UM wants more money for research, patents

Despite receiving less research funding last year than in 2010, the University of Montana is pushing for more grants to fund research in hopes of doubling the number of patented products the University creates.

According to a report released at the Montana Board of Regents meeting last week, the University received nearly $64 million in grants during 2011, while it received nearly $67 million in 2010.

Vice President Bob Duringer and Joe Fanguy of the Research & Development office at UM spoke at a University Council meeting Tuesday urging UM to request more money in areas such as biological science and chemistry. Last year, the University created five intellectual property licenses, or patents, from the grant money received, but Fanguy said that with extra capital they could produce about 10-12 patents per year.

Fanguy called the request a "Tech Transfer." It would enable the University to produce more patents by funding more research. Fanguy said the benefits of increased research funding include added jobs in construction for facilities used to manufacture patented products, money earned by the University from profits made by the patented product and a boost to the local economy through local entrepreneurs funding the manufacturing of the product.

Faculty members who initiate the research receive half of the patent's revenue, while the other half is divided between the University, facility costs and further research, with a little money left over for student asistants.

Ed Rosenberg, a professor of chemistry at UM, said he currently has six patents, two of which are pending for licensing, on innovative ideas and products related to environmental chemistry. Rosenberg said those patents have generated money for numerous graduate students working with him.

"I've actually sent checks to my students," he said, clarifying that the companies manufacturing the products send the checks.

Despite the $64 million in research grants, Duringer said it was initially difficult to find investors willing to front startup costs to actually manufacture a patented product.

"Many companies came and went, many succeeded and even more failed," he said. "It is the nature of this business."

UM's poster child of success is Rivertop Renewables, which focuses on making green renewable chemicals and bioproducts.

To get far enough along to be manufactured by a company, researchers must put forth an idea that has some conceptual proof of profit. This can be anything from an actual product or just the idea of something — like a new pharmaceutical drug. In Professor Rosenberg's case, they create a product and submit it for review.

Although Rosenberg began his career conducting strictly academic research, he decided to switch to manufacturing materials to benefit the University.

"Two entrepreneurs pushed me to look at real products and get my students involved," he said.

Now he invests a lot of his time sending out proposals and helping students work on chemicals for patenting. He said he hopes more money is retrieved so the community can benefit as a whole.

"I'm glad local investors finally took advantage of the skilled people here at the University," he said.

tom.holm@umontana.edu