A process for academic startups to secure short term commercialization space on campus

Due to the growing need by researchers for temporary commercial laboratory space for their early-phase startup companies, the Innovation Advocates (IAs), made up of representatives from across campus, charged with evaluating mechanisms to support SP 4.0, Action 15 – Strengthening the support system for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E), have suggested a short-term solution.

A team from University Facilities, Infrastructure and Operations (UFIO) and IAs have met to discuss and identify a new process, utilizing some existing resources, for identifying and securing short-term space (six to eighteen months).

Apply for space (Word doc)

At time of outside grant/funding application submission:

  1. PI to discuss space need with Dept. Head and/or Dean and gain approval for proceeding.
  2. The Department or College will utilize the fee book to access the cost of the space, equipment and materials to be used in the project. These costs will be marked-up twenty (20) percent for University Facilities, Infrastructure and Operations (UFIO) process management time and effort.
  3. PI to submit form (Word doc) with suggested use of space, defining needs to include proposed space, equipment, supplies, activities to be done, timeline, pricing (typically based on fee book) and end date. This is supplemented with a marked up floorplan shading the areas being requested. The new form along with a floorplan sketch should be submitted via Docusign to the appropriate college space point of contact who will be able to run a quick private activity check using OSU’s new envision software and then to David Jacobs, Space Allocation Manager, UFIO who will manage a deeper review to ensure the proposed activity can be conducted in the proposed space.
  4. Once reviewed by UFIO, these forms are routed via Docusign for approval by the appropriate Dept. Chair, ADR and/or Dean.
  5. At time of indication to PI that funding for these activities is likely, PI re-routes the approved documents with any updates for the proposed space, equipment, supplies, activities to be done, timeline, final pricing and end date of activities to David Jacobs at UFIO via Docusign.
  6. UFIO approves or revises and approves and returns to PI.
  7. Use of Facilities agreement finalized by UFIO and PI.