Recognizing the strength of the 15-campus University of Texas as a robust research and commercialization engine, the UT System Office of Research and Technology Transfer is implementing Ignite Texas! to support a wide variety of technology commercialization aspects, i.e. from funding scientists and inventors to the creation and maintenance of start-up companies. Ignite Texas! is expected to enhance existing programs, leverage existing resources, and launch new services to establish UT as a global leader in innovation.

Texas Ignition Fund, early stage funding for UT inventions

September 30, 2009, Cathy Swain, MS, CFA, AIFA, UT System Assistant Vice Chancellor for Commercial Development, conducted a Texas Ignition Fund Workshop at STTM.
[ View Presentation ]

The Texas Ignition Fund (TIF), a new $2M grant program, was approved by the UT Board of Regents in December 2007 and is designed to stimulate commercialization of research discoveries at the 15 UT institutions by providing very early stage grants for the development and maturation of those discoveries into marketable intellectual property.
[ Read 2007 Press Release ]

UT faculty may request, through STTM, up to $50k to accelerate the commercial development of a UT invention. (An IDF must be on file at STTM prior to submission.) TIF goals are to:

• Support a culture that promotes innovation, translation, and commercialization of new ideas and technologies;
• Nurture viable inventions;
• Create a robust infrastructure for developing UT inventions, support validation of discoveries, and promote commercialization.

Invention Disclosure Form - [ MS .DOC ]

TIF Grant Application

TIF Application Instructions

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