Clemson University Research Foundation

The Clemson University Research Foundation (CURF), a 501©(3) corporation founded in 1982 and organized exclusively for charitable, educational or scientific purposes, is operated for the benefit of, to perform the functions of, and to carry out the purposes of Clemson University. CURF is governed by a Board of Directors drawn from public and private sector leadership.

CURF’s core mission is to provide leadership and expertise to maximize the societal impact of university research and innovation.

Our priority is to develop initiatives to move technology, created through research and creative inquiry, out of the laboratory and into commercial markets.

CURF, in cooperation with Clemson’s Office of Technology Transfer, manages the technology transfer functions of Clemson University by taking assignment of inventions, obtaining intellectual property protection, working with faculty to evaluate commercial potential of discoveries, and licensing inventions to the private sector for public use.

In addition, CURF acts as the legal recipient of certain gifts, contracts, and grants from industry, public and private non-profits, and government agencies for the performance of research and educational activities associated with Clemson University.

To support Clemson’s Economic Development Mission, CURF owns and operates several facilities dedicated to business incubation that enable start-up companies to accelerate their growth through access to office and wet-lab space as well as other support services.