Dr. E. Ann Nalley
Department of Physical Sciences
Cameron University
annn@cameron.edu
Objectives of Collaborations
and Partnerships
 To bring groups together under a central theme. The
multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary groups may be
different academic units within a college, different
colleges within an institution or different institutions,
industries or community based organizations .
 To establish a cohesive group that allows individual
units or individual partners to contribute to the
principal theme
What is collaboration?
 Col·lab·o·rate
 to work jointly especially with one or a limited number of
others in a project involving composition or research to be
jointly accredited
 Wagner identifies possible drivers for collaboration as:
sharing ideas, cooperating around equipment, cooperating
around resources, and exchanging data
Source: Wagner, C. 2005, Scientometrics 62(1): 3-26.
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Why Do We Choose
To Collaborate
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A requirement of the Grant RFP
It strengthens a proposal
A partner may add expertise not available to the PI
May provide you with research and funding
opportunities not available through other channels
 Helps you to advance professionally
 Valuable in resources, creativity, results
 May accomplish more together than any partner could
alone
 Win Win: for partners and for funding agency (some
funding agencies require it
Possible Collaborative Partners
 Colleagues – Same Area or Interdisciplinary
 College/University Departments
 Local Education Agencies
 State Department of Education, State
Agencies, i.e. OCAST
 Business and Industry
 Faith-Based Organizations, i.e. Churches
 Community Based Organizations, i.e.
Chamber of Commerce, Scouts
 Other Colleges/Universities
Questions to Ask When Building
Collaborations
 What is the target area we will serve
for a proposal?
 Is a partner needed to strengthen
the proposal?
 Seek out collaborate partners
 Make sure you include representatives
from all boundaries of the target area.
What is the makeup of the target area?
 Effective collaborations engage institutional,
civic, and natural leaders who reflect the
demographic diversity of the target area.
 Make sure you select people who can organize
people from their identity group and not just
be the “gatekeepers”.
 Ask questions and find the names of real
leaders in the target area.
Partnerships
An association or a combination, as of persons,
organizations or institutions, for the purpose of
engaging in a joint venture.
Resource:
National College Access Network (NCAN)
www.CollegeAccess.org
ISSUES TO CONSIDER
IN FORMING PARTNERSHIPS
 What are the benefits to the University or
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Universities?
What are the benefits to the industry?
Does your institution support the concept of
collaborations or partnerships?
MOUs are a part of the partnership
Intellectual Property agreements
Many Funding agencies support the concept of
collaborations and many recommend or require them.
Much of the research you do may be proprietary
UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS MAY BE
 Between units with the institution
 Between universities and four year or community
colleges
 Consortia
 Between universities in the state or outside the
state
After You Choose to Form
a Partnership, What
Comes Next?
Task 1: Formulate Goals
What is the issue?
Why is a partnership the best way to address the
issue?
What are the relevant assets?
What are the goals?
Task 2: Identify Perspective
Members of the Partnership
Compile contact information for prospective
members.
While prospective members may participate in
professional organizations, there may not be an
organization that speaks directly to their issues or
concerns.
Prospective members may lead to other
prospective members.
Characteristics of
the Team
 The leader may be self-selected, appointed or
elected.
 The leader must be willing to listen, involve the
partners and provide leadership in the
administration of the collaboration or
partnership.
 Each member of the collaboration or partnership
must have an interest in the theme with
documented expertise.
Task 3. Establish an organizational
structure
 What is our mission?
 How often do we meet?
 Do we have committees?
 How will the partners share responsibility for
organizing and leading the meetings?
 Who prepares and contributes to the agenda?
 How will partners handle logistical
arrangements?
Task 4: Organize Events that Partners Want to
Attend
Maintain focus on the relevant issue.
Emphasize research and data-informed
practices.
Reflect the diversity of the partnership.
Provide remote locations with two-way video
conferencing if available.
Structure the meeting for networking.
Task 5: Evaluate
Evaluation of key components provides
feedback that enables refinement and
redirection.
Evaluation provides a process of continuous
improvement.
Evaluating the impact of the consortium
helps build a case for sustaining partnership
efforts.
Some general transferable principles:
 Partnerships lead to new projects and new grant
proposals.
 Partnerships may develop faster because of successful
history of partnerships with other entities.
 Partnerships take time.
 Public/private partnerships must have knowledgeable
leaders, experienced participants, strong academicians,
and strong decision makers involved all the way.
 Resist selecting partners by reaching out to people you
already know or reaching out to everyone.
Some general transferable principles:
 Partnerships must have authority, i.e. president, dean,
chair.
 Partnerships on paper only are not considered valid –
show evidence, i.e. articles, projects.
 There will be more financial audits with partners than
without.
 Corporations want to know why, how, and see creativity
now. Will fund R&D, product development.
Issues to Consider
 Where does the funding reside?
 There is strength in diversity among academic
units
 Funding agencies recommend or require it.
 Letters of support from administration
 More advance planning in preparing a proposal
 More coordination in executing the terms of the
grant
Memorandum of Agreement
 State the mission of the partnership
 May be formal or informal
 Provide a strong communication plan for the
partnership
 State roles and responsibilities of all partners
 Advisory Board membership
 Provide a summary statement of sustainability upon
completion of the program
Partnership Development
Some general transferable principles:
 Allow enough time to develop partnership.
 Begin making contacts prior to establishing a
collaboration.
 Let them know what is in it for them.
 Develops an entrepreneurship attitude among
business and industry.
 Building of future relationships
HOW TO ESTABLISH A
RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP
 INITIATE A RESEARCH PROJECT WITH STUDENT
RESEARCHERS
 APPLY FOR FUNDING THROUGH INTERNAL
FUNDING
 APPLY FOR OUTSIDE FUNDING
 PUBLISH OR PRESENT YOUR RESEARCH
RESULTS LOCALLY, REGIONALLY AND
NATIONALLY
OTHER
 ADVERTISE ON YOUR WEB PAGE
 START SLOW AND VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME
 DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH INDUSTRY
WHICH LEAD TO LONG TERM ACTIVITIES
 GET THE BLESSING OF YOUR DEPARTMENT
CHAIR AND DEAN
OCAST
 ESTABLISHED IN 1987 BY THE OKLAHOMA
STATE LEGISLATURE
 TO SUPPORT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
 TO FACILITATE THE TRANSFER OF NEW
TECHNOLOGY RESULTING RESEARCH
 FOSTER THE MANUFACTURE AND
MARKETING OF THESE INNOVATIVE
TECHNOLOGIES
THE R&D INTERN PARTNERSHIP
PROGRAM
 AN EQUAL MATCH OF THE OCAST FUNDS
FROM NONSTATE APPROPRIATED FUNDS IS
REQUIRED
 THE RESEARCH MUST BE PERFORMED IN AN
APPLIED RESEARCH LABORATORY
 A 2 OR 4-YEAR COLLEGE IN THE STATE OF
OKLAHOMA MUST BE THE FISCAL AGENT
 AN OKLAHOMA FIRM MUST BENEFIT
OKLAHOMA APPLIED RESEARCH
SUPPORT
R&D INTERN PARTNERSHIP
OKLAHOMA CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT
OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
OCAST
HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES
CAMERON UNIVERSITY
DUNCAN TECHNOLOGY CENTER
PHYSICAL SCIENCE
DEPARTMENT
BE PROFESSIONAL
 PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY SERVICES
 REMEMBER YOU CAN’T SOLVE EVERY PROBLEM
 BE AVAILABLE WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY
ARRIVES
 BE COGNIZANT OF LEGAL OBLIGATIONS AND
YOU WILL HAVE THEM
 REMEMBER YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN BOSS
WHEN WORKING WITH INDUSTRY
WORK THROUGH YOUR DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
OR YOUR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
MY INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS
 Stim-Lab
 World-Wide Stimulation
 Plainsman Technology
 Halliburton Energy Services
 Temple Inland
 Southwest NanoTechnology
 Cosmetic Specialty Labs, INC.
 Xeta Comp
QUESTIONS?
 AND
DISCUSSION