Collaborations
David Lee
VP for Research
dclee@uga.edu
Collaborations
Why engage?
• Collaborative Research – David Lee
• Data Management/Sharing – David Knauft
• Mentor/Mentee Relationships – David Knauft
• Peer Review – David Knauft
• Authorship and Publication – David Knauft
• Misconduct in Science – Regina Smith
• Conflicts of Interest – Regina Smith
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Collaborations
Why engage?
• Collaborations vary in complexity
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From faculty & student, to …
• Favored more than ever
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Favor breakthroughs, especially with the “big problems”
Consistent with funding and interdisciplinary emphases
Can be fun when things go right!
• Easier than ever
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Travel
Communication
Shipping
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Collaborations
But, there can be problems
Potential issues.
• Approaches to credit and responsibility sharing (generosity)
• Collaborator who doesn’t want to share data or reagents
• Disagreements over when to publish or how to handle IP
• Collaborator who is slow or doesn’t follow through
• Differences in standards of proof (or perfectionism)
• Differences in research style or culture (e.g. industry)
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Collaborations
What makes them work?
Implementation requirements.
• Clear focus/purpose of activity: “why am I doing this?”
• Who’s in charge (PI)? How will decisions get made?
• Impacts of size & logistics
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Bigger is not always better
Cost of active participation?
• Communication mechanisms
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In person, via meetings, or electronic?
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Collaborations
What makes them work?
Implementation requirements cont’d.
• How will changes in research design will be made?
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Who decides? How will progress be monitored?
• Who writes the papers? … report? … gives presentations?
• How will authorship be assigned?
• How will IP be handled?
• Who will preserve, maintain and share the data?
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Collaborations
What makes them work?
Implementation requirements cont’d.
• Increasingly, collaborations must involve the institution
• Material Transfer Agreements
• Intellectual Property
• Research Compliance
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Budgetary, animals, humans
Export control if international
• Conflicts of interest
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Collaborations
What makes them work?
Implementation requirements:
• Last but not least - how to end a collaboration?
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Best when there is a defined end-point
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Collaborations
Issues with industry.
Industry relations are desired but can be issues.
• Conflicts over mission
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Company may seek ownership rights to invention developed at
the university
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If company develops new product for public benefit – great,
consistent with U’s mission
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But, if shelves so no other company can develop and gain
competitive advantage – conflicts with U’s mission
• Conflicts over publishing, other forms of dissemination
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Can be big issue for students/fellows/young faculty
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Collaborations
Issues with international collaborations.
Ditto for international collaborations.
• Issues with research performed at other sites under
collaborative agreement
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PI must ensure meets UGA compliance requirements
• Restrictions to sharing data and reagents
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Safety
Difficulty with shipping
Federal guidelines re national security (“export control”)Can be
big issue for students/fellows/young faculty
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Collaborations
Issues for students/fellows/young faculty.
Credit and conflicts.
• The need to publish
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May need to abide by restrictions on dissemination of research
• Conflict between collaborative and independent work
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Promotion and tenure
• Conflict of interest – startups
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Collaborations
Issues for students/fellows/young faculty.
Credit and conflicts.
• Conflict of interest
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Startups
• Off-campus challenges
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Research compliance
Federal guidelines re national security (“export control”)
Cultural sensitivities
General uncertainties
Seek clarification from mentors and/or administrators
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Collaborations
What can you do?
Communicate, communicate, communicate.
• Develop a plan
• Share findings with collaborators and pay attention to what
they’re doing
• Report / discuss problems as well as findings
• Make collaborators aware of any important changes
• Share related news and developments – stay informed too
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Collaborations
Management
Management plans should cover:
• Financial issues – “who pays for what (travel, equip, etc)?”
See your office of Sponsored Programs early and often; adhere to
OMB Circulars A-21, A-110
• Training and supervision of all researchers and staff
e.g. Research animals or human subjects
• Formal agreements
e.g. Transfer of materials
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Collaborations
Management
Management plans should cover:
• Compliance
Must ensure compliance at all project sites
• Handling of intellectual property (IP)
“Who’s discovery is it anyway?”
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Collaborations
Very Satisfying When It All Comes Together
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