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
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.
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
Manufacturing 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
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
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
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.
We have a broad range of services and support for every part of the commercialization process, with resources for University employees and students, and external businesses and entrepreneurs.
We have a streamlined process for initiating agreement contracts using your NetID for University internal users and a simple login process for external users.
Non-disclosure agreements protect the confidentiality of proprietary information that is being exchanged. Material transfer agreements establish the rights and obligations for the exchange of tangible and intangible research material.
Overview of funding and grant services for technology commercialization
WolfCorps
The WolfCorps program is designed to prepare University teams to apply for the Bay Area Regional I-Corps training course. The I-Corps offers an immersive experience for the process of moving research innovations into products and services.
Sierra Accelerator for Growth & Entrepreneurship (SAGE)
SAGE helps Nevada technology entrepreneurs win competitive grant funding from the U.S. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) programs. These programs provide funding in excess of $100,000.
Supplier/vendor registrationSuppliers, independent contractors and other businesses must register through the Nevada System of Higher Education system. Visit Supplier Registration to get started.
The Nevada Research & Innovation Corporation (NVRIC) is a non-profit corporation dedicated to supporting commercialization of University of Nevada, Reno discoveries. The corporation works to:
Visit the Nevada Research & Innovation Corporation to learn more.
