SDSU Division of Research and Innovation
- Company typePublic
- Founded1897
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
SDSU Division of Research and Innovation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SDSU Division of Research and Innovation
- Legal name
- San Diego State University
- Website
- https://research.sdsu.edu
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1897
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SDSU Division of Research and Innovation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- University Research Administration
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Flagship Public Research Universities (R1/R2) (EDAHAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Research Administration & Grants Management Support (Pre/Post-Award, Compliance) (EDAEALAO), Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF)
Keywords
Where SDSU Division of Research and Innovation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
SDSU Division of Research and Innovation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Research Funding: The division manages and supports the university's research enterprise, securing federal, state, and private research funding. FY25 research funding reached $200M.
- Innovation Revenue: Annual innovation revenue of approximately $1M from technology transfer, licensing, and entrepreneurship activities
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | SCCUR 2026 Conference Registration |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | SURP Student Positions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
SDSU Division of Research and Innovation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SDSU Division of Research and Innovation is the central administrative division that amplifies and invests in transformative, multidisciplinary research, scholarship, and creative activities at San Diego State University. It provides research advancement services (grant development and proposal preparation), research compliance oversight (IRB, IACUC, biosafety, export control, conflict of interest), technology transfer and IP commercialization, the ZIP Launchpad startup incubator, shared Core Facilities, and student research programs including SURP and the SDSU Student Symposium. The Division supports over $200 million in annual research activity.
Product overview
The SDSU Division of Research and Innovation (DRI) is a university research support division that provides a portfolio of services, programs, and facilities. The core offering is administrative and logistical support for research activities, including the Technology Transfer Office for IP management, Research Advancement Services for grant support, and Research Support Services for compliance oversight. The division operates student-focused programs including the ZIP Launchpad startup incubator (which includes the H.G. Fenton Idea Lab maker space), the SURP undergraduate research program, and the annual S3 student symposium. Research operations are supported through Core Facilities shared resources. The division also hosts the SCCUR 2026 conference for undergraduate research.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ZIP Launchpad Startup Incubator SDSU's startup incubator that supports student entrepreneurs through mentorship, resources, and funding opportunities as part of DRI's Innovation & Entrepreneurship portfolio.
- H.G. Fenton Idea Lab A maker space within the ZIP Launchpad that implements rapid prototyping and design thinking methodologies, located in the Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences Complex (EIS) at SDSU.
- Technology Transfer Office (TTO) Services Handles the protection and commercialization of technologies developed at SDSU, including evaluating patentability and market potential for faculty inventions, managing intellectual property, and licensing technologies to industry.
- SDSU Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities (SURP) Program Promotes and supports student participation in undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activities through high-impact practices, offering paid positions (approximately $18/hour) for students to work on faculty-mentored projects.
- SDSU Student Symposium (S3) Annual spring symposium where undergraduate students present their research, scholarship, and creative activities to the campus community.
- Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research (SCCUR) 2026 Annual conference hosted at SDSU for undergraduate students across all disciplines to present research. The 2026 theme is 'Upholding Discovery: The Indispensable Role of Research.'
- Research Advancement Services Provides support for faculty research development, grant writing assistance, proposal preparation, and training programs like the Grants Research and Enterprise Writing (GREW) fellowship.
- Research Support Services (Compliance) Oversees research compliance at SDSU, including IRB (human subjects), IACUC (animal care), Biosafety, Export Control, Conflict of Interest, and Research Security oversight.
- Core Facilities Shared research spaces and equipment managed by DRI to support research and innovation activities across the SDSU campus.
Quantifiable outcome
- $200M FY25 research funding secured for SDSU
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use SDSU Division of Research and Innovation
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
SDSU Division of Research and Innovation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
SDSU Division of Research and Innovation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Better Food Futures (BFF) NextGen at SDSUcoreBFF NextGen empowers a diverse new generation of professionals to tackle global climate pressures through regenerative agriculture and sustainable development, bringing together university and community partners
- Center for Comics StudiescoreSDSU Center for Comics Studies leverages unique comics collections to explore history, identity, politics and more through visual media, engaging community and academic partners
- Center for Excellence in Aging & Longevity (CEAL)coreCEAL advances healthy aging through collaboration with healthcare providers, government agencies, nonprofits, philanthropy, and educational institutions
- Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research (SCCUR)coreAnnual conference hosted at SDSU bringing together undergraduate researchers from across Southern California institutions to present and share research across all disciplines
- Santa Margarita Ecological ReservecoreUniversity research reserve supporting ecological and environmental research activities at the interface of the Santa Margarita River ecosystem
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SDSU Division of Research and Innovation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- University of Texas at San Antonio Office of Research: Research administration at another large Hispanic-Serving public R1 university with comparable HSI + R1 positioning, providing a strong template for federal HSI funding capture and inclusive research strategy.
- USC Office of Research: Research administration at a large Southern California R1 with similar graduate/professional programs, technology transfer infrastructure, and undergraduate research initiatives. A direct competitor for talent and industry partnerships in the LA-San Diego corridor.
- UC San Diego Office of Research Affairs: The research administration division at SDSU's nearest R1 neighbor in San Diego. Comparable in function (grants management, compliance, technology transfer) but operates at materially larger scale, serving as the primary competitive benchmark for faculty recruitment and federal funding in the region.
- UC Berkeley Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research: Research administration office of a leading public R1 university with a comparable mix of grant support, compliance oversight, industry-sponsored research, and technology commercialization, and a benchmark for TTO performance at California publics.
- UCLA Research: Research administration office of a top-tier California public R1 university. Comparable in its integration of research advancement, compliance, technology transfer, and undergraduate research programs, and a direct competitor for California state and federal research funding.
- Florida International University Office of Research and Economic Development: Research administration at another major HSI R1 university with a similarly large undergraduate research footprint and emerging technology transfer profile. Useful comparability given the shared HSI/R1 positioning and emphasis on community-engaged scholarship.
Regional players
- UC San Diego Extended Studies / Calit2 / The Design Lab: UC San Diego research-adjacent innovation centers in the same San Diego regional cluster. Relevant as a local peer for industry partnerships, talent pipelines, and innovation district collaboration that DRI engages with through ZIP Launchpad and the Mission Valley development.
Others
- University of Wisconsin–Madison WARF: Long-tenured university-affiliated technology transfer organization that has hired SDSU TTO alumni. Relevant as an indirect peer for TTO operating model and as a comparison point for what a mature university commercialization function looks like.
Broad incumbents
- California State University Office of Research: System-wide CSU research office that coordinates policy and funding across all 23 campuses. Relevant as DRI's parent-system research counterpart, particularly given SDSU's leadership role in the CSU research enterprise.
- Arizona State University Knowledge Enterprise: A large-scale public R1 research administration operation known for innovation district development, entrepreneurship integration, and high-volume industry partnerships — a relevant comparator for SDSU's Mission Valley Innovation District ambitions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SDSU Division of Research and Innovation social profiles
Digital presenceSDSU Division of Research and Innovation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SDSU Division of Research and Innovation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
SDSU Division of Research and Innovation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
SDSU Division of Research and Innovation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SDSU Division of Research and Innovation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SDSU Division of Research and Innovation
What does SDSU Division of Research and Innovation do?
SDSU Division of Research and Innovation is the central administrative division that amplifies and invests in transformative, multidisciplinary research, scholarship, and creative activities at San Diego State University. It provides research advancement services (grant development and proposal preparation), research compliance oversight (IRB, IACUC, biosafety, export control, conflict of interest), technology transfer and IP commercialization, the ZIP Launchpad startup incubator, shared Core Facilities, and student research programs including SURP and the SDSU Student Symposium. The Division supports over $200 million in annual research activity.
Is SDSU Division of Research and Innovation a public or private company?
SDSU Division of Research and Innovation is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was SDSU Division of Research and Innovation founded?
SDSU Division of Research and Innovation was founded in 1897. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SDSU Division of Research and Innovation based?
SDSU Division of Research and Innovation is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does SDSU Division of Research and Innovation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Research Funding is the primary driver. The others are innovation Revenue.
Who are SDSU Division of Research and Innovation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are University of Texas at San Antonio Office of Research, USC Office of Research, UC San Diego Office of Research Affairs, UC Berkeley Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, UCLA Research and Florida International University Office of Research and Economic Development. UC San Diego Extended Studies / Calit2 / The Design Lab is listed as a regional player. University of Wisconsin–Madison WARF is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are California State University Office of Research and Arizona State University Knowledge Enterprise.
Does SDSU Division of Research and Innovation have an API?
No public API is recorded for SDSU Division of Research and Innovation.
What industry is SDSU Division of Research and Innovation in?
SDSU Division of Research and Innovation's product category is University Research Administration. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAAAA, Flagship Public Research Universities (R1/R2), with a secondary code of EDAEALAO, Research Administration & Grants Management Support (Pre/Post-Award, Compliance). Its NAICS code is 611310 and its SIC code is 8700.