The Mississippi Public Universities "Research Catalog" is mandated by the State through the University Research Center Act of 1988 (§ 37-141-17). The publication lists the funding amounts by the sources of funding and by the university disciplines receiving the funding. It is designed for use by state policy makers, the educational…

In this article, the author reflects on research management and administration (RMA) as a profession. RMA arose from the need to manage growth in the number and complexity of research awards over the last fifty years, and is an activity and profession that continues to mature. It has grown in parallel with the increasing complexity of research…

How should universities manage their research function? Today, research-based knowledge is viewed widely as fundamental to economic advancement. As a result, universities everywhere are facing pressure to rethink their research activities. A general model of the research process is presented here. Linkages are drawn between that process, other…

Members of Congress charge that some universities are selling the results of federally financed research to foreign companies while they argue for more research money to increase American competitiveness in world markets. A Massachusetts Institute of Technology program is criticized for impropriety in sharing information too freely. (MSE)

National technology development initiatives in Japan and Europe are playing an increasingly important role in many fields of research. Such heightened international activity suggests a need for a more global perspective on research administration, and raises many questions for the United States' research community and science and technology…

In search of increased support for graduate students in plant science and upgraded laboratories, the College of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, offered the college's expertise in exchange for major financial backing from the single company making the best offer. The resulting five-year, $25-million alliance with one…

The development of the technology transfer program at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston is described. Key elements in their approach include identification of research strengths and programs that have potential of patentable, commercially profitable technology; education of faculty and administrators; identification of…

According to an annual survey, 132 U.S. research universities earned over $446 million in royalties from inventions in fiscal 1997, and received 2,239 patents. The University of California was the top earner. Data provided on the top-earning institutions includes dollar amount of adjusted gross royalties received, number of licenses generating…

Changes in private and public sectors are redefining the university research administrator's role, shifting it from a management to a marketing perspective. Increasingly, administrators are accountable for responsible use of both research results and funds. This trend is providing new opportunities for professional growth. (Author/MSE)

All-inclusive patent and licensing policies of research universities ignore the strengths of individual disciplines and varied needs of industrial sponsors. Some academic units are involved primarily in incremental improvement, while others generate breakthrough developments. Industry also pursues differential innovation patterns. Disciplines…

A 1992 international seminar on strategies for promoting technology transfer in European universities is summarized. Issues addressed include objectives of technology transfer, evaluation of available resources, institutional climate supporting technology transfer, appropriate administrative arrangements, and the differing perspectives of industry…

Basic ethical guidelines for intellectual property disputes between universities and industry include (1) negotiate in best faith; (2) vest patent ownership in the university partner; (3) grant the industrial partner exclusive license in most desired field of use; (4) allow industrial partner to negotiate over serendipitous discoveries outside…

A survey of university-industry technology transfer practices in the Federal Republic of Germany revealed how many of the organizational, financial, and legal features of the German system of higher education and research promotion affect technology transfer. American research administrators would benefit from an understanding of these political…

A discussion of technology transfer describes four strategic technologies identified as important to California's economy (biotechnology, advanced materials, information technology, and manufacturing technology) and suggests that university policymakers not lose sight of their responsibility for directing university efforts to improve the human…

Discussion of the changes in the university research administrator's role resulting from changes in university research funding patterns looks at how and why universities enter into research with industry, federal funding and defense conversion funding, and the experience of the University of South Florida with this process. The research…