Bringing Your Goals to Life Through Partnership
When you partner with UT, you multiply your bench strength and take an active role in developing research questions that will lead to meaningful outcomes. You gain unparalleled access to world-class facilities, today’s leading experts, and future generations of innovators. Communities across Tennessee and the nation gain new knowledge and tools that make life and lives better.
Envision your opportunities
Partnership takes a variety of forms. How we work together will be shaped by your organization’s size, shape, and mission. Whether you’re an industry-leading corporation, a two-person team, or a government agency, start thinking of yourself as a UT partner.
Industry innovation, R&D problem-solving, and technology development
We cultivate project-based relationships and strategic alliances with industry partners interested in accessing UT’s faculty and student talent, translating UT technologies and know-how into commercialized products and services, and advancing workforce development.
How we work with you: Partnerships team members tailor your engagement to meet your particular needs, and Place-Based Innovation team members support companies interested in co-locating with UT.
Small business innovation, research, and technology transfer
UT connects small businesses with resources to improve their economic competitiveness and provides the research infrastructure required for federal programs that fund for the development and commercialization of innovative technologies.
How we work with you: Depending on your needs, members of either the Partnerships team or the Entrepreneurship and New Ventures team guide your business’s engagement with UT. The latter can guide your company in applying for National Science Foundation I-Corps programs, which provide assistance in evaluating and developing ideas. Place-Based Innovation team members support companies interested in co-locating in a UT facility such as the Tennessee Manufacturing and Design Enterprise.
Start-up and entrepreneurial growth
and support
UT supports networks of entrepreneurs through business training, incubation, and acceleration programs such as those offered through the Spark Innovation Center in the UT Research Park at Cherokee Farm. These programs attract talent from across campus and around the world.
Access entrepreneurship programs and resources
How we work with you: Entrepreneurship and New Ventures team members guide your engagement with UT and connect you with resources and services to protect your ideas, identify potential licensees, and launch and grow new organizations.
National security capabilities advancement
UT collaborates closely with US government agencies and Department of Defense research laboratories to bring world-class expertise to critical security challenges. UT also works with leading defense industry partners to accelerate innovation and technology transfer.
How we work with you: National Security Research team members tailor your engagement to meet your agency’s project goals and requirements. UT has the capability to do classified work.
Partnerships for economic and community impact
UT facilitates partnerships that connect faculty with community organizations, industry, and regional stakeholders to advance applied solutions with economic and societal impact.
How we work with you: Our Economic Engagement team members serve as connectors and facilitators, helping identify shared priorities, align community and industry needs with faculty expertise, and develop collaborative project pathways that build sustainable partnerships and expand UT’s role in regional innovation and economic prosperity. The team also works closely with campus partners to facilitate community-engaged research partnerships.
Shared goals, shared successes
Our partners range from Fortune 100 companies to start-ups and from federal government agencies to local nonprofits.
Frequently asked questions
UT is a large, complex research university. How do I find the right people to work with?
Just contact the Innovation Partnerships and Economic Development team—they’ll serve as your personal matchmaker, getting to know you and connecting you with the right faculty, students, facilities, and programs to meet your specific research needs and innovation goals.
Do organizations partner with UT for single well-defined projects or for long-term dynamic relationships?
We aim to advance our partners’ goals, and partnerships take many forms. We greatly value long-term strategic alliances that involve many distinct projects over time, aimed at creating solutions to grand challenges. At the same time, we understand that project-based collaborations are better suited to some organizations. The Innovation Partnerships and Economic Development team will help your organization shape a partnership that fits your needs.
What kinds of partnership mechanisms does UT offer?
Partners engage with UT through a variety of mechanisms geared to different levels of involvement and investment:
- Small business innovation research and technology transfer program agreements
- Grant agreements
- Gift agreements
- Sponsored research project agreements
- Service agreements and facilities use agreements
- Memoranda of understanding
- Master research agreements
What does partnership cost?
Every partnership is tailored to the partner’s needs. As part of the partnership exploration process, we will work with you to determine the level of investment that will best accomplish your goals. Contact the Innovation Partnerships and Economic Development team to start the conversation.
What intellectual property rights does my company retain during an R&D partnership?
Protecting intellectual property is vital for economically sustainable innovation and commercialization. Our Innovation Partnerships and Economic Development team will work with your organization to proactively negotiate IP rights and protection, ensuring that partnership agreements meet your goals.
How can my organization license technology that has been developed by UT researchers?
Licensing technologies requires the support of several UT offices and the UT Research Foundation. The Innovation Partnerships and Economic Development team will guide your organization through the licensing process by connecting you with the right people and facilitating agreements—including licensing agreements, material transfer agreements, master research agreements, and nondisclosure agreements—that best fit your needs. Contact us to learn more and get started.
Can Knoxville provide the right environment for my company to grow and thrive?
East Tennessee is one of the nation’s fastest-growing innovation corridors. The combined presence of UT, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Tennessee Valley Authority, in addition to state-led economic development policies and initiatives, has helped transform this area into a vibrant hub for innovation-driven industries including fusion energy, nuclear medicine, advanced manufacturing, and AI and high-performance computing. Many UT students enter emerging roles in these fields.
Start your partnership
Your opportunities are waiting. Take the next step by contacting our team. We’ll connect you with the talent and resources to turn those opportunities into results.