Dear Colleagues,
Last month, we presented the significant accomplishments made possible by you and your hard work in fiscal year 2023 (FY23) to our Board of Directors. Composed of Clemson faculty, staff, alums, and industry personnel, our Board of Directors guides our quest towards advancing innovation. Thanks to your dedication to research and engagement with our office, FY23 was a momentous year for innovation on Clemson's campus.
As the year comes to an end and we set our sights on 2024, the CURF team is working hard to continue providing you with the resources you need to succeed as we do our part to meet the goals outlined in the Clemson Elevate strategic plan – deliver the “No. 1 student experience in the nation, double research by 2035, and transform lives statewide and beyond.”
With the end of the semester upon us, I would like to share some significant achievements and updates with you:
CURF has added six new members to our esteemed Board of Directors and recently named a new board chairman. The Board of Directors provides valuable insight into strategies and opportunities to help govern and guide the foundation. The board comprises Clemson leadership, faculty members, and industry stakeholders, and is integral to achieving CURF's vision and mission. Learn more about our Board of Directors here. In addition to the new board members, Dennis Kekas, Senior R&D Advisor to NC State’s Vice Chancellor of Research and Dean of Engineering, has been appointed CURF's most recent board chairman. Read more about Dennis here.
We have seen a significant increase in research and have noticed a rise in engagement with our office. Over the last fiscal year (FY23), 61 innovations were disclosed to our office, 30 patent applications were filed, 16 licensing deals were executed, and CURF assisted in launching four startups. In FY23, we also improved how we engage with you and saw a noteworthy increase in our social media and email campaign outreach efforts. To connect with us, follow us on social media and sign up for our newsletter here.
In addition to our faculty inventors, we also work to support the endeavors of our graduate student researchers and inventors. We offer several internship opportunities for students learning more about technology transfer. Over the past few years, we have worked to equip our graduate student interns with the tools needed to enter the workforce. We have been able to assist our recent intern graduates with finding and securing positions at companies including Halo Science, Arup, Yale Ventures, Epic iO Technologies, MCRA, and Enveda Biosciences. Interested in being a student intern at CURF? Learn more about our available opportunities here.
Additional updates:
- CURF offers access to a library of material designed to guide faculty and student inventors through the technology transfer and commercialization process. Click here to learn how to add the CUTechTransfer page to your Canvas dashboard.
- Our team has grown! Click here to learn more about our new team members.
Thank you again for your enthusiasm and commitment to increasing research at Clemson University! I wish you much success as we approach 2024, and look forward to assisting you with promoting and developing your innovations. If you need any additional support, please feel free to submit an Inquiry Intake Form here.