Life After NSF Funding: An Assessment of Self-Sustaining Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers

通往“自给自足”之路的工业/大学合作研究中心通常由国家科学基金会资助，为期五年。在此期间，评估方案提供了影响中心状态的行业/大学互动和其他因素的数据。直到最近，没有计划在达到“自给自足”之后收集数据。本项目通过问卷调查对“自我维持”中心进行评估。本研究的目的是：1)评估不再获得NSF资助的中心的现状；2)描述自我维持的过程以及中心如何应对这一挑战；3)确定应对这一转变的功能和功能失调的实践和策略；4)提出建议，提高运营中心实现自我维持的速度和难度。美国国家科学基金会和联合首席研究人员已经同意扩大研究范围，并增加一项任务，研究产学研合作研究中心对研究生的经历、态度和职业道路的影响。参与中心的研究生将与未参与中心的研究生进行比较。这两个群体的研究将在研究生院和毕业后进行。联合首席研究员是著名的专家，并有资格进行研究。项目经理建议北卡罗莱纳州立大学（与佛罗里达大学合作）为这项研究提供一年38,173美元的资助，其中5,000美元用于“参与行业资助研究对研究生的影响”的附加任务。

Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers on a path to "self-sufficiency" are funded by NSF generally for a five year period. During this period an evaluation protocol provides data on industry/university interaction and other factors that effect the Center's status. Until recently, no data was planned to be collected after "self-sufficiency" was attained. This project is conducting an assessment of "self-sustaining" centers via a questionnaire. The objectives of the study are to: 1) assess the current status of Centers which no longer receive NSF funding; 2) describe the process of becoming self-sustaining and how Centers respond to this challenge; 3) identify functional and dysfunctional practices and strategies for coping with this transition; 4) develop recommendations for improving the rate and ease with which operating Centers become self-sustaining. The National Science Foundation and the Co-Principal Investigators have agreed to increase the research scope and add a task to study the impact of Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers on the experiences, attitudes and career paths of graduate students. Graduate students involved in a center will be compared with those not involved. Studies of both groups will be made while in graduate school and after graduating. The Co-Principal Investigators are noted experts and well qualified to perform the studies. The Program Manager recommends that the North Carolina State University (in collaboration with the University of Florida) be awarded $38,173 for one (1) year for this study which includes $5,000 for the added task entitled "The Impact on Graduate Students of Participating in Industry Funded Research."