Strengthen & Modernize U-I Partnerships: A New UIDP Initiative
By Anthony Boccanfuso
Sept. 17, 2024—Representatives from academia, government, industry, and nonprofits/private funders are keenly interested in examining how cross-sector partnerships can maximize resource investment for greater impact. Last week, during UIDP’s fall conference, UIDP Board Chair Nerissa Draeger and I announced a groundbreaking new initiative to explore effective strategies and tactics for dramatically increasing the power of these partnerships. The Strengthen and Modernize U-I Partnerships initiative is envisioned to revolutionize how the sectors collaborate (university, industry, government–federal, state, and local, and nonprofit) by addressing four areas of specific need identified by science and technology leadership:
- Coordinating R&D resources (university, industry, nonprofit, and government) for impact;
- Expanding research infrastructure capacity in emerging technology topics, both nationally and in collaboration with international partners;
- Building public trust in science by reducing conflicts of interest and enhancing transparency; and
- Building the scientific workforce of the future.
For nearly 20 years, UIDP has built a foundation of partnership approaches and best practices for universities and companies, recognizing the pivotal role that government and nonprofit entities play as investors and force multipliers. We’ve convened and partnered with the best and the brightest to identify and develop innovative ways to tackle challenges in cross-sector research. This initiative aims to strengthen and modernize these alliances by amassing an unprecedented body of knowledge that organizations can adopt to bolster their collaborations.
The charge
Both the State of the Science address by U.S. National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt and a July address by U.S. National Science Board chair Dario Gil called for action from stakeholders across the research landscape to build a robust science and technology enterprise to meet current and future challenges. The speakers cited threats to U.S. leadership in science and technology, including shifts in research funding sources, declining research output, workforce skills gaps, and increasing global competitiveness.
In her address, McNutt underscored the importance of strengthening and modernizing U-I partnerships to address these challenges. The UIDP initiative challenges thought leaders in the United States and around the world to identify the levers—strategic and tactical—that will dramatically increase the impact of collaborative innovation.
The initiative
This year-long effort will raise awareness of current pilots and produce recommendations to guide the research community in four focus areas: compliance and contracts, infrastructure, joint investments and engagements, and talent. We are engaging leading practitioners to learn about the most innovative, successful approaches in the field today with the potential to scale, including pilots and projects in other countries that can be applied to the U.S. context and vice versa. We’re also identifying gaps and opportunities to address them strategically, engaging with government leaders to push forward changes that can accelerate innovation where roadblocks exist today.
UIDP will incorporate these perspectives into forward-looking, actionable strategies and tactics to re-envision and re-energize partnerships. Organizations can select the approaches that best fit their structures and cultures, adapt, pilot, and adopt.
Bringing together individuals with deep experience in these partnerships will help us identify and develop novel approaches and actionable steps for the future. Listening sessions will begin in September 2024 and stretch across the year while we add constructive approaches to the Strengthen and Modernize resource portal. At UIDP Europe 2025 in Basel, Switzerland, we will convene senior leaders to examine what we’ve learned and consider recommendations as we continue to develop and operationalize new approaches in the coming years.
Why it matters
Vannevar Bush wrote “Science, the Endless Frontier” in 1945, making the case for a national science and technology policy to build a scientific workforce and address societal challenges through innovation and discovery. We know that use-inspired and translational science can lead to dramatic improvements in the quality of life. By transforming and improving the ways we forge, nurture, and sustain partnerships, we can strengthen and modernize these efforts for generations to come.
Learn more about the Strengthen & Modernize U-I Partnerships initiative here.
We want to hear from you. Share your ideas for strengthening and modernizing U-I partnerships. We seek case studies, information about existing programs, and insight into addressing partnership barriers.