Eminent Scholars >

They are among the brightest minds in their disciplines – GRA’s Eminent Scholars, 62 enterprising scientists whom GRA helped recruit to Georgia. For each scholar, GRA invests $750,000 for an endowment, an amount that the research university matches in private funds on a minimum 1-1 basis. GRA also makes investments in developing the world-class research laboratories the scientists need. 



These investments pay tremendous returns: Eminent Scholars often bring a research team, significant federal funding and private support for their research. They advance science and technology toward new discoveries and technologies – often with great commercial potential. All told, Georgia’s investment in GRA Eminent Scholars has yielded more than $1 billion in outside grants and contracts for the state and helped to launch some 35 companies.

NEW OPPORTUNITY: On Feb. 9, GRA announced a new GRA VentureLab Commercialization Seed Award to help drive more university-based discoveries and inventions to market. The Call for Proposals is open to full-time faculty — research as well as professorial ranks of assistant, associate or full professor — at four-year academic institutions in Georgia. Georgia-based full-time scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are also eligible.

Deadline to apply is April 5, 2012!  DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION NOW >

VentureLab is GRA’s signature technology commercialization program.  Launched in 2002, VentureLab helps build high-growth companies around laboratory discoveries at GRA’s partner universities. VentureLab seeks out university-based research innovations, evaluates their commercial potential and provides resources to address the management, market and technology risks that come with new ventures. Each participating university  -- Georgia Tech, Emory, the University of Georgia, Georgia State University and Georgia Health Sciences University – has an active technology incubator with which VentureLab can partner.

In the last five years through VentureLab, GRA has evaluated the commercial potential of more than 260 university inventions or discoveries and awarded VentureLab grants to form 107 active companies.  At the end of 2010, these companies employed more than 640 professionals, had attracted $460.2 million in private equity investment and generated nearly $77 million in revenue.

Georgia Centers of Innovation >

The Georgia Centers of Innovation are charged with providing technology-oriented support to businesses and start-ups in the areas of aerospace, agribusiness, energy, life sciences, logistics and advanced manufacturing. A common objective of the centers is to seek technology solutions to industry-defined challenges and to work to create a pro-growth, innovative business environment for industries critical to Georgia’s expansion.

Georgia Cancer Coalition >

The Georgia Cancer Coalition teams with government agencies, academic institutions, civic groups, corporations and health care organizations in a concerted effort to strengthen cancer prevention, research and treatment in Georgia. The Coalition’s ultimate goal is to reduce the number of cancer-related deaths in Georgia and to make Georgia one of the nation's premier states for cancer care.

To support each portfolio program, GRA invests in advanced technology needed to make the breakthrough discoveries that lead to the launch of new companies and the creation of jobs. This combination of tools and scientific talent has made Georgia home to dozens of Centers of Research Excellence.