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

djatkins@usc.edu

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