Source: NCSU, 7/29/20


Research that starts at NC State doesn’t end here. The Chancellor’s Innovation Fund (CIF) is one way we work to ensure our research reaches the places it’s needed. 

“As a land-grant university, our mission is to positively impact the lives of the residents of North Carolina and beyond by commercializing state-of-the-art research to solve societal problems,” says Wade Fulghum, assistant vice chancellor of the Office of Research Commercialization. “The Chancellor’s Innovation Fund — which has a very successful 10-year track record, generating $18 in additional research funding or investment for every dollar awarded — plays a critical role by providing funding to translate technologies to a point where a startup can be formed for commercialization or a license can be executed with an existing company.”

The CIF, launched in 2010, provides seed funding to a select few NC State research projects each year that have promising potential for market success. The goal is to help this research bridge the critical gap between public and private funding, ultimately creating products and technology that aim to tackle today’s most pressing problems. 

To date, the CIF has granted nearly $3.4 million to 51 projects — which have attracted over $60 million in follow-on funding. These projects have generated 27 startup companies, 52 license agreements and more than $1.5 million in licensing revenue.

From safer treatments for human and animal health to novel manufacturing methods for toilet paper, lightweight car frames and synthetic fuel, read about the discoveries of this year’s CIF winners below.

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