California Schools Pair Up With Business

The State of California has embarked on a matching funds program meant to take technology from the state’s universities and national laboratories and apply it in the marketplace. In May, the state’s Competitive Technology Program awarded $6.6 million in grants, matched by $6.8 million In industry funding. Among the big winners were a superconductivity consortium, made up by the University of California, Los Angeles ran four venture capital firms, which received a $1.2 million grant. Twelve of the other 28 successful applications also involved University of California institutions. According to Anne Sheehan, deputy director of the program, private firms benefit from the scheme through intellectual property agreements that they share with their university or national lab partners: They may receive licensing and patenting rights, for example. Grant money, however, must be used to support activities directly related to the research project. While it can...

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