Unlocking Research Funding: Why Early-Career Scientists Should Embrace Industry Collaboration
One of the toughest challenges for early-career researchers is finding enough funding to support their work.
Federal grants are often considered the standard approach, but grant applications are time-consuming and highly competitive. Unfortunately, many researchers are forced to scale back their research plans.
But there’s a powerful solution that too many scientists overlook: collaboration with the private sector.
Industry partnerships are often seen as "applied" work, and some scientists feel that this is not aligned with the core goals of academic research. However, as I’ve discovered through my own career and the stories of scientists featured in my book Shaping the World, these collaborations can provide valuable funding while also making one’s research more innovative and impactful.
More funding for fundamental research
Take the example of Carl Patton, professor emeritus in the physics department at Colorado State University, who recognized that industry funding didn’t detract from his fundamental research, but enabled it. By collaborating with companies that needed his expertise in ferromagnetic materials analysis, he was able to pursue more ambitious projects than traditional grant funding alone would allow.
As Carl described to me: “Some of my colleagues feel it’s important to only do fundamental research, but then they struggle to get the funding to do what they love to do. Industry funding has helped me do more of the fundamental research that I wanted to do.”
“Some of my colleagues feel it’s important to only do fundamental research, but then they struggle to get the funding to do what they love to do.
Industry funding has helped me do more of the fundamental research that I wanted to do.”
Better tools and greater impact
The value of working with industry goes beyond just additional funding. Cather Simpson, professor of physics and chemistry at the University of Auckland, used industry support to fund the expensive laser systems she needed to build her lab. This dual-purpose funding not only drove her academic work forward but also led to the creation of three spinout companies.
In my interview with her, Cather shared the huge shift in how she viewed her career: “(Working with industry) completely changed the way I thought about the impact I could have with my work. I’d started my career imagining that success might be defined as having my discoveries appear in a physical chemistry textbook in 15 years, and yet here we were solving problems were making a big difference today.”
“(Working with industry) completely changed the way I thought about the impact I could have with my work.
I’d started my career imagining that success might be defined as having my discoveries appear in a physical chemistry textbook in 15 years, and yet here we were solving problems were making a big difference today.”
Growth beyond expectations
When several researchers at one institution embrace industry collaboration, the resulting growth can be quite impressive. Joseph Shaw and his colleagues at Montana State University leveraged industry partnerships to build a multi-disciplinary coalition called the Optical Technology Center (OpTeC). This organization currently features approximately 20 faculty from four university departments. It promotes education and research, fosters spinout startups, partners with established companies, and has contributed significantly to the growing tech ecosystem in Bozeman.
As Joe proudly stated in my interview with him: “The Center is big enough now that we get the attention of the university administrators and even state legislators and national political leaders who have heard that there’s a big photonics thing going on in Bozeman.”
Embracing industry collaboration
So why don’t more early-career researchers embrace industry collaboration? The reasons are varied, but include concerns about publishing results from collaborative work, lack of clarity in what companies might need from academic researchers, and uncertainty about how to market their research group’s value to potential industry partners.
But the scientists who contributed their stories to Shaping the World demonstrate that all of these are manageable issues, and the rewards are totally worth it.
Partnering with industry provides early-career researchers a way to do more of the work they love, not less. Industry collaboration doesn’t mean abandoning the principles of academic research, it means finding ways to get discoveries out of the lab where they can make an impact today.
Building your own collaboration program
If you’re struggling to fund your research, consider reaching out to companies who can use the tools, knowledge, or capabilities that make your group unique. You might be surprised by how much value they see in what you have to offer—and how much support they’re willing to provide.
Not sure where to start? We have programs to teach early-career researchers how to build a 5-step plan to build your own collaboration effort.
Contact us to learn more.
Collaboration isn’t just a tool for securing crucial funding; it’s a way to expand your research program, increase your impact, and help shape the world.
