UC Davis reported a significant increase in records of invention (ROIs) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. The university filed 191 ROIs, marking a 36% rise from the previous year’s total of 140. This uptick reverses a downward trend that had persisted since fiscal year 2021.
An ROI is an internal document that formally records an invention and its inventors, serving as the first step toward assessing patent potential and possible commercialization. Historically, between 10% and 25% of ROIs at UC Davis proceed to become patents.
The Innovation and Economic Development Office, along with its UC Davis Health Ventures team, accounted for over 90% of the growth in filings. Their collaboration with university partners resulted in a doubling of ROI submissions from the School of Medicine compared to the prior year. Consequently, the School of Medicine’s share of all campus-wide ROIs increased from about one-third to nearly half.
“This surge in records of invention reflects the growing strength of our university as an innovation leader,” said George Baxter, chief innovation and economic development officer for UC Davis. “It’s a strong signal that more of our research is poised to solve real-world problems.”
Many new ROIs were submitted in fields such as cell and gene therapy, neuroscience, oncology, and food as medicine—areas where there is considerable clinical demand and commercial interest. These developments may improve researchers’ prospects for future funding opportunities as federal agencies focus on projects with clear translational value.
“We’re seeing our research translate into value that extends beyond the lab,” said Dr. Bruce Hall, interim vice chancellor of human health sciences and chief clinical officer for UC Davis Health. “The numbers are exciting, but what matters most are the people behind these inventions and what they represent for the future of the university and our mission to discover, educate and improve human lives.”
Over 70% of this year’s Health Ventures-related ROIs came from first-time lead innovators. This shift is attributed to targeted outreach efforts supporting faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers across various disciplines. Among returning inventors who filed this year, most had not submitted an ROI in three years or more.
Health Ventures’ activities led to filings from departments spanning the School of Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Engineering, College of Biological Sciences, and College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences on both the Davis and Sacramento campuses.
Examples highlighted by UC Davis include Natalia Vapniarsky-Arzi’s work on CRISPR-engineered cartilage material aimed at orthopedic applications; Paul Knoepfler’s development of engineered cell banks modeling glioma for cancer drug discovery; and Kyle Fink and Brian Fury’s creation of a faster process for manufacturing gene therapy vectors.
“The Health Ventures team was instrumental in helping us translate our research,” said Paul Knoepfler. “They met with us to learn about our goals and helped us craft a product innovation concept from the raw scientific research.”
UC Davis attributes this increase in ROIs to its broader investment in mentorship programs, early-stage funding opportunities, and commercialization support through its Innovation and Economic Development Office.
“The growth in ROIs represent more than numbers, they show that we’re building a culture of innovation,” Baxter said. “We’re turning hesitation into momentum and helping our research community deliver meaningful solutions to society.”
UC Davis Health Ventures serves as a hub connecting researchers with industry partners at Aggie Square. It supports programs related to translational funding, industry partnerships, intellectual property commercialization, and operates both a dedicated studio space and fund focused on advancing health innovations.
