Industrial sponsors invested US$4.3 billion in research at US universities in 2010, up 5.6% from 2009, according to a survey of university technology-transfer activities by the Association of University Technology Managers in Deerfield, Illinois. Robin Rasor, president of the group, says that there has been an increase in partnerships because firms have cut back on in-house early-stage research to reduce costs, and are focusing on development. “Companies are looking more to universities for cutting-edge innovations,” she adds. Collaborations could lead to industry jobs for PhD students and postdocs working on those innovations, says Rasor.