Interruptions in current U.S. government funding highlights the need for strong and collaborative research engagement between universities and companies – both research sponsorship and translation of research and innovations into new products, goods, and services. Future federal funding is less predictable as scientific reviews have been delayed, and some programs may be discontinued.
Faculty researchers – those who regularly work with industry, early career researchers, and those who have had traditional federal grants will benefit from targeted efforts and institutional support for broader engagement with industry. Institutions should consider programs that provide faculty researchers with tools and bring them together with industry researchers to explore collaborations. Updating the current approach to contracting can also stimulate deeper engagement.
Activities to consider:
- Host workshops for researchers on engaging in U-I collaborations.
- Work with industry partners in research centers to document, celebrate, and publicly showcase success in innovation and discovery.
- Leverage center activities and student recruitment to identify existing collaborations and bring researchers together for introductory talks and seminars in a broader context.
- Work with faculty and companies to develop industry specific strategies and seed initiatives.
- Review and update policies and procedures around university-industry research to facilitate contracting and take another look at intellectual property policies for research contracts.
- Consider how master agreements between companies and universities can be used to expedite research engagement and proactively inform and work with interested faculty. Can an existing agreement be used more broadly or should new ones be developed? As an alternative to master agreements for those institutions/companies that do not use them, can templated agreements be developed to reduce time-to-contract for new projects?
- When funding opportunities for federal-university-industry research are announced, use Red Team Reviews to present the best and most responsive proposal possible.
- Broaden the revenue streams that support research infrastructure by working with the institution’s Offices of Finance, Facilities, General Counsel, and Bond Counsel to use service agreements and facility access agreements as effectively as possible.
UI Collab consultants can work with your institution on any of these and more – contact us to discuss your needs. Both companies and academic institutions must remain engaged to ensure that discovery and innovation continue to solve real world problems and improve people’s lives and health.
Jilda Garton
UI Collab Consultant