Sources: University Science and Technology Coalition (2018), shieldillinois.com
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Illinois is one of the most active states for research and development in the nation, ranking eighth in overall R&D, academic R&D and business R&D.
Additionally, Illinois is the sixth largest producer of science, health, and engineering academic articles nationally. Academic research funding yields a high rate of return in Illinois, with the state producing more academic articles per $1 million in funding, compared with the national average.
In Practice: At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign developed covidSHIELD, a saliva-based testing system that generates results within 24 hours. The development of covidSHIELD allowed the university to maintain in-person learning for much of the 2020-2021 school year. In March 2021, the University of Illinois System received emergency use authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the covidSHIELD testing procedure. Since it’s development, covidSHIELD has been used in over 1,700 schools colleges and universities as well as 28 different community testing sites across the state. 9
