A state-level R&D inventory is a mechanism to catalog a state’s research strengths and corresponding assets, which can include equipment and faculty research endeavors, among other topics. The Commonwealth possesses abundant and diverse R&D assets but no central, coordinated mechanism to catalog these strengths. The development of this report amidst a global pandemic further elucidates the importance of such a catalog on many fronts: from limited resource appropriations, to objective research bench strengths and identification of experts engaged in related and complementary activities.

The Commonwealth Research and Technology Strategic Roadmap (the Roadmap) offers options of what an R&D inventory could include but does not formally establish a process to maintain such a catalog. Fulfilling a statutory requirement of the Roadmap, this report serves to establish a process for maintaining an inventory of the “Commonwealth's current research and development endeavors in both the public and private sectors that can be used to attract research and commercialization excellence in the Commonwealth."

In December 2019, the Virginia Research Investment Committee (VRIC) expressed the need and support for an inventory and charged SCHEV with obtaining stakeholder input on establishing an inventory process, including findings and recommendations to conclude with a formal report. VRIC requested the report on establishing an R&D inventory effort by their June 2020 meeting.

This report incorporates SCHEV research on model inventories from other states from which the Commonwealth can learn, input from higher education, economic development and industry stakeholders along with guidance from the research and development inventory advisory committee established to assist with this project.