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Research Insights

Industry partnerships offer pathway to enhance research impact

There is one thing all of us, as UGA researchers, have in common, no matter what we study or which college or school we call home. Whether our workspace is a lab or a studio, a field site or a performance hall, we all want our work to matter—to have impact. Of course, there are many ways we can facilitate such impact, and this month I want to focus on one: partnering with industry on applied research projects and initiatives.

UGA has a long list of valued industry partners, including major corporations like Delta, Georgia Power, Truist and Boehringer Ingelheim, as well as many smaller companies that also access our research expertise and facilities. One such company made international news earlier this year, as Dalan Animal Health announced the availability of the world’s first honeybee vaccine—which was developed with scientific support the company received through the UGA Innovation District initiative.

Enhancing our portfolio of industry research collaborations is a UGA strategic objective because it’s a win for all. An industry-funded researcher can continue a research program and perhaps take it in a new direction, most often with a translation to market viewpoint. Our industry partners are able to access research expertise and instrumentation that they may not have in-house. And, as members of the public, we all enjoy the benefits of new products and services created with UGA’s help, as well as the economic growth that can result from such offerings.

Indeed, there is likely not a faster or more direct path to university research translation than through an industry partnership. That’s one reason why in 2021 we created UGA’s Office of Business Engagement (OBE), i.e., to facilitate more collaborations that provide value to Georgia’s economy and communities, while also providing critical research support and opportunities to our faculty and students.

The Office of Research and Development and Alumni Relations are the collaborative home to the OBE, which serves as UGA’s front door for companies that want to partner with us. But the OBE also serves UGA faculty, providing resources, support and guidance to researchers who want to pursue and engage in industry-sponsored activities.

With regard to faculty support, in August the OBE team unveiled its online Business Engagement Toolkit for Faculty. This toolkit offers a range of resources for faculty, intended to help them develop direct relationships with industry contacts, as it is often at this level that corporate sponsored research projects are realized.

Some of the resources in the toolkit include:

The toolkit provides a comprehensive guide to working with industry partners and taking the first steps toward this end. Earlier this month we held a Research Live webinar to unveil the Business Engagement Toolkit, and gave a guided tour through the website and all it has to offer. If you are interested in pursuing industry collaborations, please consult with your unit head, associate dean for research and/or business manager early in the process, to ensure you are aware of established procedures.

Working with industry can be tremendously rewarding and satisfying—I know from personal experience. The range of disciplines represented in UGA’s industry partnerships is immense—companies are looking for STEM researchers as well as those in social sciences, humanities and the arts.

If you’re at all interested in diversifying your funding sources or shortening your path to research translation by collaborating with a corporate partner, please watch our recent Research Live webinar and connect with the OBE team. You may find doors to opportunities and impact that you’d never considered.

Karen J.L. Burg
Vice President for Research
Harbor Lights Chair in Biomedical Research