As researchers navigate a changing funding landscape, industry partnerships are becoming an increasingly important avenue for advancing innovative research. In this Q&A, Nick Miller, director of Business Connect at the MSU Innovation Center, shares insights on the value of industry-sponsored research, resources available to help faculty connect with corporate partners, and steps researchers can take to initiate successful collaborations.
A significant amount of research at the university is already funded through federal grants. Why should faculty members also be exploring industry funding?
There are several reasons why funding from other (non-federal) sources is important. One is that the trajectory of federal funding has declined significantly, according to the American Association of Universities. Industry funding presents an alternative funding stream, and working with the private sector has numerous benefits, including working on applied challenges that can address real-world problems such as supply chain disruptions, disease outbreaks, and next-generation energy, to name a few. Increased industry engagement also follows the pattern of where our students are heading, post-graduation. Recent data from NSF reveals the proportion of doctoral students going to industry has doubled since 2002 and now makes up nearly half of all employment commitments of doctorate recipients.
If I am a faculty researcher at MSU, how can I find opportunities for corporate funded research?
Aggregation platforms like Halo and In-Part are becoming increasingly common and can be found on our website. Business Connect has its own contact list of companies and is always available to assist in making connections, where we can. We also may be able to provide background that could be helpful in making an approach, including information on where the company may have existing relationships inside the university.
What do I do once I find a potential industry collaborator? What’s the process to initiate a sponsored collaboration?
Contact our team as soon as you can. We can start negotiating an agreement in parallel with discussions on scope of work. We have a team of contracting professionals that work on negotiating agreements, and they handle all of the details, ensuring intellectual property and ability to publish are protected. We're here to handle all the paperwork and make sure the process is as uncomplicated as possible, leaving our faculty to focus on innovation.
What can I do if I want to learn more about working with industry?
To learn more about working with industry, visit Partnering with Industry at MSU. Our team is always available to answer questions and provide guidance, and faculty can also find their corporate connector on our website at My Corporate Connector.