USC Research and Innovation

What USC Research and Innovation does

USC Research and Innovation (OORI), formerly the Office of Research, is the central administrative body at the University of Southern California responsible for nurturing and promoting ethical and rigorous research, scholarship, creativity, and innovation. It serves USC's internal community of approximately 8 listed OORI staff plus the broader faculty, student, and postdoctoral researcher population, and operates multiple departments including the Alfred E. Mann Institute (AMI), Department of Animal Resources, Department of Contracts and Grants, Human Research Protection Program, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, Research Initiatives and Infrastructure (RII), Research Integrity, Research Strategy and Development, Research Technology Services, and the Stevens Center for Innovation. The office is led by Senior Vice President Ishwar K. Puri, who is also a Professor of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering.

OORI's core deliverables include proprietary compliance platforms — diSClose for conflicts of interest management and iStar for research involving human subjects, animals, and biohazardous or radioactive substances — together with the Research Training Finder, the innovation.usc.edu hub launched in June 2025, and the technology transfer functions of the Stevens Center and AMI. Underlying technology stacks include research administration systems, the CITI Program for required training modules, and SAP Concur for travel and expense. Funded research outputs span AI-enabled urban canopy mapping, diffusion MRI network analysis for bipolar disorder, the V-SYNTHES structure-based virtual screening platform at the CNT3D Center, and quantum computing research at the Quantum Computing Center with D-Wave.

OORI does not generate revenue directly. Its economic engine is institutional: federal research funding (NIH, NSF, Department of Defense), the Alfred E. Mann endowment, corporate sponsored research partnerships (Airbus, Chevron, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Agilent, Microsoft for Startups, Techstars), and licensing/royalty income from technology transfer at the Stevens Center. Pricing for core research support services is not charged; access is provided to internal USC constituencies free of charge. Go-to-market is event-driven and community-focused, with the Venture & Innovation Summit, Startup Weekend, and research symposia as main engagement mechanisms with the USC research and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Name

USC Research and Innovation

Legal name

University of Southern California - Office of Research and Innovation

Website

https://research.usc.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

USC Research and Innovation (OORI) is the University of Southern California's central administrative office supporting faculty, students, and postdocs in research, compliance, funding, and commercialization. It operates compliance systems (diSClose, iStar), the Alfred E. Mann Institute, and the Stevens Center for Innovation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

University Research Administration Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Research Administration & Compliance (Sponsored Programs, IRB/REB) (EDADAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Research Administration & Grants Management Support (Pre/Post-Award, Compliance) (EDAEALAO)

Keywords

• University research administration
• Research compliance systems
• Technology transfer services
• Biomedical commercialization
• Innovation incubation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Federal Research Funding: USC receives significant federal research funding through NIH grants, NSF grants, and other federal agencies. Researchers like Karolina Charaziak have received NIH grants ($3.3M for inner ear research).
2. Technology Transfer and Licensing: USC Stevens Center for Innovation licenses discoveries, promotes entrepreneurship, and leads corporate research collaborations to commercialize university research.
3. Institute Investments: Alfred E. Mann Institute (AMI) invests in biomedical startups and innovations, bridging the gap between research and commercial products.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Office of Research and Innovation (OORI) at the University of Southern California nurtures and promotes ethical and rigorous research, scholarship, creativity, and innovation. It administers research funding, compliance, training, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship programs through departments such as the Alfred E. Mann Institute, Stevens Center for Innovation, Research Initiatives and Infrastructure, Human Research Protection Program, IACUC, and Research Technology Services.

Product overview

USC Research and Innovation (OORI) is a university administrative office that provides research support services rather than a commercial product company. The main offerings include: (1) innovation.usc.edu - a central innovation hub launched in June 2025 for entrepreneurship and startup activity; (2) Research Initiatives and Infrastructure (RII) supporting investigators through funding programs and training; (3) Compliance systems including diSClose for conflict of interest management and iStar for human/animal/biohazardous research compliance; (4) Research Training Finder for required compliance training modules; and (5) technology transfer services through Stevens Center for Innovation and the Alfred E. Mann Institute for biomedical commercialization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• innovation.usc.edu Hub A central gateway website dedicated to elevating innovation, entrepreneurship, and startup activity across USC. Provides the Trojan community (faculty, students, entrepreneurs) access to people, programs, and opportunities driving innovation at the university.
• diSClose Research compliance system maintained by Research Technology Services (RTS) for managing conflicts of interest at USC.
• iStar Research compliance system maintained by Research Technology Services (RTS) for managing research involving human subjects, animals, and biohazardous and radioactive substances.
• Research Initiatives and Infrastructure (RII) OORI division that supports investigators through internal funding programs, limited submissions, shared resources, and faculty training via the Center for Excellence in Research.
• Alfred E. Mann Institute (AMI) A biomedical innovation institute that bridges the gap between biomedical innovation and the creation of commercially successful medical products to improve and save lives. Invests in biomedical startups.
• Stevens Center for Innovation USC's technology transfer office that licenses discoveries, promotes entrepreneurship, stimulates innovation, and leads corporate research collaborations.
• Research Training Finder A reference tool that highlights important USC policies related to sponsored projects and provides access to required research training modules including AALAS Certification, Animal Biosafety, Bloodborne Pathogens, GCP, and other compliance training.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• TechstarscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2026OORI partnered with Techstars to host the 2026 USC Startup Weekend, bringing Trojan entrepreneurs together for a 54-hour innovation sprint from idea to pitch.
• Microsoft for StartupscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOORI unlocked Microsoft for Startups resources for USC entrepreneurs, providing access to Azure credits, development tools, and mentorship programs.
• AirbusmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAirbus collaborates with USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Korea Aerospace University, and Inha University on ambitious aerospace research projects through the Airbus Institute for Engineering Research (AIER).
• ChevronmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChevron partners with USC through the Center of Excellence for Research and Academic Training (CiSoft) for smart oilfield technologies research.
• Lockheed MartinmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint effort with USC through the Quantum Computing Center (QCC) housed at USC's Information Sciences Institute, conducting pioneering research on NISQ processors.
• AgilentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgilent partnership established the Center of Excellence in Biomolecular Characterization at USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, providing industry-leading instrumentation for bio-sensing, proteomics, and metabolomics.
• Korean AirminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKorean Air participates in the Airbus Institute for Engineering Research (AIER) alongside USC and Korea Aerospace University for aerospace research.
• Korea Aerospace UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in the Airbus Institute for Engineering Research (AIER) collaborating on aerospace research projects.
• Inha UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in AIER and Pratt & Whitney Institute for Collaborative Engineering (PWICE) for aerospace technology research.
• Northrop GrummanmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorthrop Grumman established the Institute of Optical Nanomaterials and Nanophotonics (NG-ION2) with USC Viterbi School of Engineering for next-generation optical materials research.
• Pratt & WhitneyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPratt & Whitney funds the PWICE (Pratt & Whitney Institute for Collaborative Engineering) for aerospace technology research collaboration between USC and Inha University.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Penn Center for Innovation: University of Pennsylvania's tech transfer and innovation hub at a private R1 institution, with biomedical and engineering commercialization comparable to USC OORI's licensing and AMI investment activities.
• UC Berkeley Office of Research / Berkeley IP: UC Berkeley's research administration and intellectual property office supports a major public R1 university with broad federal funding and industry partnerships, paralleling USC OORI's research ecosystem.
• Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures: Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures provides tech transfer, startup creation, and corporate partnership services at a major private R1 university, with strong biomedical commercialization paralleling USC AMI.
• Columbia Technology Ventures: Columbia's tech transfer office at a private R1 university manages licensing, startup creation, and industry partnerships across biomedical and engineering disciplines—comparable to USC Stevens Center for Innovation.
• Stanford Office of Research / Stanford Office of Technology Licensing: Stanford's research administration and tech transfer office serving a private R1 university with deep federal funding relationships, biomedical commercialization, and a leading licensing track record—directly comparable in scope and mission to USC OORI.
• Caltech Office of Technology Transfer: Caltech's tech transfer and corporate partnerships office supports a small but elite R1 institution with strengths in aerospace, engineering, and physical sciences—directly analogous to USC's industry-funded research partnerships.
• UCSF Innovation Ventures: UCSF's tech transfer and innovation office focuses on biomedical and health sciences commercialization at a major R1 institution—closely comparable to USC AMI's biomedical commercialization mandate.
• Harvard Office of Technology Development: Harvard's tech transfer and research commercialization office operates at a private R1 university with biomedical, life sciences, and engineering strengths—closely comparable to USC OORI's AMI and Stevens Center activities.
• MIT Office of Research / MIT Technology Licensing Office: MIT's research administration and tech transfer office at a private R1 university, comparable in scope across federal funding stewardship, compliance, and commercialization activities.
• UCLA Research Administration: UCLA's centralized research administration office operates in the same Los Angeles/Southern California ecosystem as OORI, supporting a major public R1 university with comparable federal funding and compliance functions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ResearchAtUSC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/researchatusc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/researchatusc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about USC Research and Innovation