Universities and Centers: U.S. examples Susan E. Cozzens Technology Policy and Assessment Center Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA

Outline of talk Brief history of university research and government research in the U.S. Brief history of university research and government research in the U.S. –1787 –1876 –1941 Illustrations using Georgia Tech Illustrations using Georgia Tech Main point: Diversity and decentralization serve us well. Main point: Diversity and decentralization serve us well.

College Education in the U.S.

Private higher education Private higher education started before the U.S. was a country Private higher education started before the U.S. was a country –Harvard, 1636 –College of William and Mary, 1693 –Yale, 1701 –University of Pennsylvania, 1740 About 1600 today About 1600 today –204 give doctoral degrees

Public higher education Education left to the states in the Constitution in 1787 Education left to the states in the Constitution in 1787 –650 public higher education institutions now –150 give doctoral degrees –75% of undergraduate enrollment Land grant universities created a specific link in agriculture in Land grant universities created a specific link in agriculture in –Michigan State was the first, 1855 –About 75 of these now

Technological universities First was Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY, 1824 First was Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY, 1824 –MIT, 1861 –Cal Tech, 1891 Engineering-based, mostly private Engineering-based, mostly private History of special relationships with industry, as well as military and space research History of special relationships with industry, as well as military and space research

Adoption of German model Johns Hopkins 1876 Johns Hopkins 1876 Freedom Freedom Seminars Seminars Laboratories Laboratories Active learning Active learning Shaping the world Shaping the world

Diversity of institutions Comprehensives – masters Comprehensives – masters Four-year colleges - bachelors Four-year colleges - bachelors Community colleges - associate Community colleges - associate

Government laboratories Agriculture Agriculture Defense Defense Health Health Space Space Energy Energy And many others And many others

The project grant system Invented at OSRD, 1941 Invented at OSRD, 1941 Proposal driven Proposal driven Reviewed by experts Reviewed by experts Pays (almost) full costs Pays (almost) full costs Hallmark of NSF and NIH Hallmark of NSF and NIH Also used by Defense, Agriculture, NASA, Energy, etc. Also used by Defense, Agriculture, NASA, Energy, etc. Flexible and scalable Flexible and scalable

The non-laboratory agency National Science Foundation, 1951 National Science Foundation, 1951 –A balance wheel –The home for university research

Industry research About two-thirds of total U.S. R&D funding About two-thirds of total U.S. R&D funding –Computer and electronics –Chemicals –Computer-related services –Aerospace and defense –R&D services –Automotive manufacturing 71% of R&D spending 71% of R&D spending Provides just a small portion of university funding (5%) Provides just a small portion of university funding (5%)

The Georgia Tech Example Public technological university Public technological university 19,000 students, 6500 graduate students (half doctoral) 19,000 students, 6500 graduate students (half doctoral) 1000 faculty, 4600 total staff 1000 faculty, 4600 total staff Two-thirds engineering, but also Two-thirds engineering, but also –Computing, Sciences, Management, Architecture, social science and humanities $1 billion budget $1 billion budget $500 million in sponsored projects $500 million in sponsored projects

ORNL ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge National Laboratory Major user facilities Major user facilities Georgia Tech is one of ten “core universities” for Oak Ridge Georgia Tech is one of ten “core universities” for Oak Ridge Joint program in computing Joint program in computing Alliance with Imperial College (UK) Alliance with Imperial College (UK) Joint faculty Joint faculty

GTRI Georgia Tech Research Institute Georgia Tech Research Institute Affiliated laboratory, does classified work Affiliated laboratory, does classified work Formed 1934 Formed people, 7 labs, 13 field offices 1200 people, 7 labs, 13 field offices Separate promotion tracks for research faculty Separate promotion tracks for research faculty Largest employer of GT graduates Largest employer of GT graduates

ERCs and STCs NSF-supported NSF-supported –Engineering Research Centers –Science and Technology Centers Industry advisory board Industry advisory board Integrated research, education, and outreach Integrated research, education, and outreach Examples: Examples: –Tissue engineering –Microsystems Packaging Research

Partnerships

Other types of centers Industry-based Industry-based –Institute for Paper Science and Technology Endowed Endowed –Brooks Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems GT as partner GT as partner –ASU Center for Nanotechnology in Society Block funding Block funding –Georgia Water Resources Institute

DOE Bioenergy Science Center Roger Reisert is CEO of C2 Biofuels, a startup ethanol company that has supported research at Georgia Tech.

A complex pattern Each university can have many, many relationships. Each university can have many, many relationships. Mostly this is driven bottom-up from the faculty. Mostly this is driven bottom-up from the faculty. But the areas reflect the priorities of funding agencies. But the areas reflect the priorities of funding agencies.

Lessons learned Diversity of funding sources is a strength of U.S. research. Diversity of funding sources is a strength of U.S. research. Decentralization to the states has contributed to a pragmatic orientation in universities. Decentralization to the states has contributed to a pragmatic orientation in universities. The project grant system has been given great flexibility. The project grant system has been given great flexibility.

Hopefully, some of these lessons are useful for Colombia. Muchas gracias