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System Design and Simulation

Session Highlights - Take-home points
from the 2003 IUCRC Director´s Annual Meeting

Topics

• Supplemental Funding - Non Federal
• Recruitment & Retention
• Building & Sustaining - Case Study
• Multi-University Centers - Coping
• Supplemental Funding: Federal
• Optimizing the Fee Structure
• Center Innovations

Supplemental Funding - Non Federal

Primary sources

• Private: Sponsored research/ Add-on contracts
• State: Matching funds/ Appropriated funds
• Federal: Appropriations/ Other NSF / Lobbyists
• Center: Special Programs/ workshops & symposiums

Outreach & networking / marketing

• Value proposition / ROI / impact
• "Know your audience" (sponsor)
• Past performance / endorsements
• Stay involved / participate in regional initiatives
• Constantly look for opportunities

I/UCRC Help

• Hard times - relax eligibility requirements
• Maintain I/UCRC status (Post-Funding)

Recruitment & Retention

Communicate center value

• Express expertise in terms of company strategy
• Align research w/company strengths and weaknesses
• Use scientific exchange (e.g. IAB as adjunct fac & on grad research centers)
• Offer consulting at low (or no) cost.
• Allow for flexibility in funded projects (i.e. meet short range goals for co; involve in submitting proposals)

Employ creative recruitment strategies

• Use co. champion to recruit other departments in co. for cost sharing
• Establish cost structure to encourage large & small companies to join
• Know your IAB members/companies:
• Visit companies
• Have all faculty involved
• Foster 1-on-1 interaction
• Produce good promotional material
• Consider recruitment a full time job

Building & Sustaining - Case Study

Talk of anecdotal experiences of one center

• Began
• Did good work
• Needs of society changed
• Here is how we reacted

Led to active group discussions on:

• How to handle economics of multi-univerisity centers
• Value of NSF involvement
• How to describe benefits to sponsors - generic vs. specific
• Possible conflicts in faculty rule as director vs consultant/expert witness/

Multi-University Centers - Coping

Complementary capabilities/interests

• Attack more comprehensive challenges
• Increase pool for membership
• Avoid duplication

Upfront written agreement

• Fees sharing - yes/no
• Funds
• Meetings
• Leaders have to have trust and be compatible

Supplemental Funding: Federal Sources

Federal members

• Goal: $2M/Yr for 5 years
• Channel of legislative appropriations
• Not NSF-Blessed! - Outside Center
• Budgetary agents for contracts or pass-throughs

Workforce Development M.S. Tracks/Certificates

Websites - Yours & Theirs

Optimizing - Fee Strategy

Fee Problems Loom Large

• Weak Economy
• Member turnover/drops
• Inflation
• University mandates
• MUC cost differentials

Options Are Risky

• Increase fees = Loss of members
• Decrease projects = alters viable model, lowers student support
• Two-level fee = Immediate loss of revenue, no turning back

Solutions are Few but Consider

• Indexing fees to costs, esp. student costs
• Reducing member program size
• More $ from fewer members
• More exclusivity
• More research focus

$50K threshold, Watch Out!

Center Innovations

Focus on Communication

• Make Easier & More Valuable
• Thru: Electronics & Structure

Emphasis to Meet Specific Center Needs

• Complex Centers-
• Procedures
  Three Questions
1. What is the problem?
2. Who owns results?
3. How will they be used?
• Electronic Reporting
• CD based reports & Web based (Audio, slides)
• Dissemination - more than IAB
• Student Focus
• Instructions, culture, jobs