Prof. Dr. Muhammad Shakeel Ahmad, Rector (Internationalization)
Office 01, Basement, Rawal Institute of Health Science (RIHS)-Islamabad-Pakistan
Email: shakeel@rihs.edu.pk

The Office of Research, Innovation, and Commercialization (ORIC) is a vital institutional body responsible for fostering a dynamic environment of research excellence, innovation, and commercialization. It serves as a bridge between academia, industry, and society, ensuring that research findings are translated into tangible societal benefits and innovations. The ORIC's mandate encompasses supporting and promoting high-impact research, developing strategic collaborations, and facilitating the commercialization of new technologies and ideas.

Vision:-

The vision of the Office of Research, Innovation, and Commercialization (ORIC) is to become a leading hub for groundbreaking research and innovation, driving the creation of knowledge that addresses global challenges. ORIC envisions fostering a research culture that not only contributes to academic excellence but also enables the practical application of ideas, ensuring that scientific breakthroughs, technological advancements, and innovative solutions benefit society at large. It seeks to position the institution as a leader in research, innovation, and commercialization both nationally and globally.

Mission:-

ORIC’s mission is to support, strengthen, and promote a culture of research and innovation within the institution, facilitating the generation and application of knowledge that meets the needs of industry, government, and society. ORIC aims to provide a conducive environment where faculty, researchers, and students can collaborate, innovate, and translate their ideas into marketable products, services, and solutions. By linking research activities with industry demands and fostering international collaborations, ORIC seeks to contribute to economic growth, technological advancement, and sustainable development.

Aims and Objectives:-

The Office of Research, Innovation, and Commercialization operates with a clear set of aims and objectives designed to foster research excellence, innovation, and effective commercialization of ideas:

1. Enhance Research Capacity:

To strengthen the institution's research capabilities by providing infrastructure, resources, and support to faculty and students engaged in high-quality research activities.

2. Promote Innovation and Commercialization:

To foster innovation by encouraging the development of new ideas, technologies, and solutions. ORIC also aims to facilitate the commercialization of research outputs by collaborating with industry partners, investors, and entrepreneurs.

3. Develop Strategic Collaborations:

To build and maintain research partnerships with national and international academic institutions, industries, government bodies, and non-governmental organizations, ensuring collaborative research that addresses local and global challenges.

4. Support Idea Incubation:

To create and maintain platforms for idea incubation and entrepreneurial development, enabling researchers and students to transform their ideas into commercially viable products and services.

5. Increase Patent Activity:

To encourage researchers to protect intellectual property by filing patents and copyright applications for their inventions, ensuring that innovations are safeguarded and can be leveraged for commercial gain.

6. Foster Internationalization of Research:

To promote the internationalization of research activities by facilitating global research collaborations, international funding opportunities, and joint research programs with foreign universities and research institutions.

7. Promote Sustainable Development:

: To align research activities with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ensuring that research outputs contribute to societal well-being, environmental sustainability, and economic development.

8. Enhance Research Impact:

To ensure that research outputs have a tangible impact on society by addressing real-world problems and creating solutions that improve public health, education, the environment, and economic prosperity.

Key Roles and Functions of ORIC:-

The Office of Research, Innovation, and Commercialization is responsible for several critical functions within the institution:

1. Research Support and Capacity Building:-

ORIC provides extensive support for research activities across various disciplines. This includes securing research grants, facilitating access to funding opportunities, providing research infrastructure, and supporting faculty and students in publishing their research in high-impact journals. Additionally, ORIC offers training workshops on research methodology, grant writing, and intellectual property protection, aiming to enhance the research skills of faculty members and students.

2. Innovation and Commercialization:-

ORIC plays a key role in accelerating a culture of innovation by encouraging researchers and students to explore new ideas and develop innovative solutions. The office facilitates the commercialization of research outcomes by:.

Industry Linkages:-

Building relationships with industry partners to bring research products to market. ORIC acts as a liaison between researchers and industries, identifying potential commercial applications for research outputs.

Technology Transfer:-

Facilitating the transfer of new technologies from the lab to the marketplace, ensuring that innovations are made available for public benefit.

Commercialization Office:-

Providing support for the commercialization of research products, including patent filing, marketing, licensing, and forming spin-off companies or startups.

3. Idea Incubation and Entrepreneurship Development:-

The Idea Incubation function of ORIC supports the development of early-stage ideas by offering incubation services, mentorship, and entrepreneurial training. This includes:

Startup Support:-

Providing resources such as office space, technical assistance, business development services, and networking opportunities to startups created by faculty or students.

Incubation Centers:-

Establishing incubation centers where aspiring entrepreneurs can develop their ideas into fully-fledged businesses.

Innovation Competitions:-

Hosting competitions and challenges that encourage students and researchers to develop innovative ideas that can be commercialized.

4. Patents and Intellectual Property (IP) Management:-

ORIC encourages researchers to protect their inventions through patents and copyrights. The office provides guidance on the intellectual property (IP) process, assisting with:

Patent Filings:-

Supporting researchers in the process of filing national and international patents.

IP Commercialization:-

Identifying opportunities for licensing IP to industry partners or creating spin-off companies to commercialize the IP.

Legal Support:-

Offering legal advice on IP protection, patent laws, and commercialization contracts.

5. Research Collaboration and Internationalization:-

ORIC actively promotes research collaboration both within the institution and with external partners. It facilitates:

National and International Collaborations:-

Building partnerships with local and international universities, research institutes, and industries to enhance collaborative research. These collaborations may involve joint research projects, co-publications, faculty and student exchanges, and shared access to research funding.

International Funding Opportunities: -

Assisting researchers in applying for international research grants from organizations such as the European Union, United Nations, World Health Organization (WHO), and other global funding bodies.

Global Research Networks:-

Encouraging faculty and researchers to join international research networks, attend global conferences, and collaborate on global research challenges, thus contributing to the internationalization of the institution's research portfolio.

6. Research Governance and Ethics-

ORIC ensures that all research activities are conducted according to the highest ethical standards. This includes the establishment of research ethics committees to oversee and approve research projects involving human or animal subjects. ORIC also develops policies on research integrity, data management, and the responsible conduct of research.

Strategic Linkages and Collaborations

ORIC is committed to accelerate strong linkages and collaborations with various stakeholders to enhance research and commercialization efforts:

Industry-Academia Linkages:-

Developing strong relationships with industry partners to ensure that research outputs are relevant to industry needs and can be translated into market-ready solutions.

Government Partnerships:

Collaborating with government bodies on research projects that address national priorities, such as public health, education reform, and technological advancement.

International Partnerships:

Establishing collaborations with international academic institutions and research organizations to promote joint research initiatives, faculty and student exchanges, and shared access to research facilities and funding.

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs):

Partnering with NGOs to ensure that research outputs contribute to community development, sustainable practices, and social innovation.

Research Innovation Ecosystem

To foster a thriving research and innovation ecosystem, ORIC adopts the following strategies:

Incubation of Research Ideas:

Establishing a structured system for idea generation, incubation, and development, where faculty and students are encouraged to propose novel solutions to real-world problems.

Interdisciplinary Research:

Promoting interdisciplinary research initiatives that bring together expertise from various fields to solve complex societal challenges, such as climate change, public health crises, and socio-economic inequality.

Commercialization Workshops:

Offering regular workshops and seminars on technology transfer, commercialization strategies, and patent laws to enhance the commercialization readiness of researchers.

The Office of Research, Innovation, and Commercialization (ORIC) plays a significant role in advancing research, innovation, and entrepreneurship within the institution. Through strategic collaborations, idea incubation, and commercialization support, ORIC ensures that research outputs are not only academically significant but also have practical, real-world applications. By aligning its activities with national and international standards, accelerating global research collaborations, and supporting the protection and commercialization of intellectual property, ORIC drives the institution's vision of becoming a leading center of research excellence, innovation, and societal impact.