(a) The Board of Trustees of The University of Connecticut shall develop, continuously maintain and revise from time to time a program to facilitate the recruitment of eminent faculty and their research staffs to the university. Such program shall support economic development in the state through faculty research and promote core sectors of the state economy by accelerating the pace of applied research and development. Such program shall supplement the compensation of such faculty and related costs of personnel and materials needed to secure such faculty for the university. Eligibility shall be limited to individuals who have demonstrated excellence in their field of research and have an interest in working collaboratively on research that meets societal needs or commercialization of discoveries, innovations or technologies.

(b) Not later than April 1, 2020, and biennially thereafter, said board shall develop a plan for the recruitment and hiring of research faculty, including those whose research is focused on societal needs or can be commercialized. Such plan shall outline the operating and capital costs associated with the plan and include recruitment and hiring goals.

(c) (1) The Board of Trustees of The University of Connecticut shall commence a research faculty recruitment and hiring program in accordance with the plan submitted pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. Such program shall be used (A) to hire faculty who meet the qualifications specified in subsection (a) of this section and who will assist the university in achieving the goals and requirements set forth in said subsection, and (B) to support the compensation of such faculty and related construction, renovation and equipment costs.

(2) Under such program, the university shall encourage and facilitate the creation of new business ventures in the state that fuel economic growth and shall provide resources for proof of concept, technology maturation, early-stage and later-stage venture capital funding and other measures that encourage expansion of the university’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

(d) The president of The University of Connecticut shall submit an annual report, in accordance with the provisions of § 11-4a, on the university’s progress in meeting hiring goals under this section and the implementation of the program under subsection (c) of this section to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education and finance, revenue and bonding.