MSU Research Foundation | Office of Research and Innovation

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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.

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-college 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

Woodruff Receives 2025 Carl G. Hartman Award

May 27, 2025

Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D., has been awarded the 2025 Carl G. Hartman Award, the highest honor from the Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR), recognizing a lifetime of scholarly achievement in reproductive biology.

MSU Research Foundation Designates $75M to Propel Michigan State’s Vision for a Far Better World

May 15, 2025

In a bold demonstration of philanthropic leadership and long-standing commitment to Michigan State University, the MSU Research Foundation has designated $75 million over the next eight years to support the university’s comprehensive campaign, Uncommon Will, Far Better World.

Goodway Named Red Cedar Distinguished Professor

Apr 1, 2025

Internationally recognized scholar Jackie Goodway has been named a Red Cedar Distinguished Professor. Since 2022, the distinction has recognized faculty who demonstrate exemplary scholarly achievement, teaching excellence and a clear alignment with MSU’s strategic research priorities — strengthening recruitment, recognition and retention of top academic talent across campus.

MSURF Sponsored Research

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

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.”