MSU Research Foundation

The Research Foundation was formed in 1973 as an independent foundation chartered to promote, encourage, and aid scientific investigation and research at the university; assist with patent matters and perform trust functions for the university’s fundraising organization. Today, the MSU Research Foundation is focused on helping Michigan State University achieve its objectives around economic development through the technology transfer and commercialization of intellectual property created by its faculty, staff, and students. Michigan State University is among the top 100 research institutes in the world with expenditures exceeding $840M annually. The MSU Research Foundation manages an endowment built from decades of licensing revenue. In addition to providing over $10 million in research funding to MSU annually, the MSU Research Foundation is focused on technology commercialization, economic development and placemaking. Through our subsidiary organizations – Spartan Innovations (SI), Red Cedar Ventures (RCV), Michigan Rise Pre-Seed Fund III (MR), and Research Parks – the MSU Research Foundation is a key partner in the Michigan State University innovation ecosystem along with MSU Business Connect and MSU Technologies.