An Analysis of the National Science Foundation's University-Industry Cooperative Research Centers Experiment: An Effort to Stimulate University-Industry Cooperative Research in Solving R and D Problems in American Industry

摘要

The report is a study to determine if Federal cost-sharing during a five-year period could support the creation of industry-funded permanent cooperative research centers. The experiment focused on three university-industry cooperative research centers, each working on research and development (R&D) problems of a specific American industry. The centers, operated by North Carolina State University (NCSU), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the Mitre Corporation, addressed R&D needs of the furniture, polymer processing, and energy-related industries, respectively. Operational approaches of each of the centers differed, but the objectives, schedules, and incentive structures were similar. Sixteen universities were involved in the centers' projects. Direct funding was provided by 24 commercial firms; a greater number of firms contributed partial funding. The prime objective--sufficient industry support to permit continuation beyond the period of NSF support--has been achieved at MIT. Results indicate that the amount of government cost-sharing required for continuation after the initial start-up period varies with the nature of the industry, ranging from none, as for the polymer processing industry, to 50 percent or greater for industries with less of a research tradition or for which the technological content of the product is less important.