Office For Research Hosts Third-Annual Rutgers Innovation Awards Banquet
October 15, 2026
The 2026 Rutgers Innovation Awards (RIA) banquet was a star-studded affair, as university leadership, industry partners, and state representatives were among the over 200 attendees, all of whom were there to celebrate Rutgers research and honor this year’s RIA recipients.
In their third year, the Rutgers Innovation Awards (RIA) recognize researchers who have demonstrated excellence by developing a breakthrough idea, process, or technology that has the potential to benefit society and create economic value. Representing all four Chancellor-led units, the winners were selected by a group of external experts based on novelty, competitive advantage, impact, utility, socio-economic value of the innovation, and significance of the problem solved.
Following remarks from Rutgers senior vice president for research and head of the Office for Research Michael E. Zwick, PhD, Rutgers President William F. Tate IV, PhD, and assemblyman Christopher Tully, Zwick and executive director of Technology Transfer Deborah Perez Fernandez, PhD, MBA, presented the awards to the ten 2026 RIA-winning research teams.