Notre Dame ranks among top 100 patent-earning institutions in the US
Today, the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) announced that the University of Notre Dame is one of the top 100 U.S. universities for the number of patents granted.
The NAI’s list of Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents is an annual ranking created using calendar year data provided by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. It focuses on utility patents—also known as “patents for invention”—which cover new machines, methods, materials, or processes, and are a key step on the road from research to commercialization.
“As we look at the current and future state of innovation in our nation, we need to ensure that the U.S. is remaining competitive in the international innovation ecosystem,” said Paul R. Sanberg, FNAI, President of the NAI. “Protecting intellectual property is a key component to this, and the Top 100 U.S. Universities list allows us to recognize and celebrate universities and their faculty, staff, and students who are not only innovating at high levels, but taking the additional step of protecting their IP through patenting.”
Patents awarded to Notre Dame in 2023 include innovations for improving manufacturing, analyzing wireless signals, diagnosing diseases, preventing infection, and many other purposes.
Jeffrey F. Rhoads, vice president for research and professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, said, “For more than 180 years, Notre Dame researchers have worked to combine a spirit of invention with a commitment to be a force for good. Today, the University’s commercialization engine is a key part of that effort. We are pleased that more and more Notre Dame researchers are engaged in the commercialization process, translating their discoveries into new technologies and products that improve lives while also creating jobs and contributing to economic growth in our region.”
Rhoads added, “We are grateful for the broadening set of resources available at the University—including the IDEA Center and its programs—that are helping students, faculty, and staff take part in entrepreneurship and move ideas from the lab to the marketplace.”
In addition to its institutional rankings, the NAI also recognizes individual academic inventors through its fellows program. In the past five years, six Notre Dame faculty members have been selected as NAI Fellows—the highest professional honor awarded solely to academic inventors.
Please see the NAI’s full Top 100 U.S. Universities rankings here.
Contact: Brett Beasley / Writer and Editorial Program Manager
Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame
bbeasle1@nd.edu / +1 574-631-8183
research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch
About Notre Dame Research:
The University of Notre Dame is a private research and teaching university inspired by its Catholic mission. Located in South Bend, Indiana, its researchers are advancing human understanding through research, scholarship, education, and creative endeavor in order to be a repository for knowledge and a powerful means for doing good in the world. For more information, please see research.nd.edu or @UNDResearch.
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