DISCOVERY AND INVENTION INCREASING AS INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION GROWS.
Northern Arizona University researchers generated 46 invention disclosures in fiscal year 2017 — well above our goal of 27. NAU filed 17 U.S. patent applications, and we were issued six U.S. patents. In addition, technology transfer activity facilitated more than $1.8 million in sponsored research, a 30 percent increase over fiscal year 2016. Licensing activity increased from one licensing agreement in fiscal year 2016 to one licensing agreement and two options in fiscal year 2017.
The number of inventors at NAU continues to rise. In fiscal year 2017, for example, the number of unique inventors grew to 78 — up from 60 in fiscal year 2016 — and the number of first-time inventors at NAU grew from 41 in fiscal year 2016 to 46 in fiscal year 2017.
Inventions disclosed in fiscal year 2017 reflected NAU’s research excellence in the areas of bioengineering, cybersecurity, healthcare, infectious diseases and renewable energy.
As our research enterprise grows, the increase in interdisciplinary collaboration grows as well, resulting in more inventors, more innovation and more discovery.
