RIT Research Corporation records

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: RITArc-0085

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The RIT Research Corporation records consist of materials related to the organization and its activities. The collection contains a series of administrative documents including a copy of the company's certificate of incorporation, mission statement and by-laws. There are also board meeting minutes from various years from 1980-1999 and some financial records.

Additionally, the collection contains promotional materials for the organization, such as brochures. In September 2000, the RIT Research Corporation celebrated its 20th anniversary. The collection includes documents from the planning committee for this celebration. The collection also contains copies of the RIT Research Corporation's newsletter, "Future Funding Resources News," several published reports, and a clippings file.

Finally, the corporate seal embossing stamp for the organization is located at the end of the collection.

Dates

Creation: 1980-2001

Creator

Rochester Institute of Technology. RIT Research Corporation (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to researchers.

Biographical / Historical

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

Professional consulting

Extent

2.5 Linear Feet (4 document boxes, 1 lid box- contains corporate seal)

Language

English

Additional Description

Overview

Records of the RIT Research Corporation, a for-profit subsidiary of the Rochester Institute of Technology during the 1980s and 1990s. The RIT Research Corporation was responsible for applied research and consultation services at the university during this period. The collection includes governance documents, meeting minutes, reports, correspondence, promotional materials, publications, and clippings.

Arrangement

This collection is currently unprocessed.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Accession numbers: 09:08; 09:19; 09:32

Most materials in the collection were given to the RIT Archive Collection by the Vice President for Research in 2009 as three separate accessions.