Research Centers at Georgia Tech

1. Research CentersatGeorgia Tech Chris D’Urbano Manager, Industry Contracting Office ced@gatech.edu 5-6797

2. Center Purpose • Center connotes an organized body with particular, high-impact and discipline-enhancing expertise • Focusing on a technology critical to the advancement of society and for interdisciplinary collaboration

3. Center Purpose • One of the primary means by which Georgia Tech fulfills its mission to serve industry is: • through relevant research & innovation • continuing education • education of students to become leaders in technology-driven companies

4. Center Purpose • A leader in the technology area with the vision that determines the direction of a center and inspires loyalty to its objectives usually champions the formation of a research center. • The mission of the center must have a strategic fit with the university to be successful on campus.

5. Center Type • Membership center pros… • Focused direction of research & exploration • Demonstrable impact (commercialization of IP) • Flexible source of funding (members, Government agencies) • …and cons… • Payment troubles • Meddling in program direction (too many chefs) • Constant selling of center and sustaining membership pool

6. Center Nuances • Consortium of entities (primarily industry) instead of one sponsor • Number of members varies due to nature of technology and center purpose • Governed by an Industry Advisory Board • 2 sets of standardized documents: • By-laws • Membership agreement

7. The Process of Starting and Operating a Research Center at Georgia Tech

8. Center Manual • OSP has created a “turn-key” manual for creation & operation of center • Helps PI(s) to decide if creating a center makes sense • Includes required documents: • Internal GT routing form • Center By-Laws template • Center Membership Agreement template

9. By-Laws • defines the mission of the center • the membership structure • the management of the research projects • the intellectual property rights of the members

10. Membership Agreement • Executed by each member • Identifies membership level (if more than one) • Membership fee or dues • Voting & IP rights of that level • Any special Ts & Cs (rare)

11. Current Centers • Packaging Research Center (PRC) • Georgia Electronic Design Center (GEDC) • Georgia Tech Broadband Institute (GTBI) • Institute of Paper Science & Technology (IPST) • Georgia Tech Emory Center (GTEC) • National Electric Energy Testing, Research, and Applications Center (NEETRAC)

12. Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC) • Center for Computational Materials Design (CCMD) {joint with Penn State U} • Center for Vision Enhancement Technology (CeVET) {joint with WVU} • Silicon Solar Consortium (SiSoC) {joint with NC State U} • Center for Health Organization Transformation (CHOT) {joint with Texas A&M U}

13. Assessment • Assessment must be perpetual and meaningful • Annual evaluation, not only of sustainability, but also impact • Economic development • Jobs, industry establishment, revenue • Grants and contracts • Papers, patents, citations and invitations • Student competitiveness and placement • Not currently done at GT

14. Sunset, Graduation, Shut Down • Sunset • Centers should anticipate their own useful life • Graduation • I/UCRCs should anticipate a future without Government support • Migration to self-sufficiency without traditional granting agencies like NSF or NIH (PRC doing this) • Shut Down • When a Center stops meeting its anticipated purpose, shut it down, don’t reinvent it for the sake of resuscitation! • If you’ve planned, assessed and monitored the mission adequately, this is the right course of action • Some former membership centers have become departmental centers without dues-paying members (MaRC, MiRC)