In his introductory letter, Christopher J. Molloy, Ph.D., R.Ph., Senior Vice President for Research and Economic Development, said “Rutgers’ long and proud history was shaped by a series of pioneers, some of whom are profiled in the 250th celebration series on ‘Revolutionary Thinkers.’ Among them are Nobel-Prize winner Selman Waksman, actor and athlete Paul Robeson, Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman, and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.”
“The university’s history has included numerous major transitions, such as Congress conferring land-grant status in 1864 and Rutgers admitting the first women students in 1918,” Molloy continued.
“Two significant changes occurred much more recently: the 2013 integration of most of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and our entry into the Big Ten in 2014,” he said. “With the integration, our faculty and staff have built new collaborative relationships that have benefitted the entire Rutgers community, including our students. And joining the Big Ten allows us to work with the other 13 member institutions of the Big Ten Academic Alliance.
Dr. Molloy said Rutgers’ updated approach to technology commercialization is paying off, as exemplified by a recent startup, Z53 Therapeutics.
Molloy said the excellence of Rutgers faculty’s research is substantiated by recent growth in external funding. “Research grants and sponsored programs from all sources grew to $638 million in FY2016, 4.1% greater than the prior year. That follows an 18.3% increase in grants and contracts in FY2015.”
For the second straight year, he pointed out, “we saw an 11% increase in federal funding for research at Rutgers.”
“And our emphasis on expanding partnerships with industry is paying off: corporate funding for research and sponsored programs at Rutgers rose to nearly $40 million in FY2016, an increase of 28%,” Molloy said.
“As ‘The State University of New Jersey,’ Rutgers has an obligation to continue elevating the quality and productivity of our academic, research, and public service endeavors on all three campuses,” he continued. “The Office of Research and Economic Development is committed to advancing Rutgers preeminence in research, creating value and spurring economic growth by providing the highest standards, encouraging strategic partnerships, and leveraging innovative technologies.”
Dr. Molloy also reported that Rutgers ORED continues to expand its interactions with business leaders through the creation of a Corporate Engagement Team and a dedicated website, businessportal.rutgers.edu.
To access Rutgers’ eight-page 2016 report, click here.