South Middlesex Times

Rutgers University has ascended in the global rankings for utility patents granted to university inventors, moving up five positions to 68th worldwide and securing the 43rd spot among U.S. institutions. This achievement underscores Rutgers' prominence in research and innovation.

The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) publishes this list annually, highlighting universities with significant contributions to research and innovation through U.S. utility patents. These patents protect the functionality of inventions for up to 20 years.

Rutgers has consistently appeared in the NAI Top 100 Worldwide Universities List since its inception in 2013. In 2024 alone, Rutgers researchers were granted over 50 patents for inventions addressing issues such as Lyme disease, tuberculosis, cancer, and cardiac health.

"This top 100 ranking highlights Rutgers’ role as a research and innovation powerhouse not just in New Jersey, or the United States, but in the world," said Michael E. Zwick, senior vice president for Research at Rutgers. He noted that Rutgers increased its patent total by nine from the previous year.

Deborah Perez Fernandez, executive director of Technology Transfer within the Office for Research at Rutgers, praised her team: "I am very proud of the Technology Transfer team, who works tirelessly with Rutgers researchers throughout the patent process to ensure the amazing and potentially world-changing innovations and technologies developed here at Rutgers are protected."

The technology transfer process at Rutgers begins when faculty disclose new innovations via the Innovator Portal. The Technology Transfer unit evaluates submissions based on various criteria before recommending whether a provisional patent application should be filed with the USPTO.

Paul R. Sanberg, President of NAI, emphasized the importance of patents: "The Top 100 Worldwide list showcases the vital role U.S. patents play in moving technologies from bench to marketplace at academic institutions around the globe."

The Top 100 Worldwide Universities List is one of three annual rankings by NAI based on data from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.