Working with the University
Creating bridges between academia and industry to improve lives
The University’s Innovation Ecosystem extends resources, services and people to support innovation, entrepreneurship, research commercialization and industry growth in Nevada. For additional assistance in getting started, contact Enterprise & Innovation.
— Ellen Purpus, Assistant Vice President for Enterprise & Innovation
Incubation, acceleration & industry support
The University is a public entity striving to support the differing needs of industry and striving to benefit businesses to improve Nevada’s economy. Open and creative engagement and nontraditional methods and policies allow for viable partnerships, use of space and fee-for-service contracts that are attractive to business.
Startup & entrepreneurial support
Business incubation and co-working space
Downtown Reno startup space, a Makerspace and access to venture funding groups and mentoring
Biotech startup incubation space
Wet lab space with waste disposal and environmental protections in-place
University equipment and expertise
Access to the University’s physical assets, campus space and faculty experts
Startup consulting and support
Go-to resource for startups in manufacturing, workforce, quality systems, automation and growth
Startup pre-accelerator program
Eight-week fully-funded IoT hardware pre-accelerator at the Innevation Center
Proof-of-concept funding
Annual funding available to University faculty, students, staff and recent grads through the Nevada Research & Innovation Corporation
Small business development
Counseling on legal structure selection, licensing, business plan creation and more
Student entrepreneurial competition
$50,000 prize to facilitate the creation of new businesses in Nevada
Business and industry support
Access to the University’s physical assets, campus space and faculty experts
Consulting to advance industrial resilience and competitiveness
Advertise job opportunities for University interns and employees
Counseling and training for small business growth and management
Community and workforce development and support for agricultural business throughout Nevada
Continuing education and professional studies
Facilities, space & expertise
Accessing the on-campus facilities, space and expertise is generally coordinated through the Nevada Center for Applied Research (NCAR) – a central and public access point to University’s assets and a one-stop-shop for applied research. If you’re a University employee or an outside entity looking for specific facilities or equipment, search the Shared Research Facilities.
The University offers space and support to accommodate the differing needs of businesses and startups.
- Innevation Center: Co-working, makerspace and mentoring in downtown Reno
- Biosciences Entrepreneurial Lab: Wet lab startup incubation space on campus
- Nevada Industry Excellence: Support for industrial operations, business growth and workforce strategies
- Applied Research Facility: Office space and R&D labs on campus
- DeLaMare: Library and makerspace on campus
- Ozmen Center for Entrepreneurship: Fostering the creation of ideas for students, faculty and community
IP, licensing & commercialization
Enterprise & Innovation provides support to University faculty, staff and students for spin-outs, tech transfer and IP protection services. For entities outside the University, we assist with anything relating to commercialization of research and licensing of available University technology. Contact Enterprise & Innovation for help.
- University technologies and inventions available for licensing
- Nevada Research & Innovation Corporation, an affiliated organization, assists with University-business partnership facilitation and commercialization
- Quick guide to intellectual property ownership through the University: Who Owns the IP?
- Express license for University faculty spin-outs
- Support for spin-outs and some of the University’s spin-out companies
Information for faculty and University members
The commercialization of technology is a multi-stage process with the goal of finding suitable application in the marketplace. The process starts with the researcher’s discovery. From there, Enterprise & Innovation will work with the researcher to help protect the invention. This includes working closely with both the inventor and appropriate patent offices.
Innovator resources
Funding and grant support
- Contact Enterprise & Innovation for:
- Letters of support for grant proposals
- Help with commercialization plans for grant proposals
- Advice on SBIR/STTR grants
- Apply for the annual InNEVenture Fund for proof-of-concept funding
More connections & resources
Below are links to third party web/multimedia content. If you experience any issues accessing this content, please contact Enterprise & Innovation.
Supplier/vendor registration
Suppliers, independent contractors and other businesses must register through the Nevada System of Higher Education system. Visit Supplier Registration to get started.
University external relations
The executive director for external relations works closely with economic development agencies throughout the state, leads the University's Economic Development and Business Relations Task Force, and helps create economic development, business and outreach partnerships.
Intellectual property & commercialization
- United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
- United States Copyright Office
- Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM)
- 500 Startups
Regional economic development resources
Office Contact Information
- Location: Ross Hall
- Room Number: 105
- Mailstop: 0321
- Address: 1664 N. Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557
- Phone: (775) 784-4421
- Fax: (775) 327-2248
- Directory: Office Directory