Industry Funding

How to Get Research Funding from Industry

The 2-day industry funding for academic research workshop for scientists (Online and in-person)

Industry funding for academic research is a lucrative option that is not pursued by many researchers. One of the biggest reasons this option is overlooked is a lack of understanding about how companies function and how an academic researcher might bridge the culture differences to make useful connections.

This workshop provides practical advice on how to identify and build valuable private sector research collaboration from an instructor with more than 20 years’ experience in industry.

This workshop was developed as a collaborative activity with Phillipp Gramlich of NaturalScience.careers

Philipp and David - Creators of 'How to Get Research Funding from Industry'

Course Content:

Private sector funding overview

• The benefits of industry funding for academic research
• What makes a successful collaboration?
• Balancing basic and applied research

Academia vs. Industry:

• How does one navigate the culture differences?
• Where can you bring unique value to the private sector?

Collaboration models and intellectual property

• Patent vs Publication
• Who will do what and who will own what?

How do companies operate?

• Industry project management basics
• Return on Investment: How does a company decide what projects to pursue?

Making connections in industry

• Who should you contact?
• Where can you meet them?
• How do you communicate your value effectively?

Your industry funding plan

• Define your research group strengths
• Identify a suitable target to pursue
• Build a specific plan for taking action

Course Objective:

The course is focused on conveying information about the industry collaboration environment that is typically not well known to people working in an academic research environment - information about how companies operate and habits that bring success in this very different environment. These principles are supported with many stories from more than two decades of experience the trainer has gathered over his own career.

The course will enable participants to:

• Decide whether it makes sense for them to pursue funding from industry for their research.
• Learn how the private sector functions and how to navigate the cultural differences.
• Understand how intellectual property is protected and managed in the private sector.
• Describe a variety of successful models for academia-industry collaboration.
• Find the right collaboration partners and get in touch with them.
• Successfully present their research and collaboration ideas to industry representatives.

Methods:

The course is highly interactive, mostly based on lectures, discussions and interactive exercises. We aim to bring together the skills and experiences the trainer has gathered in academic and industrial settings.

Among others, we´ll use the following methods:

• Presentation phases with stories to illustrate key points, Interactive discussions
• Worksheets for self-reflection
• Case studies from the trainer as well as from the participants
• Experience-oriented game-like activities to elaborate on general principles used in the work as junior group leader
• Practically oriented activities and scenarios
• Development of concepts on flipchart, and individual or small group work (exercises) of the participants and presentation in plenary.

These interactive sessions are adapted for an online format using Zoom breakout rooms and PDF worksheets plus collaborative online documents for the participants to record collaborative work.

Lecturer:

The workshop How to get Research Funding from Industry was developed with NaturalScience.careers and is offered through their program as well