Returning on Investment Grants (ROI)
Battelle Report
SFAz contracts with Battelle Memorial Institute, the world’s largest independent non-profit research and development organization, to track the return on grant investments.
The Battelle Report on the first two years and initial $60 million of grant investments found SFAz’s work has had a significant impact with the following results:
- $109.8 million in industry match and additional dollars raised; or $2.18 in new monies raised for every State grant dollar distributed
- Involved 54,517 students and 681 teachers in K-12 STEM education activities
- 11 innovation-based spin off companies established in Arizona
- 292 publications
- 50 patents filed and issued
- Nine (9) technology licenses in place
- 757 jobs created related to SFAz grants
- SFAz-generated projects produce one patent for every $1.8 million in research funding generated by SFAz grants compared to the total university wide average of one patent for every $12.5 million in research funding.
Of particular interest is the high productivity of SFAz grants in generating patents and licenses from the universities and other non-profit research performing institutions.
Arizona’s economy benefits greatly from its technology sector, and would be in far worse condition now were it not for investment in knowledge-based industries and research. In other words, despite negative job growth overall and rising unemployment rates in Arizona during the first year of the recession, the state’s technology sector added jobs in three of five key industries.
o Software and services, +4.5%
o Biosciences, +4.3%
o Aerospace and defense, +1.9%
· During the same period, overall tech employment dipped only minimally, -0.1%, while employment in the overall private sector dropped by 3.2%
· Tech jobs pay higher, on average $75,000, compared with $42,000 for the private sector
· University research has also helped bolster the state economy, growing by $48.9 million from 2007 to 2008, with an estimated total economic impact of adding 732 jobs in Arizona
· SFAz also provided more value from its grants in the area of technology licenses, producing one license for every $10.4 million in research funding generated, while the statewide university average was one license for every $16.4 million.
· Arizona does continue to face challenges in becoming a top-tier technology state; in a comparison to eight peer states (those with similar population, growth and technology-based employment), Arizona lags considerably in measures of innovation and talent, and has had a mixed performance in technology industry growth and research growth across universities and industry
Press Release 2010 Annual Report Card on AZ Tech Sector and SFAz Performance Metrics, February 10, 2010 >>
Highlights 2010 Battelle Report Card on SFAz and AZ Tech Sector - February 10, 2010 >>
Battelle 2010 Annual Report Card on SFAz and AZ Tech Sector - February 10, 2010 >>
Press Release 2009 Battelle Report on SFAz Performance Metrics, July 8, 2009 >>
Battelle 2009 Performance Report, Full Document July 8, 2009 >>
Press Release, SFAz Return on Investment Performance Metrics, First Battelle Report, February 27, 2009>>
SFAz Performance Report Summary - February 2009 >>
SFAz Performance Report, Full Document - February 2009 >>
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Note: For more specific details of Investment Grants by Program results, Visit our Grants Program- Home Page>> and refer to the individual investment grant program.
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