STAC - Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council

Making Innovation Central to Rhode Island’s Future

Making Innovation Central to Rhode Island’s Future

Innovate RI Fund

The Innovate RI Fund provides grants to assist local entrepreneurs and high-growth start-ups defray the costs of applying for federal SBIR/STTR grants, match Phase I and Phase II awards and hire interns.

RI Research Alliance

The RI Research Alliance awards Collaborative Research Grants through a competitive granting process with the goal of stimulating cutting-edge collaborative research projects across the State’s research institutions.

Featured News

SBIR/STTR Fall 2025 Innovation Conference

July 22, 2025

Registration is now open for the TechConnect SBIR/STTR Fall Innovation Conference. Connect directly with over $4 billion in early stage funding, learn how to compete

2025 Collaborative Research Grant Awardees

July 22, 2025

Six interdisciplinary research teams were selected by the review panel to receive funding, totaling $479,358, from the Science & Technology Advisory Council (STAC) this year.

Increase Research and Development

Increasing Rhode Island's research and development capacity is critical to future economic growth.

Encourage
Entrepreneurship

Encourage entrepreneurship through the transfer of new technologies and discoveries into the marketplace.

Enable
Innovation

Innovation depends on an environment rich in talent, capital and ideas that can create new products for world markets.

Partners

Council Members

Koty Sharp, PhD

Roger Williams University – Associate Professor, Biology, Marine Biology, & Environmental Science

Jaap de Vries, PhD

Staff Vice President – Principal Innovation Specialist, FM Global

Bharat Ramratnam, MD

Chief Scientific Officer, Brown Innovation and Research Collaborative for Health (BIRCH) & Vice President of Research at Lifespan

Jason Evans, PhD

Johnson & Wales University – Dean of the College of Food Innovation and Technology

Lydia Shin Schroter

Co-Founder and Managing Partner, New England Medical Innovation Center

Sarah Cunningham

Vice Provost for Strategic Partnerships, Rhode Island School of Design

Jill Pipher, Ph.D. – STAC Co-Chair

Vice President for Research, Brown University

Staff

Innovation Initiatives Director

Kaleena Harrington

Senior Grants Administrator

Vice President Innovation Initiatives / STAC Executive Director