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UT Research Foundation Makes Top 100 Universities List for New US Patents

The UT Research Foundation (UTRF) was listed among the world’s top universities for producing new US utility patents. UTRF ranked eightieth, ahead of Emory, Yale, and Princeton, according to a study by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO).

The list, compiled based on data obtained from the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), recognizes the important role of patents in university research. Academic patenting not only protects a university’s intellectual property, but can also be a source of additional funding. Most recently at the Graduate School of Medicine, Jonathan Wall, PhD, Director of the Preclinical and Diagnostic Molecular Imaging Laboratory, received two patents for his work to image and treat amyloid.

The NAI and IPO rank the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted US Utility Patents based on the number of utility patents granted to a university by the USPTO. According to figures from the USPTO, over the last five years (with the exception of 2012), the UTRF has shown steady growth in its patent production.

“Being part of this list highlights the University of Tennessee’s commitment to innovation and technology commercialization that could ultimately result in solutions to some of the world’s greatest challenges,” said Dr. David Millhorn, UT Executive Vice President and President of the UT Research Foundation.

Being ranked among the highest-producing universities worldwide shows progress toward UT’s goal of becoming a Top 25 public research university.

Posted July 30, 2014