2021 Better World Project Award
The Better World Project Award illustrates the global impact of research commercialization and honors the vital role that technology transfer plays in that process. More than 50 entries were considered for this year’s Award and were narrowed down to three worthy finalists. This year’s winner, announced March 18, is Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Their tech transfer office’s work on ThyroidPrint, the first molecular test for indeterminate thyroid nodules, garnered a majority of the 900 votes cast in the contest.
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Watch the finalist videos and read their success stories
The 2020 Legend Award: COVID-19
You may have come face-to-face with this innovation in the last year, as it’s been essential in keeping many people safe during the pandemic: the n95 mask, created at the University of Tennessee. The innovation, born three decades ago, has become vital in protecting against COVID-19. The technology is widely used in products such as HVAC filters and medical face masks. An estimated one billion people have used N95s to protect and improve their health.
The inventor, Dr. Peter Tsai, has a 25-year long partnership with the university’s tech transfer office, the University of Tennessee Research Foundation (UTRF), that includes 12 U.S. patents and more than 20 commercial license agreements. This year, UTRF has played an important role in connecting Tsai and his research to a growing number of facilities around the world; he has shared his expertise with many companies interested in producing the charged nonwoven fabric or in scaling up production.
We congratulate UTRF and Dr. Tsai on earning the 2020 Legend Award, and thank them for their work. Click here to see all of the COVID-19-related innovations in the Better World Project collection.
Show Off a Better World
Display your love for the Better World Project by getting one of these sweet t-shirts from AUTM’s store.
Better world Committee Members
Want to be considered for the Better World Project Award next year? Click the button above to submit your tech transfer success story before Sept. 30, 2021 and you’ll be in the running!
