About the Knight Campus

What is the Knight Campus?

The Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact is a research and education hub at the University of Oregon in Eugene. Made possible by two $500 million gifts from Penny and Phil Knight, along with $80+ million in directed state funds and gifts from hundreds of donors, the Knight Campus was built around science advancing society and moving scientific breakthroughs out of the lab and into the world faster.

What research happens at the Knight Campus?

Knight Campus researchers are advancing bioengineering and biomedical data science with a focus on transforming human health and accelerating the commercialization of new technologies. The Department of Bioengineering is currently composed of labs with research programs in biomaterials, medical sensors and devices, protein engineering and synthetic biology, neural engineering, biomedical artificial intelligence, regenerative rehabilitation and human performance, and other areas.

Where is the Knight Campus located?

The Knight Campus is located on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, Oregon at the corner of Franklin Blvd and Riverfront Parkway. Knight Campus Building 1's address is: 1505 Franklin Blvd #131, Eugene, OR 97403. Knight Campus Building 2's address is: 1100 Riverfront Parkway, Eugene, OR 97403.

Is the campus open to the public?

Yes. The first two floors of Buildings 1 and 2 are open to the public and include common areas, outdoor terraces, study spaces, and the cafe and restaurant, The Riverfront Bistro. A sky bridge connects the Knight Campus to the Lewis Integrative Science Building on the main University of Oregon campus.

Academic Programs

What academic programs are offered by the Knight Campus?

The Knight Campus houses the University of Oregon's first-ever engineering department, the Department of Bioengineering. It offers a joint Ph.D. program with Oregon State University (launched fall 2020) and an undergraduate minor (launched fall 2021). The Knight Campus Graduate Internship Program is a nationally recognized, applied master's program with five different program tracks focused on industry-relevant technical and professional skills. It also offers a Brewing Innovation Minor that leverages science and engineering, history, innovation, and storytelling to teach the craft and science of brewing.

What is the Knight Campus Graduate Internship Program?

The Knight Campus Graduate Internship Program is an applied master's program that combines lab and lecture content with a paid internship, training students for success in the fast-paced, collaborative environment typical of industrial or government lab settings. It's designed for students who want to move quickly from classroom to career.

Are there opportunities for undergraduates?

Yes. The Department of Bioengineering offers an undergraduate minor in bioengineering. The Knight Campus Undergraduate Scholars program is a full-year research experience that immerses a cohort of undergraduate students in a Knight Campus–affiliated lab from January through December. The Brewing Innovation Minor is an undergraduate minor that leverages science and engineering, history, innovation, and storytelling to teach the craft and science of brewing.

Are Knight Campus graduates prepared for industry work, not just academic research?

Yes. Students in the Knight Campus Graduate Internship Program are trained to be successful in the fast-paced, collaborative environment typical of industrial or government lab settings and as part of their master's, participate in a 9-month internship. The Department of Bioengineering PhD students learn business skills through a partnership with the UO Lundquist College of Business, resulting in a required course on innovation and entrepreneurship. Students also engage through the Robert Family Entrepreneurship Speaker Series and have access and crossover with Papé Family Innovation Center tenants.

Innovation & Partnerships

Has the Knight Campus produced any notable commercial outcomes?

Yes. Faculty have launched startup companies moving new technologies into the marketplace, including one that is 3D-printing patient-specific orthopedic implants, shortening the innovation timeline from years to weeks. The Papé Family Innovation Center is making it easier and faster to translate academic research into patents, inventions, startup companies, and collaborations with industry.

What is the Papé Family Innovation Center?

The Papé Family Innovation Center offers a mix of meeting spaces, wet lab benches, and procedure rooms. Spaces are currently available for lease. Interested parties can reach the team at KCinnovation@uoregon.edu.

What is the Knight Campus's economic impact on Oregon?

With its focus on biotechnology, the Knight Campus has the potential to reshape Oregon's statewide economy and have a major, long-term impact on economic development by creating new businesses and jobs in Eugene, the state's third largest city. The initiative bolsters research commercialization, enhances entrepreneurship in Oregon, and propels the work of UO students, faculty, and staff into the world, with a goal of making Oregon a place where companies can start up, grow, and stay.

How can a company partner with the Knight Campus?

There are several entry points. Companies can host student interns through the Knight Campus Graduate Internship Program, lease space in the Papé Family Innovation Center, collaborate on sponsored research, or recruit directly from a pipeline of highly trained scientists and engineers. Contact the Knight Campus innovation team at KCinnovation@uoregon.edu to explore options.

Does the Knight Campus work with healthcare or clinical partners?

The Knight Campus has created biomedical research collaborations and postdoctoral training opportunities through the Center for Translational Biomedical Research, in partnership with PeaceHealth. Our researchers and PhD students also partner with Slocum Orthopedics in Eugene, Oregon. 

What research collaborations extend beyond Oregon?

Through the support of the Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation, the Knight Campus funds research projects through the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, with collaborations extending to five partner institutions: Stanford University, UCSD, Boston Children's Hospital, the Salk Institute, and the University of Kansas.