Knowledge Fund

The Knowledge Fund is a catalyst for the new Nevada. Facilitated by the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), it was created to further research, innovation and commercialization at Nevada's research universities and institutions. It was passed by the Nevada State Legislature and signed into law in 2011 as a part of Assembly Bill 499, and received initial funding in 2013.

Return on investment

Nevada Center for Applied Research and the Innevation Center

$9.2M

Knowledge Fund
investment
over 13 years

$349M

in venture capital
raised by affiliated
startups
(cumulative)

175

companies, agencies &
orgs engaged through
memberships or agreements
(during reporting period)

949

jobs created
by affiliated
companies
(cumulative)

49

companies with
University-based
operations
(during reporting period)

$391M

in grants,
contracts, gifts
& agreements
(cumulative)

As of February 2026

The Knowledge Fund recognizes and strengthens the connection between the research and innovation capabilities of the University and the development of Nevada's new, knowledge-intensive economy. It is an investment in innovation, economic development and workforce development. — Mridul Gautam, Ph.D., Vice President for Research and Innovation

The University's Knowledge Fund supported projects

Two researchers looking at a notebook together in the NCAR Biosciences Entrepreneurial Lab, with others working in the background

Nevada Center for Applied Research

Providing industry, entrepreneurs and agencies access to the University’s labs, equipment and expertise by:

Offering access to more than 60 leading-edge labs, support and affordable co-working and laboratory space on campus.
Facilitating large-scale research initiatives involving coalitions of public and private stakeholders.
Supporting incubation of early-stage science and technology businesses.
Supporting workforce development and experiential learning for students.
Collaborating with Manufacture Nevada to support customers seeking R&D, upskilling and moving from prototyping to production to manufacturing.

Visit the Nevada Center for Applied Research

Three people working in the Makerspace fabrication machine shop at the Innevation Center

University of Nevada, Reno Innevation Center

A hub of entrepreneurialism in downtown Reno, supported in part by the Knowledge Fund and open to the community through a membership model, the Innevation Center is:

Facilitating access to mentorship, investors, makerspace, interns and more.
Partnering with local organizations to support the startup ecosystem and celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit; a primary venue for the Reno Startup Week.
Managing the K-12 Robotics Center for robotics-based education and competition that is strengthening paths to degrees and careers.

Visit the Innevation Center

A large group of researchers in the Drone Arena of the Applied Research Facility

Nevada Autonomous

Developing robotics, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, with current research that includes:

Drone and unmanned aerial operations, driverless cars, advanced manufacturing systems, underground and underwater robots.
Management of Nevada’s official, FAA-designated Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Test Site Service – covering 1,000 square miles of FAA-approved airspace in Northern Nevada – conducting research and development in areas such as infrastructure inspection, fire detection and mitigation, first responders, and medication and other critical deliveries.
Leadership in Beyond-Visual-Line-Of-Sight (BVLOS) operations and partnerships with regional mine companies testing underground robotics applications for exploration and safety.
Establishment of safety procedures that have been validated through field trials since 2015.
International collaborations with Silicon Misiones and Macoma Environmental Technologies, LLC in Argentina.

Visit Nevada Autonomous

Four students learning about flight regulations for autonomous drones in the Nevada Autonomous lab area

Startup and Tech Industry Talent Retention: The Wolf Pack STEM Internship Program

Managed by the Nevada Career Studio, this program supports the training and retention of STEM talent, focusing on women and underrepresented minorities. Students apply their education and gain experience in the tech industry. Since its launch in 2023, the program received over 1,100 applications for its first 82 positions, and has already placed hundreds of students in competitive-wage internships. Four interns working at Dragonfly Energy have continued past original internships, and two likely to be hired as full-time engineers after graduating.

Visit the Wolf Pack STEM Internship Program

Intelligent Mobility

Developing solutions for safe, clean and efficient transportation. This statewide effort coordinated through NCAR involves:

Researchers with expertise in synchronized transportation, advanced autonomous systems, computer sciences and robotics, geography, social psychology and judicial studies.
“Living Laboratory” real-world test sites in northern and southern Nevada, with “LiDAR-enhanced” roads able to communicate data to connected vehicles.
International research collaborations and active participation in the ArchitectECA2030 project with the European Union Consortium.

Visit Intelligent Mobility

A researcher doing materials testing on lab equipment with a computer CAD model and a whiteboard in the background

Sierra Accelerator for Growth & Entrepreneurship

SAGE is designed to put Nevada’s qualified small, technology-based businesses on the path to earn federal grant funding through the competitive SBIR and STTR programs.

Visit the Sierra Accelerator for Growth and Entrepreneurship