Steps to AdvanceThe SUNY Research & Innovation Ecosystem

Jeffrey BoyceResearch Foundation of SUNY

Office of the Executive Vice President

SUNY Board of TrusteesCommittee on Research & Economic Development

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Encourage Faculty Innovation and Entrepreneurship

• Update faculty recruitment, promotion and tenure to value and reward entrepreneurship.

• Tabulate and publicize entrepreneurial activities across the system.• Bring successful entrepreneurs onto SUNY campuses to serve as

mentors to faculty, as well as to students. (Entrepreneurs in Residence)

• Encourage SUNY faculty members to submit grant and contract proposals to external sponsors to support their research endeavors, according to the norms and practices of their chosen discipline, regardless of their discipline.

Actively Support University Technology Transfer

• Convene the SUNY Patents & Invention Policy Board to update policies and provide guidance in ways that will facilitate faculty entrepreneurship and tech transfer.

• Provide an active program for outreach to existing New York State businesses for each tech transfer hub. (Sales efforts)

• Provide funding and support to advance discovery from invention to the marketplace. (TAF phase I & II, pre-seed workshops)

Facilitate Industry – University Collaborations

• Create portals to connect industry with SUNY faculty, facilities and inventions. (Find a SUNY Scholar, Commercialization Page, SUNY Asset Map, develop facility & equipment database)

• Mine SUNY alumni / donor databases to facilitate scientific, business mentoring and investment opportunities.

• Develop master agreements and other administrative conveniences to minimize transaction costs of research and/or development partnerships.

Engage with Statewide and Regional Economic Development Efforts

• Coordinate strategic planning efforts. Ensure that campuses remain active in the years ahead in presenting winning proposals to REDCs. (NY SUNY 2020, Entrepreneurial Century Big Idea Team, RF and campus plans)

• Strengthen SUNY connections to state and regional alliances by coordinating with key stakeholders. (ESD, NYSTAR, SBDCs, TBC, NYSEDC, Chambers, SUNY incubators, venture investors)

• Appoint an officer at each campus responsible for economic development. Convene regional commercialization meetings to share and leverage campus-specific projects.

Increase Collaborative Research

• Develop programs to support collaborative research within SUNY. (Collaborative Research Fund)

• Help faculty identify collaborative partners within and outside SUNY. (Find a SUNY Scholar, COS Scholar Universe)

• Provide workshops, colloquia, and other gatherings to encourage interdisciplinary-based conversations to support faculty preparing applications for large research projects. (RF grants workshop)

• Invest in research consortia that enable SUNY to compete for large federal awards. (SUNY REACH, Health Policy Institute)

Launch and staff the RF Board Committee on Research-Supported Economic

Development

• Provide guidance on all RF projects to support the SUNY Research & Innovation Ecosystem.

• Ensure that the RF makes its maximum possible contribution to this agenda.