USC Research AdvancementOffice of the Vice Provost
Obtaining Research Funding from Corporate Sponsors
Obtaining Research Funding from Corporate Obtaining Research Funding from Corporate SponsorsSponsors
Dennis Atkinson
USC Research AdvancementOffice of the Vice Provost
Dennis Atkinson
Vice Provost Office for Research AdvancementDirector: Corporate Research
Outline
• Background – Corporate Research Funding• Corporate Motivations wrt Academia• People & Processes• Finding Information• USC Resources Available• Developing Connections / Proposals
Personal HistoryEngineering Background – Electrical and Biomedical
25 years in Medical Imaging / Electronics Industry• Medical Physicist – 20+ Years in MRI / MRS• Manager of Sponsored Research (Siemens, GE)
Joined USC in January 06• Focus on Corporate Research Advancement• Building Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Expectations in working with industry
• Typically, support smaller than traditional federal agencies or foundations
• Support – Comes in many forms: contracts, student support, training and education, sponsored research grants, payment-in-kind (equipment, discounts)
• Behaviors in industrial research funding – Assessment of internal or external research, persistent focus on quarterly/yearly results, (re)justify return on investment
• Research expenditures vary widely by company and industry and often use different metrics (eg. R&D as a ratio of sales, capital, employee)
http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/infbrief/nsf07311/#fig1
One Academic View
Business 101
R&D Funds
http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind04/c4/c4s1.htm#c4s1l1
R&D Funds
Industry / Federal Agency Differences
• In academia, industrial research support typically is much smaller than traditional federal funding.
• Support – Industry supports work typically for market consideration or basic investigation. In some fields, near-product development work is sponsored.
• Speed is a significant issue for competitive industries• Proposals to industry (like foundations) can be simpler. • Contracts may be difficult: IP terms, multi-party
agreements, workstatements, deliverables, deadlines
R&D-Fund Source/Performerhttp://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind04/c4/fig04-06.htm
Industry sources and performs more development / applied research –Academia focuses on basic research
Industry sources and performs more development / applied research –Academia focuses on basic research
Academia
http://www.dealingwithdarwin.com/theBook/ideasInAction.php#
Complicated technologies / markets may require long-term interactions between industry and academia
Outline
• Background – Corporate funding• Corporate Motivations wrt Academia• Processes & People• Finding Information• USC Resources Available• Developing Connections / Proposals
NSF Merit Review CriteriaNSF Merit Review CriteriaCriteria include:Criteria include:•• Intellectual merit and quality of the proposed Intellectual merit and quality of the proposed
activityactivity•• Broader societal impacts of the proposed activityBroader societal impacts of the proposed activity•• Advancing knowledge and understanding within Advancing knowledge and understanding within
its own field or across different fields its own field or across different fields •• Broaden the participation of underrepresented Broaden the participation of underrepresented
groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)? geographic, etc.)?
“ To promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense.... “NSF Act of 1950 (Public Law 81-507)
NSF Merit Review ProcessNSF Merit Review ProcessNSF Merit Review ProcessElectronic
Receiptof Proposal
Merit Review Criteria• Intellectual Merit• Broader Impacts
Program Officer Recommendation (Award/Decline)
NSF Program Officer
Higher LevelReview
Peer Review• Mail• Panel• Combination
Decline
Award
Typical Corporate Org ChartCorporate Staff
Division / Product
Sales
Regional Sales
Local Sales
Corp R&D
Marketing Product R&D
Regional Sales
Local Sales
HQHQ
Local / RegionalLocal / Regional
Many potential touchpoints: Each has different needs from University relationship
Many potential touchpoints: Each has different needs from University relationship
Academic Accts
Gov’t Relations
Outline
• Background – Corporate funding• Corporate Motivations wrt Academia• People & Processes• Finding Information• USC Resources Available• Developing Connections / Proposals
Funding Information
• Databases• USC External Relations Directors• Existing USC Relationships (& alumni)• Personal Relationships• Commercial Relationships• Cold Calls• Intermediates – Nine Sigma, Innocentive
R&D Funds-Lists
http://www.pharmexec.com/pharmexec/data/articlestandard/pharmexec/272006/354138/article.pdf
Find funding with COS Funding Opportunities:search the world's most comprehensive funding resource, with more than 22,000 records representing nearly 400,000 opportunities, worth over $33 billion.
Identify experts and collaborators with COS Expertise:search among 500,000 profiles of researchers from 1,600 institutions throughout the world. Discover who's doing what -- current research activity, funding received, publications, patents, new positions and more.
Promote your research with a COS Profile:showcase your research and expertise among researchers and scholars from universities, corporations and nonprofits in more than 170 countries. Use convenient tools to keep your CV updated and accessible.
Community of Science (COS)
http://www.usc.edu/hsc/nml/
Sample Output
All proposals will be evaluated based upon the following criteria:
•Well-defined goals and objectives that, if achieved, have the potential to have a significant impact on the integration of utilizing the cell phone as a platform for Healthcare. These goals must be achievable within the timescale of the funded project, and where appropriate placed into the context of milestones in a larger or longer-running project.
•Potential for wide dissemination and use of intellectual property created, including specific plans for publications, conference presentations, distance learning, etc., as well as plans to distribute content in multiple formats or languages.
•Ability to complete the project including the adequacy of resources available, reasonableness of timelines, and number and qualifications of identified contributors.
•Qualifications of principal investigator including previous history of work in the area, successful completion of previous funded projects, teaching awards, books published, etc.
•Use of Microsoft tools and technologies: proposals should clearly indicate the Microsoft tools and technologies to be used in the project, or if no such technologies can be used, a clear statement should be made why this is the case.
•Leveraging of other resources: preferential consideration will be given to proposals utilizing additional sources of funding to build larger or longer-running projects and/or leveraging other projects or resources in the field.
“ We feel that cell phones and inexpensive, commonly available sensor devices have an opportunity to reach people who until nowhave not previously had access to technology-based healthcare solutions. “
All candidate technologies should have the potential of being commercially deployed in electric power generation systems in the 1 MW to 1500MW power output range prior to 2016.All ideas submitted will be carefully evaluated and, even if not selected for the University Embryonic Program, may be directed to the appropriate cognizant scientists and engineers within Siemens Power Generation for possible funding via existing internal R&D projects or for possible collaborative proposals to various US Government funding agencies.
The intent of the UEP is to broaden Siemens connections with selected university partners for longer range R&D in power generation technologies.
All candidate technologies should have the potential of being commercially deployed in electric power generation systems in the 1 MW to 1500MW power output range prior to 2016.All ideas submitted will be carefully evaluated and, even if not selected for the University Embryonic Program, may be directed to the appropriate cognizant scientists and engineers within Siemens Power Generation for possible funding via existing internal R&D projects or for possible collaborative proposals to various US Government funding agencies.
The intent of the UEP is to broaden Siemens connections with selected university partners for longer range R&D in power generation technologies.
Confidential
Three Exploration Fields are in Focus
SearchField
MonitoringField
Exploration Exploration FieldField
Innovation Field
Establishednew business
for Merck
Sources
Solid state lightingMaterials for photovoltaics
Sensor Materials
Focus Fields
Transparent ConductorsMobile Energy
Business Development ChemicalsProject objectives
Our mission:• Identification and opening up of attractive future materials markets in adjacent fields of our current businesses
What we are interested in:• Identify joint material research interests with an attractive market potential• Support related university materials science and talented scientists• Enhance our interaction with the US university research community
What we offer:• Commitment to create a fund of >$1M p.a. for sponsoring directed research and/or fellowships for > 3 years• Strong industrial partnership with extensive technical know-how and capabilities as well as market access to Asia and Europe
CA sponsored matching grant program for UC faculty
http://www.ucdiscoverygrant.org/apply/oppawards.htm