For the tenth year, UNC-Chapel Hill ranks in top 100 for patents granted amongst universities worldwide 

The National Academy of Inventors releases its Top 100 rankings based on calendar year data provided by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) since 2013.

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March 6, 2024
By Shellie Edge
Photography by UNC-Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has been named to the top 100 list of worldwide universities granted U.S. utility patents for the tenth consecutive year. In its newly released annual Top 100 Worldwide Universities List, the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) spotlights top universities holding U.S. utility patents to showcase the important research and innovation taking place within academic institutions. 

“We are honored to be recognized on NAI’s top 100 list of U.S. universities granted utility patents consistently for the past ten years,” says Dedric A. Carter, PhD, MBA, Vice Chancellor and Chief Innovation Officer of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development at UNC-Chapel Hill. 

“Fostering an innovation-focused culture within the University that helps inventors and entrepreneurs transform research and ideas into technologies and ventures allows us to maximize our impact on the public good. By equipping students and faculty with the right tools and resources, we are cultivating an environment that is continually primed to move important discoveries to the marketplace—and impact the lives of everyday citizens.”

The National Academy of Inventors is a member organization comprising U.S. and international universities; governmental agencies; and non-profit research institutes. Currently, there are more than 4,600 individual members, including Fellows, Senior Members, and Chapter Members, affiliated with more than 300 institutions worldwide.

In addition, Gregory Copenhaver, PhD, director of the UNC-Chapel Hill Institute for Convergent Science, has been named to the Class of NAI 2024 Senior Members in recognition of his work as both an innovator and a mentor to future inventors. As one of 553 Senior Members affiliated with NAI Member Institutions all over the world, he’ll be inducted at the 13th NAI Annual Conference on June 17, 2024, in Raleigh, NC.   

“Greg has leveraged energy into the goals of the Institute for Convergent Science, seeking to increase opportunities for research translation in North Carolina and beyond,” says Carter. “This new honor is fitting and well aligned with our efforts to recognize and celebrate inventorship at UNC.”