are expected before December 31 for proposals submitted by November 1.

Article content developed in conjunction with Nancy Vorona, Vice President for Research Investment, Center for Innovative Technology

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