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URA-Hosted Policy Forum: Multi-Institutional Collaboration and Partnerships

On May 15, 2024, URA hosted a Policy Forum The virtually hosted meeting served the following purposes: 1) gauge the value and importance of multi-institutional collaborations and partnerships; 2) better understand processes for creating and supporting them; and 3) illuminate the challenges and barriers to succeeding with them. Over 53 individuals representing 42 URA national and international member universities and government agencies attended the meeting.

URA-Hosted Discussion: National Science Foundation Request for Information on the Technology, Innovation, and Partnership (TIP) Directorate’s Roadmap Development

On April 28, 2023, URA hosted a Town Hall Meeting with the National Science Foundation to discuss the recently released Request for Information (RFI) that aims to gather “…input from the full range of institutions and organizations across all sectors—industry, academia, non-profits, government, venture capital, and others—to inform the development of a roadmap for its newly-established Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate…”. Responses to the RFI are due to NSF on July 27, 2023. Over 45 individuals representing 39 URA member universities attended the meeting. “ Speakers: Erwin Gianchandani, Assistant Director of NSF for the Technology, Innovation and Partnerships Directorate Tess DeBlanc-Knowles, Staff Associate for Technology Policy, and Strategy Chaitanya Baru, Senior Advisor

URA Roundtable Report on Effective University-National Laboratory Partnerships:

A Look to the Future

As part of URA’s 2020 Council of Presidents Annual Meeting and Policy Forum, speakers from the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science and from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) described the future challenges and priorities related to National Laboratories and the importance of the university-national laboratory relationship. As a result of these discussions, URA organized a roundtable in October 2020 among a group of URA member university representatives on how to strengthen the engagement of the university community with the National Laboratories.

In recent years, discussion among researchers and policymakers has centered on how to prioritize research resources to focus more sharply on national priorities. In addition to identifying specific science investment priorities, it is crucial to examine how the research ecosystem–including the National Laboratories, academia, and industry–can function most effectively. More robust connections, greater clarity around current university-National Laboratory partnerships, and identification of opportunities for improvement, would benefit all parties and contribute to the strength and creativity of the entire research enterprise. The vigorous participation of universities—sources of knowledge, of pathbreaking research, and of rich talent pipelines—in this national dialogue is critical. Giving universities a clear voice in this dialogue was the motivation for the URA Roundtable on Effective University-National Laboratory Partnerships—A Look to the Future. The Roundtable discussed the complex issues at the intersection of the intellectual mandate, the creation of the next generation STEM workforce, and the evolving business model for universities.