The results are in. They are phenomenal. And as importantly, they are intentional. 

 

At no other time in VCU’s history have our researchers and trainees been more widely recognized for their contributions to transformative innovation across the sciences, the arts and the humanities, healthcare, engineering and mathematics. 

 

And this was all part of our plan — specifically, the One VCU Research Strategic Priorities Plan. It is a multi-year effort to ensure VCU stands at the forefront of innovation through collaboration across traditional boundaries, advancing human knowledge and improving and saving lives — while tackling society’s grand challenges. 

 

We are delivering that plan to the global stage. 

 

In the past year, VCU achieved a record $464.6 million in sponsored research, up 71% since 2018. We were named the No. 47 public research university by the National Science Foundation, and in the top 100 for utility patents by the National Academy of Inventors. And VCU secured a top 20 ranking as one of the nation’s most innovative public universities from U.S. News and World Report. 

 

This fall, Richmond was also named by the White House as one of 31 “Tech Hubs” across the nation, with our region focused on advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing. Much of that activity is centered on the VCU Medicines for All Institute. Such examples are a direct reflection of how far we have come, who we are as an institution and how we achieve impact. 

 

VCU TechTransfer and Ventures is responsible for taking innovations from the labs and translating them into real-world applications that improve the world. In 2023, we executed a record 29 new licenses, filed 165 patents and generated close to $3 million in licensing revenue. Many more licensing deals are in the pipeline that could someday see VCU research incorporated into a range of applications across medicine, pharmaceuticals, engineering, humanities and more. 

 

Our team is also responsible for supporting startups born from VCU intellectual property and executed 12 licenses to startups this year alone. And we have built up an entrepreneur-in-residence program that puts seasoned executives directly in front of entrepreneurial researchers and keeps them on a path to success. 

 

On these pages, we invite you to meet a diverse array of Rams who wear many hats — as researchers, professors, trainees and company founders. 

 

While our success is welcomed and intended as part of our plans, there is no way we could have predicted the innovative technologies that VCU has developed in recent years. Our researchers are the ones who make VCU’s achievements possible and are the reasons why our university and region’s potential is truly UNlimited. 

Srirama Rao, Ph.D.

Vice President for Research and Innovation

Ivelina Metcheva, Ph.D., MBA

Assistant Vice President for Innovation