Higher Ed Utah

(Jasen Lee, Deseret News) — A group of prominent business leaders is asking the Utah Legislature to put their money where the ideas are.

At the Capitol on Thursday, they called on lawmakers boost funding to the Utah Science, Technology and Research initiative that has helped make Utah among the nation’s most fertile innovation environments.

“We’ve proven to the business community that we have delivered on the promise (to foster research and innovation),” said USTAR executive director Ted McAleer.

Started in 2007, the program was granted approximately $19 million to fund research and outreach, but since then — due to the economic downturn — overall funding for USTAR has declined about 28 percent, he said. With funding down to about $13 million in 2011, supporters hope to restore funding to at least original levels and an additional $10 million, if possible.

“Because of the budget cuts of the past couple of years, we’ve been challenged to continue to grow at the (original) level,” McAleer said.

Since its inception, USTAR has helped produce more than 300 invention disclosures and patent filings, and 44 start-up companies or industry partnerships, according to a program statement.

USTAR collaborates with the University of Utah and Utah State University to create world-class research teams in strategic innovation development areas. Highly regarded faculty members, supported by teams of top researchers, lead the teams. More…