MSU Research Foundation | Office of Research and Innovation

The MSU Research Foundation pushes the boundaries of research and discovery by reinvesting over $10 million annually back into the brightest minds at MSU. The Foundation bridges the gap between intellectual property and startup venture, leading the way in early-stage investments throughout Michigan, crafting an ecosystem for high-tech, high-growth startup businesses and collaborators to thrive.

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Formed in 1973, the MSU Research Foundation is an independent foundation chartered to promote, encourage, and aid scientific investigation and research at the university; assist with patent matters and perform trust functions for the university’s fundraising organization.

MSURF partners with the Office of Research and Innovation and generously supports several programs including those outlined below. Learn more about how the MSU Research Foundation supports the university, venture creation, and economic development.

MSU Research Foundation Website

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Internal Grants

MSU offers several programs for research development across disciplines including the arts and humanities.

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Shared Research Infrastructure

Support for shared research resources advance MSU's cutting-edge research priorities and equip university researchers with the needed tools for discovery.

Tetrad

Designed to foster new cross-unit and cross-collaborations among faculty who have not worked together before.

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Grant Development Workshops

Tailored services and development workshops to help MSU researchers successfully compete for external funding for their research and creative pursuits.

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MSURF Professorships

A title awarded to outstanding faculty who combine externally recognized, exemplary scholarly accomplishments with clear professional relevance to specific areas of MSU scholarly need, disciplinary development, or research or creative emphasis.

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Plant Science Excellence

Investing in continued excellence and leadership in the plant sciences at MSU.

News

Request for Discretionary Funding Initiative (DFI) Proposals

Mar 13, 2025

The Office of Research and Innovation requests applications for the 2024-2025 Discretionary Funding Initiative (DFI). The application and proposal development document deadline is March 13, 2025. DFI is generously supported by MSU Research Foundation.

Hong Named MSU Research Foundation Professor

Feb 12, 2025

Charles (Chaz) Hong, MD, PhD, has been named a Michigan State University Research Foundation Professor in recognition of his decades of scientific research and clinical impact, including groundbreaking research focused on phosphoinositol-3-kinase and mitogen-activated kinase signaling in artery-vein specification.

Shared Research Infrastructure Awards Announced

Jan 10, 2025

The Office of Research and Innovation (OR&I) is pleased to announce the first Shared Research Infrastructure Program awards. The chosen proposals support one-time, non-recurring purchases or investments in specialized research infrastructure that support and advance cutting-edge research at MSU.

Brandizzi Awarded the Professor Luigi Tartufari Prize by Accademia Nazionale Dei Lincei

Dec 23, 2024

Michigan State University Distinguished Professor and MSU Research Foundation Professor, Federica Brandizzi was awarded the Professor Luigi Tartufari Prize by the Accademia Nazionale Dei Lincei in November. The ceremony was held in Rome, Italy at the historic Palazzo Corsini on Nov. 7.

MSURF Sponsored Research

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MSU Museum and GEL Lab Secure HARP Grant for Gaming Exhibition

The MSU Museum and the Games for Entertainment and Learning (GEL) Lab have been awarded the prestigious 2025 Humanities and Arts Research Program Large-Scale Development Grant to support the creation of Game Changers, an immersive exhibition exploring the societal, cultural and technological impact of video games.

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Afro-Caribbean Artists Reclaim Stories of Slave Trade in New Documentary by French Professor

Safoi Babana-Hampton, Professor of French and Francophone Studies in the Department of Romance and Classical Studies at Michigan State University, has produced and directed a documentary that features artists, historians, and policymakers who challenge Eurocentric narratives to reclaim, reshape, and preserve the memory of the Black Atlantic experience.

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MSU Scientists Discover New Sources for ‘The Molecule That Made the Universe’

From helping catalyze interstellar reactions and fueling the birth of stars to its presence in neighborhood gas giants like Saturn and Jupiter, trihydrogen, or H3+, is best known as the “the molecule that made the universe.”