Innovation to Impact Awards
Honoring people, partners and technologies that turn University research into real‑world impact, the awards recognize excellence in inventorship, entrepreneurship, commercialization and collaboration.
About the Awards
Presented by the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research, the Innovation to Impact Awards celebrate achievements in bringing Penn State intellectual property out of the lab and into the real world.
“We celebrate the inventors and champions of innovation who are advancing knowledge, translating that knowledge into solutions and delivering meaningful benefits to society. We are very fortunate that innovation is a Penn State tradition, and we view it as a responsibility. Innovation infuses everything we do, what and how we teach, the questions we ask, the methods we use, the problems we tackle. We foster an interdisciplinary innovation ecosystem where bold ideas are nurtured, cutting edge research is celebrated, and groundbreaking discoveries translate into real world impact.”
Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi
Innovation of the Year Award
Recognizes Penn State technologies achieving significant commercial and societal impact.
Innovation Trailblazer Award
Honors early-career innovators demonstrating creativity and entrepreneurial initiative.
Innovation Lion Award
Recognizes individuals or teams enabling translational research success through partnerships, licensing, or startup support.
Beecher Loftus Technology Transfer Catalyst Award
Honors an external partner accelerating breakthrough innovations into impact.
Innovation Rockstars Award
Honors graduate students, postdocs, and recent graduates advancing innovation and entrepreneurship.
Meet the Awardees
2025
Innovation to Impact Awards Gala
Penn State’s Office of Technology Transfer hosts an annual invite-only Awards Gala to celebrate the inventors, partners, and entrepreneurs translating Penn State research into impact.
Nominate an Innovator
Nominations for the Innovation to Impact Awards are currently closed. Reach out to the Technology Transfer team if you have questions about criteria or want to support the program at ottinfo@psu.edu.