The role of universities is changing. In the last century the primary focus of universities was on education and research, with the key goals of creating and diffusing information and knowledge. A third and equally important role is now emerging, with its accompanying expectations and responsibilities -- that of value creation. "Value"…

The future competitiveness of the United States in an increasingly interconnected global economy depends on the nation fostering a workforce with strong capabilities and skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). STEM knowledge and skills enable both individual opportunity and national competitiveness, and the nation needs…

The emerging field of nanotechnology has created a new frontier for the convergence of university and industrial research. In the United States, major federal investments provided a massive boom for this field over the decade. This paper reports on a case study of how the University at Albany came to establish the first college of nanotechnology…

In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to the effectiveness of knowledge transfer processes between academia and industry. Although there is growing evidence that the characteristics of individual researchers are important when explaining cases of successful transfer, few studies have taken the individual researcher as their unit of…

This report responds to a National Science Foundation (NSF) request to provide advice on developing Engineering Research Centers, which NSF described as "on-campus centers that would house cross-disciplinary experimental research activities." In addition to conducting such research, the principal purposes of the centers are to provide a…

The Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg (Germany), a member of a new European consortium of innovative universities, has been broadening its revenue base by conducting research and training for industry and local government and marketing the technical advances developed in its own laboratories. An interdisciplinary approach to research is…

Contains the text of an interview with the director of the Engineering Research Center (ERC) at the University of Delaware. Discusses interdisciplinary engineering research and its effects on traditional academic engineering. Describes the development and progress of the Delaware ERC, including eight recommendations for developing and operating…

Discusses the National Science Foundation's program to establish Engineering Research Centers (ERCs). States that this effort has provided a new impetus to interdisciplinary research efforts on university campuses. Claims that the concept of bringing together industry, academia, and government is necessary in addressing engineering research and…

Research environments of four leading universities were studied: University of California at Berkeley (UC-Berkeley), Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Stanford University. Attention was directed to organizational responses for encouraging collaboration in research at these leading universities, as well as to…

This document explores the mission, goals, and underlying philosophy of the National Center for Science Teaching and Learning (NCSTL). The reform of the U.S. educational system, especially in the area of science education, will require a thorough examination of noncurricular, external factors affecting science education. In order to bring about…