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

2026 COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH GRANT AWARDEES

October 20, 2026

The Rhode Island Science & Technology Advisory Council (STAC) announces the 2026 Collaborative Research Grants, awarding $497,246 in funds to support interdisciplinary projects that enhance

Upcoming Training: Overview of Navy SBIR/STTR Programs

September 30, 2025

Are you a small business looking for non-dilutive research and development funding? Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how the Department of the Navy can

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

Vice President Innovation Initiatives / STAC Executive Director