Scripps Research Institute Ranked Most Innovative In The World

The Scripps Research Institute has been recognized as the most influential research institution in the world, ranking above internationally renowned names such as Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The California– and South Florida-based biotechnology hub topped the Nature Index 2017 Innovation supplement, which aims to shed light on the impact of academic research on innovation. The annual rank was just released by a global cyberinfrastructure organization called The Lens, analyzes data to measure research quality and its broad influence on inventions.

Founded in San Diego, TSRI launched a Florida campus in 2003, with startup costs supported by a one-time $310 million grant by the state legislature.

The research outpost has since earned tens of millions of dollars in grants for research initiatives, becoming an anchor of a growing biotech community in northern Palm Beach County. TSRI scientists have more than 1,000 patents and seven FDA-approved drugs to their credit.

“This week’s accolades serve to highlight these achievements,” said Jamie Williamson, TSRI’s Executive Vice President for Research and Academic Affairs. “TSRI scientists share a common goal of improving public health through scientific discovery, and, importantly, improving the way we make those discoveries. We are proud to be recognized for the profound influence our science has had on other researchers and laboratories around the world.”

A key metric in the Nature Index ranking is publications. More than 40 percent of all TSRI’s natural science articles appear in the Nature Index. The average across the 200 institutions listed is 21.9 percent.

Source: SFBJ