Show me the money!
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It seems like it’s every other day I’m hearing that someone received a JIT or got an NOA. After more than a year of wild uncertainty, this feels like good news. However, I’ve heard just as many stories of people getting those NOAs but not actually getting the money.
I have every expectation that this uncertainty will continue for the foreseeable future as the courts and these agencies continue to figure out what their jobs and budgets look like in this new environment. It is also the case that our previous levels of funding are unlikely to return in the near term. So, what are researchers to do in the meantime about funding our research?
Recently, the Academy Health Blog posted a piece entitled “Breaking down silos: why industry-academic partnerships are critical for implementation science in health”. While the article is looking specifically at the implementation of evidence-based health strategies, the exploration of industry partnerships is certainly worthwhile for all kinds of projects. Something I’ve learned in developing these partnerships throughout my career is that, unlike traditional grant funding, the science by itself is not enough. Forging these partnerships requires a different kind of thinking on our part as academics. So where do you begin?
1. Do your homework. What real-world problem is your research looking to solve? What companies or organizations are working in that space? What are the specific problems these companies and organizations are looking to solve for their clients and customers?
a. Which offices on your campus work with industry partners? Check with your office of research or development programs to see who they are talking with to see if there are organizations or companies with which you could be connected.
2. Hone your pitch. Develop your pitch and hone, hone, hone it. Get feedback from alumni who work in non-academic spaces. Don’t take the feedback personally. See the problem from their perspective. This pitch should be able to fit on one page, and the emphasis should be on how your work will solve the problem (you are the technical expert they will assume you know how to do the methods and analysis).
3. Understand that academic currency is academic currency. Publications and presentations only really matter in academic circles. They are nice to have in industry, but not need to have. You will have to think about producing different kinds of currency (i.e., infographics, white papers, policies) in collaboration with your industry partner.
4. Rethink timelines. Industry doesn’t work on an academic calendar. Industry also moves MUCH faster. This means you need to have done your homework upfront. You will not be helping your partnership if it takes you 6 months to come back with a proposal/scope of work. The budget cycle of the organization will have ended, and the potential funding will be gone.
5. Try, try again. You are likely to get more “noes” than yeses. But on the plus side, the no’s come faster in industry (you won’t have to wait 6-8 months for the NIH study section to be convened). If you get a “no” and there’s feedback, consider it data for honing your pitch for next time. A “no” today doesn’t mean your idea is wrong; it might not be the time or partner. Keep trying and looking.
Industry partnerships offer incredible opportunities for academic research. They are real-world settings for gathering new research questions, testing new ideas, and scaling established evidence. But they are not easy. They demand effort, time, and persistence.
What would my seasoned industry partnership readers add?
What questions do my new partnership builders have?
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