About

Since our founding in 1962, the Research & Development Council of New Jersey has worked to advance research and development throughout New Jersey. We advocate on behalf of research-driven companies and universities in the state. We bolster New Jersey’s STEM education and career pipeline. And we foster collaboration among industry, academia and government.
Mission & Vision

Mission: As the Research & Development Council of New Jersey, we collaborate among industry, academia and government to grow and strengthen STEM in education, innovation and the economy.

Vision: Growing STEM. Advancing innovation. Impacting the world.

History and key initiatives
How it all began

The Research & Development Council was founded in 1962 by industry leaders who saw the need for collaboration among industry, academia and government in order to support and strengthen the innovation environment in New Jersey.

Promoting R&D tax credits

The R&D Council worked with the State of New Jersey to create tax credits for R&D facilities to help spur the state’s innovation economy.

Building NJ’s STEM pipeline

The R&D Council today leads the state in guiding and promoting corporate and government investment in STEM education to develop, retain and attract top talent in New Jersey.

Giving R&D a voice in Trenton

R&D Council staff and board members work regularly with state political leaders to strengthen the effectiveness of R&D driven enterprises and to gain insights into the political and legislative agenda.

Spotlighting NJ’s remarkable research talent
The R&D Council honors New Jersey’s best and brightest inventors through the annual Thomas Edison Patent Awards. The annual event, which has been held for four decades, showcases patented innovations that change the world.
Leadership
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Kevin Campos, Ph.D.
Chair
Associate Vice President, Process Research & Development
MERCK
Ellen Ferguson
Vice Chair
Bell Labs Operation and Planning
NOKIA BELL LABS
Colleen Ruegger, RPh, Ph.D.
Secretary
Executive Director, Technical Research & Development (TRD), Development Unit Head CardioRenalMetabolic & Global Health
NOVARTIS
Larry O’Connell, P.Eng
Immediate Past-Chair
Vice President, Global Technical Leadership and Global TechLine
IBM
Anthony S. Cicatiello
President
Ex-Officio

BOARD

The Hon. Robert Asaro-Angelo
Commissioner
NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF LABOR & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Lora Billings, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Science and Mathematics
MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY
Keith Bostian, Ph.D.
Dean of NJCSTM / Technology Transfer Office
Founder & CEO, Institute for Life Science Entrepreneurship
KEAN UNIVERSITY
Gary Buchanan, Ph.D.
Director, Division of Science, Research and Environmental Health
NJ DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Coleen Burrus
Director, Corporate and Foundation Relations, Office of the Dean for Research
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
Ray Carr
Director, Armaments Center Fusion Cell
U.S. ARMY ARMAMENTS CENTER
Mario M. Casabona
Founder and CEO
CASABONA VENTURES LLC
Robert C. Cohen
President; Digital, Robotics, and Enabling Technologies
STRYKER
Kathleen W. Coviello
Director, Technology & Life Sciences Division
NEW JERSEY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY State Representative to R&D Council
Nandu Deorkar, Ph.D.
Vice President, Research & Development
AVANTOR PERFORMANCE MATERIALS
Atam P. Dhawan, Ph.D.
Senior Vice Provost for Research Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
NEW JERSEY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Tabetha Dobbins, Ph.D.
Vice President for Research
ROWAN UNIVERSITY
Bruce Ellsworth, Ph.D.
Director, Head of Fibrosis Discovery Chemistry
BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB
Jeffrey Grenda, Ph.D.
Corporate Strategic Research
EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
Paul Hoffman
President & CEO
LIBERTY SCIENCE CENTER
Virginie Maillard
Head of Corporate Technology US / Head of Technology Field Simulation & Digital Twin
SIEMENS CORPORATION
Alan J. Main, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President, Pharmaceutical Research
LEXICON PHARMACEUTICALS
Vincent Maione
ØRSTED
Ravi Nargund, Ph.D.
Senior Scientific Director, Global Drug Discovery
JANSSEN R&D
Sacha (Alexandra) Patera, Ph.D.
Associate Vice President, Rutgers Corporate Engagement Center
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY & RUTGERS UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
Aaron Price
CEO
TECHUNITED, NEW JERSEY
Colleen E. Ruegger, RPh, Ph.D.
Global Head, Oral Pharmaceutical Development
NOVARTIS PHARMACEUTICAL CORPORATION
Kathleen Scotto, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor for Research, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY
Rob Slone
VP and Chief Technology Officer, Honeywell Advanced Materials
HONEYWELL
Jeffrey Stokes
Sr. Director, Power Generation for PSEG Fossil
PSEG
Peter Walther
Senior Vice President, Heterogeneous Catalysis
BASF CORP.
David Zimmerman
Director of Technology Commercialization
STEVENS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Andrew Zwicker, Ph.D.
Head, Science Education
PRINCETON PLASMA PHYSICS LABORATORY NEW JERSEY ASSEMBLYMAN, 16TH LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Staff

Anthony S. Cicatiello
President
Kim Case, J.D.
Executive Director
Alise Roderer
Governor’s STEM Scholars Director
Shirley Guzman
Programs Manager