The research administrator's role is changing rapidly and becoming more demanding. Training will be restructured to promote professionalism, and administrators should spend some time considering their profession's nature and purposes. Four tasks are proposed: safeguarding staff's creative time, getting long-term resource commitments, fostering…

A rapid information dissemination system at Marquette University which uses an audio-based technique for quickly transmitting time-dependent information to research faculty is described. The system uses a tape recorder, a special purpose speech processing system, and a telephone auto-answer recorder. Present uses and proposed future modifications…

Increasingly, academic institutions are asked to redress perceived national and regional economic shortcomings directly through technology transfer, formation of new companies, and product development; but the effectiveness of these mechanisms is unproven. Academic administrators must assess the match between capability and goals and preserve the…

The development of the technology transfer program at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston is described. Key elements in their approach include identification of research strengths and programs that have potential of patentable, commercially profitable technology; education of faculty and administrators; identification of…

Issues in technology transfer of inventions created through federally-funded, university-based research are reviewed, and the role of the Patent and Trademarks Amendments Act of 1980 in changing the presumption of title is discussed. (MSE)

The major concerns in university-industry research relationships, discussed from an industrial viewpoint, include: research and development (R&D) within the firm, for an industry, and for a society; types of R&D organizations; working with universities and government labs; potential problems; and possible directions for the future. (MSE)

Success in university-industry cooperative ventures depends on (1) a mutual understanding of the parties' needs and expectations from the outset, (2) understanding of individual responsibilities in collaborative efforts, (3) policy to accommodate both security and publication of results, (4) mechanisms to avoid divisiveness, and (5) scientific…

A model for technology transfer is presented with notes on the many, often unforseen influences on the transfer process: competence, cultural and political context (especially in a multinational company), competition, satisfying multiple expectations, and avoiding misunderstandings. (MSE)

The issue of constraints on the publication of research results is discussed from the perspective of clashing values: free speech versus censorship in protection of national defense. The problems of secrecy as well as of disclosure are examined. Greater conflict between academe and military interests is foreseen. (MSE)

New Jersey is strengthening its high-technology economy by encouraging technology transfer through supporting advanced technology centers, funding academic researchers for technical problems of immediate industry interest and application, and forming other, less-structured alliances. Better interaction between the state's research community and…

A survey of university-industry technology transfer practices in the Federal Republic of Germany revealed how many of the organizational, financial, and legal features of the German system of higher education and research promotion affect technology transfer. American research administrators would benefit from an understanding of these political…

A recently-implemented university technology transfer program is described and discussed, including the context, elements required for technology transfer, federal patent policy, university policies and organization, the operating model, early results, university-industry interactions, and anticipated benefits to the university and industry. A…