Mercer University admitted to Georgia Research Alliance

Mercer University has been admitted to the Georgia Research Alliance, whose mission includes expanding research and commercialization capacity in Georgia’s universities to launch new companies and create jobs.

Mercer becomes the first Georgia institution south of the Interstate 20 corridor to join the alliance.

Over the past decade, Mercer’s annual research and development expenditures have grown from less than $18 million to more than $30 million, and the number of doctoral students enrolled has grown from fewer than 25 to more than 350.

“The Georgia Research Alliance is an important organization that is contributing in significant ways towards building a 21st century economy in Georgia,” Mercer President William D. Underwood said in a statement. “Mercer scientists are already doing important work that is contributing to this endeavor, particularly in the areas of biosciences and engineering. The university’s membership in GRA will open up even more opportunities for our researchers to collaborate with other scientists as well as business leaders and make even more significant contributions to building our economy in Georgia.”

Since its formation in 1990, the alliance, an independent nonprofit organization aligned with Georgia’s Department of Economic Development, has leveraged $595 million of state funding into:

$2.6 billion of direct federal and private investment in Georgia;

More than 150 newly launched companies;

More than 6,000 high-skill, high-value jobs;

A portfolio of beneficial inventions, processes and technologies.

The alliance’s work is accomplished in part by recruiting world-class scientists to Georgia universities as GRA Eminent Scholars, by investing in state-of-the-art research technology for university labs and by fueling commercialization of university-based discoveries and inventions.

This story was originally published October 6, 2014 at 6:32 PM with the headline "Mercer University admitted to Georgia Research Alliance ."