Sindh Madressatul Islam University has established Office of Research Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC) in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan in September 2013. Subsequently, it was recognized by HEC. The ORIC provides strategic and operational support to university's research activities and programs. It has the pivotal role in facilitating the university's research focusing mainly on transformation of invention (pure knowledge/ideas) into innovation (products and production processes) which ultimately leads to commercialization thus, creating a significant impact impact on the community welfare as a whole.
ORIC consists of three important wings: a. Research Development and Operation b. Innovation c. Research Commercialization/Entrepreneurship. The role and function of each section under the umbrella of ORIC are defined as under:
A) Research Development and Operations: This wing aims to develop research culture at SMI University by introducing various research opportunities to faculty/researchers of SMIU. It also facilitates in the external and internal sponsored projects of the institution by providing pre and post award support to PIs. It supports faculty with grant proposal submissions in conjunction with Sponsored Projects Administration (budget development, award documentation, administrative portions of proposals, internal approvals, monitor issues around effort, cost share, space needs, and tuition remission). It also coordinates with all concerned offices/departments for the activities focused on research at the institution.
B) Innovation: The innovative programs are integral to any institution. This wing continuously strives to develop innovative ideas and assess their feasibility for further implementation to ensure sustainable growth of the institution. In this domain, many innovative ideas have been materialized such as leadership programs, online certification programs, preparatory classes, leadership courses, new opportunities for funded projects as well as outreach and national hunt programs.
C) Research Commercialization: ORIC is incomplete without the vision to make institution a powerhouse of innovation. This wing has the grand role to inculcate and promote entrepreneurship, technology-transfer and commercialization activities among researchers and scholars. This is done to energize and support the local and national economy and to help startups to incubate, grow, create new jobs, products, services, markets, carry out innovation and bring in funding.
