The RIT Research Corporation (RITRC) was founded in 1980 as a for-profit subsidiary of the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Developed as the main research arm of the Institute, RITRC provided applied research and consulting services to businesses, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. When RITRC was approached with a request, project managers would organize a multidisciplinary team made up of faculty, staff, and students from different colleges within the Institute. Thus, although RITRC was not officially part of the university, it was staffed entirely by members of the RIT community. Prior to RITRC's founding, research requests had to be arranged with individual departments and faculty members. According to RIT's president at the time, Dr. M. Richard Rose, the intent of RITRC was to "combine all research effort into a single organizational component." Now interested parties could have a single point of contact with the university. The hope was that RITRC would help enhance RIT's reputation in the field of applied research and higher education. Plus, increased research levels meant an increase in the use of RIT's facilities and lab equipment. RITRC's focus was on applied research with specialization in the fields of energy, graphic arts, productivity, and communications. The goal was never for RITRC to venture into the realm of theoretical research as was popular at the nearby University of Rochester. Rather, RITRC was focused on providing solutions to technical problems and challenges of the day. According to one brochure, RITRC offered services such as: developing test systems, annual reports, manufacturing and assembly planning, product delivery studies, helping set priorities, profitability studies for new products, graphic arts and imaging. energy test equipment, increase productivity, and professional consulting. When it officially started, RITRC assumed close to $2 million of existing RIT research grants and contracts. The organization continued to operate into the late 1990s. One of RITRC's high-profile contracts was with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency during the 1980s. The CIA was particularly interested in RIT's expertise in the field of imaging science. RITRC was eventually absorbed as part of the university. As of 2011, research projects at the university were overseen by the Vice President of Research and were run through the Research Relations Office.
From the description of RIT Research Corporation records 1980-2001 (RIT Library). WorldCat record id: 757736035
