U ranks 6th in marketing its discoveries

The U's high ranking puts it on a par with such research university giants as MIT and the University of California system.

September 21, 2006
StarTribune
Norman Draper

When it comes to turning chemical reactions and research papers into something you can bank on, the University of Minnesota is one of the best there is.

The U ranks sixth out of 135 American and Canadian research universities in a study released Wednesday of how well universities get their inventions and discoveries to the marketplace.

The study, by the California-based Milken Institute, puts the U up there with such research giants as MIT and the University of California system.

"I'm pretty happy with what I see here," said Tim Mulcahy, U vice president for research. "In my mind it confirms that the University of Minnesota is competing in the big leagues and doing so quite successfully."

According to university officials and the report's chief author, the sixth-place ranking comes from income related to computer software products developed at the U and a windfall from the AIDS-fighting drug Ziagen, among other things.

Mulcahy and Milken report author Russ DeVol noted that one or two huge discoveries can catapult a university to the top of the rankings.

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Posted by john5091 at September 21, 2006 12:45 PM