University startups as a commercialization alternative: lessons from three contrasting case studies

A recent National Research Council (NRC) report (2011) recommends that universities must craft policies and allocate resources to enable more university startups because some university technologies will never be commercialized unless licensed to a startup. However, the creation of university startups requires personnel skills and programs not typically associated with an university Office of Technology Transfer (OTT). Estimates show that 75 % of university inventions are not licensed at all. The conclusions of this study include university policies to turn some them to fuel university startups. Carefully selected case studies of three contrasting universities reveal patterns of successful startup policies and performance. MIT’s case is an example of long-term success, the University of Colorado’s case is an example of medium-term success, and Auburn University’s case is an example of a new-comer to the scene. Lessons from the case studies include: the need for very early evaluation of all inventions for their startup potential, the need for pre-license seed funds through proof-of-concept programs to advance early-stage inventions to the next stage, and the need for OTT personnel skilled in enabling startups. NSF’s recent I-Corps program invests heavily in the training of potential enablers and entrepreneurs for commercializing university inventions. Based on the findings of this study, I-Corps must also invest in pre-license proof-of-concept programs to advance early-stage university inventions closer to the market. Implementing the conclusions of this study would also accomplish the recommendations of the 2011 NRC report cited above.     

The university and business incubation: Technology transfer through entrepreneurial development

This paper reviews university programs that seek to promote technology transfer through entrepreneurial development. It describes fourkey factors (talent, technology, capital, and know-how) that must be linked for successful transfer, and focuses on the new-business incubator as an important mechanism for synergizing these factors in the university. The paper also shows how the incubator supports the development of new technology companies by helping them build credibility, shorten the learning curve, and solve problems faster, and by providing access to entrepreneurial networks. Empirical data on selected university incubators are presented.     

University technology transfer through entrepreneurship: faculty and students in spinoffs

This research informs our understanding of the technology commercialization process in university spinoffs, focusing in particular on student involvement in the early phases of the spinoff development process and on the impact of the larger university ecosystem. Detailed case studies indicate that graduate and post-doctoral students are important participants in university spinoffs. We offer a typology of spinoff development with four pathways, based on the varying roles of faculty, experienced entrepreneurs, PhD/post-doctoral students, and business students. The effects of the larger university ecosystem, beyond the university technology transfer office and the university’s commercialization policies, are also considered, including an examination of programs and practices that may influence this process. We close with a discussion of guidelines for technology transfer and spinoff development at universities, based on the findings of this research.     

Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act: SaVing Lives or SaVing Face?

The purpose of this study is to examine colleges’ and universities’ compliance with the criteria presented by the Sexual Assault and Violence Education Act (SaVE). Using a stratified random sample of postsecondary institutions (n = 435), we examined university websites in spring 2015 to determine whether schools were meeting each criterion of the SaVE Act. Additionally, we also examined what types of programs were offered for prevention, the accessibility of the information (by number of separations from universities main website). Lastly, we examined how university resources and programs, as well as institutional and student characteristics, were related to overall compliance and the availability of online information on sexual violence programs that institutions offered. Findings showed that only 11 % of schools within the sample were fully compliant with the requirements of the SaVE Act and on average, each school met ten of the eighteen criteria for compliance. Most resources were available within websites that were three to four separations from the main university page. Student population and region were positively associated with whether any programs on sexual violence programs were offered and schools with women’s centers were more likely to offer program/s on dating/domestic violence. Additionally, ROTC programs and larger student populations were positively associated with compliance, while being located in the south was negatively associated.     

A medical model for criminalistics education

The history of medical education during the period of 1870 to 1926 is examined in the context of current issues confronting education in the forensic laboratory sciences. Medical education was radically altered during this period, changing from a rudimentary lecture/apprenticeship system into its modern form. Although the motivating forces had developed over some time, the actual change was quite rapid. By examining how this change occurred, we gain insight into how changes in our own profession might be initiated. Parallels between our current situation and that in medical education 117 years ago include: (1) the primary burden of professional education is borne outside the university in an apprenticeship system, (2) the apprenticeship system is overburdened by a dramatic expansion in the knowledge and skills needed for professional practice, (3) there is no standardized curriculum or accreditation process for educational programs, and (4) there is no educational program that incorporates formal clinical education. Based on this historical analysis, three major goals are proposed: (1) active entreprenurial promotion of professional educational programs by academics, (2) creation of a committee within the American Academy of Forensic Sciences to critique and rate university programs, and (3) the development of a well-defined clinical education program. A model for formalized clinical education in the forensic laboratory sciences is proposed, incorporating clinical professors, student clerkships, and university control over instruction within an operational forensic science laboratory. Benefits from this arrangement include: efficient combination of physical plants, added personnel resources in the laboratory, rapid introduction of research into the laboratory, enhanced prestige for both academics and practitioners, and relief of the laboratory's in-house training burden.     

Ex-Offenders and Educational Equal Access: Doctoral Programs in Criminology and Criminal Justice

Utilizing data from university websites, this exploratory study examined criminology and criminal justice doctoral program admission requirements, while focusing on identifying barriers and challenges unique to applicants with criminal records. Findings reveal that all doctoral programs in criminology and criminal justice expect applicants to complete the GRE, submit recommendation letters, and provide personal statements. The majority of programs also specify minimum grade point averages necessary for admission, while just over one-half request academic writing samples. Further, data show that many academic institutions housing criminology and criminal justice doctoral programs make deliberate efforts to identify ex-offender applicants, particularly sex offenders. Limitations and directions for future research concerning equal and equitable educational access for ex-offenders are discussed.     

Publication productivity of criminal justice faculty in criminal justice journals

An important dimension of university faculty life is publication expectation. Often the level of publication productivity is used to assess general program prestige or to evaluate individual faculty performance. The publication rates of faculty in PhD and master-level programs have been unclear. This study examined the publication rates using a general list of criminal justice journals, and a select list of the leading journals, over a five-year period. The faculty members were located in criminal justice programs that granted PhD and master degrees. Publication productivity rates were established for the two different degree level programs, and the institutions with the strongest publication rates were identified. Publication rates are only one factor used in the assessment of program quality and the relationship of publication rates to other program features is discussed.     

Research expenditures,technology transfer activity,and university licensing revenue

In this paper we relate university licensing revenues to both university research expenditures and characteristics of the university and the university technology transfer office. We apply the Hausman–Taylor estimator for panel data with time-invariant explanatory variables and the Arellano–Bover dynamic panel model to unbalanced panels for the years 1991–2003 and balanced panels for the years 1995–2003. We find conflicting evidence regarding the short-term impacts of research expenditures on licensing revenues. On the other hand, both early initiation of technology transfer programs and staff size increase expected licensing revenues. Staff size and early entry appear to be substitutes, however. One-year lagged licensing revenue has strong predictive power for current licensing revenue. Further research is necessary to analyze changes in technology transfer office efficiency over time and the contribution of technology transfer to larger university missions.     

Technology transfer at land-grant universities

Improvement in the ability of universities in the United States to transfer technology to the private sector is seen as a factor in strengthening American competitiveness. To better understand the university's role in this process, a survey of formal university programs in technology transfer was performed through personal interviews at four midwestern land-grant universities. There are six basic types of programs in place: technical assistance, affiliate, licensing, business development, incubators and research parks, and information networks. For purposes of classifying these programs, we used the model developed by Janis et al. (1) It was found that, of the six modes of technology transfer, two could be considered active, three semi-active and one passive.     

Chinese university patents: quantity,quality, and the role of subsidy programs

Chinese university patenting has gained importance in recent years. Using a comprehensive dataset of university patents by 155 leading Chinese universities from 1991 to 2009, our study pursues two objectives: First, we analyze the quantity and quality of patents filed by leading Chinese universities. Second, we analyze the role of subsidy programs with regard to university patenting in China. With regard to the first objective, our results show that university patents witnessed rapid growth in terms of quantity while patent quality did not increase to a similar degree. Regarding the second objective, we find that a subsidy program to promote research excellence at selected universities is a significant driver of patent quantity and quality. In contrast, a subsidy program that decreases the costs of patent applications seems to enhance patent quantity but not patent quality. We conclude that innovation policies which aim to stimulate patents of higher quality should focus primarily on increasing university R&D, and to a lesser extent on decreasing the costs of university patenting.     

An administrative approach to personal safety on a university campus: The role of a president's advisory Committee on Women's Safety on Campus

Improvement of the physical environment of the campus is necessary, but not sufficient, to ensure full access for women to the University's facilities. Studies on the incidence of sexual assault and other experiences of violence with acquaintances indicate a need for programs to address the social climate of campuses. Unless both the social and physical aspects of the university environment are addressed, threats of violence can limit the accessibility of higher education and professional careers for women. UBC has established a President's Advisory Committee on Women's Safety on Campus which brings together University administrators and campus users to explore the safety concerns of women and possible solutions to these problems.     

Co-Evolution of a University Department and a Dance Company: Creation of Value of Art in a Community

In Korea, arts and culture in the provinces are at a disadvantage in many aspects. We examine the difficulties of being a provincial dance organization. We analyze the strategies to overcome these difficulties and the resulting process of the co-evolution of a department of dance at a provincial university and its offshoot dance company. In their endeavor for survival, these dance organizations seek to be a part of the community with community dance programs that induce the participation of residents. The resulting values created in the community of the Western District of Daejeon City and the success factors of these organizations are also analyzed. Some implications of the co-evolutionary process to other provincial dance organizations are discussed.     

The NSF Engineering Research Centers and the University–Industry Research Revolution: A Brief History Featuring an Interview with Erich Bloch

The NSF engineering research centers (ERC) program served notice of a sea change in university research funding and institutional designs, representing a transition from department-based, principle investigator-oriented university science to a new center-based model encouraging universities to work with industry and to work beyond the strictures of academic disciplines. In our view, the past three decades of U.S. science and technology policy have not seen an institutional change of greater importance. This paper begins with a brief history of the ERC program, including discussion of the program’s origins, goals and research foci, growth, and influence as a model for other science center programs in the U.S. and abroad. Our “primary data” include an interview with Erich Bloch, former NSF director who was one of the chief architects and advocates for the ERC program. Because of the historical importance of this interview, we present the entire interview with the original material largely unaltered. We conclude with discussion of the managerial challenges that ERCs face within the context of traditional university structures.     

Play context, commitment, and dating violence: a structural equation model

This study develops a structural equation model to describe the effect of two groups of factors (type of commitment and play context) on the violence experienced during intimate partner conflict. After contrasting the model in adolescents and university students, we have confirmed that aggressive play and the simulation of jealousy and anger increase the risk of dating victimization during conflicts through the negative reactions that they cause. Where commitment is concerned, the results are different according to whether commitment is personal or constraining. The former provides protection against dating victimization, reducing risk in the play context, whereas the latter has no effect on the violence experienced but facilitates a more dangerous play dynamic. The model can be applied in the design of programs to prevent dating violence.     

Expert systems for medical diagnosis: A study in technology transfer

Expert systems continue to evolve for specific applications in medical diagnosis. This is necessary because the influx of new information is so massive that the expert systems must be specialized. The research methodology for this study was based on the usage patterns of expert systems in clinical pathology with data obtained at 94 US medical schools from 202 medical-school-based clinical pathologists. The study showed the link between the use of expert systems in medical schools and within the professional medical community. Initial education in medical schools and ongoing communications through residency programs, post-doctoral fellowships and clinical usage at university hospitals with the goal of technology transfer between medical schools and physicians, seem to represent the future for this valuable diagnostic technique.     

Federal-state cooperation in science and technology programs

During the past several years participants in the Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable, chaired by Richard Celeste, have discussed cooperation in science and technology programs between state and federal agencies. The result is the following paper on the potential for and means of promoting such cooperation. The roundtable is sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine. [It was] created in 1984 to provide a forum where scientists, administrators, and policy makers from government, university, and industry can come together on an ongoing basis to explore ways to improve the productivity of the nation's research enterprise. The object is to try to understand issues, to inject imaginative thought into the system, and to provide a setting for discussion and the seeking of common ground. The roundtable does not make recommendations, nor of fer specific advice; it develops options and brings interested parties together.     

Community juvenile arbitration: An alternative in judicial administration

Congestion in trial courts continues to create a dilemma in judicial administration. In Florida, an effort to address this problem in the juvenile justice system emerged with legislative authorization of community arbitration programs. Implementation came in a joint endeavor of a community and a university to develop a juvenile arbitration program. Assessment of the program in reduction of caseload, cost efficiency, recidivism, reduction of delay prior to hearing, and volunteer participation suggests that community arbitration can be a viable alternative.     

The sexual assault of undergraduate women at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs)

Although research has shown that undergraduate women are at high risk for experiencing sexual assault, little research has been conducted with undergraduate women who are attending a historically Black college or university (HBCU). The purpose of this research is to document the prevalence of different types of sexual assault among undergraduate women at HBCUs and make comparisons to data collected from undergraduate women at non-HBCUs. Data on sexual assault victimization were collected from 3,951 undergraduate women at HBCUs using a cross-sectional, web-based survey. These data are compared to data collected from 5,446 undergraduate women at non-HBCUs using the same research methods. Findings indicate that approximately 9.7% of undergraduate women at HBCUs report experiencing a completed sexual assault since entering college. This rate is considerably lower than the comparable rate obtained from undergraduate women at non-HBCUs (13.7%). This difference seems to be associated with differences in alcohol-use frequency. Perhaps undergraduate women at HBCUs drink alcohol much less frequently and are thus less likely to be sexually assaulted when they are incapacitated and unable to provide consent. Alcohol use frequency, while controlling for other factors, seems to have an independent association with the likelihood of an undergraduate woman being sexually assaulted. Implications for the creation and delivery of sexual assault risk reduction and prevention policies and programs are discussed.     

“Intimate Terrorism” and Gender Differences in Injury of Dating Partners by Male and Female University Students

A version of the partner violence typology developed by Johnson (Journal of Marriage and the Family 57: 283-294, 1995) that more fully reflects the inherently dyadic nature of partner violence is presented, as well as a method of using the Conflict Tactics Scales to identify cases in the typology, including “Intimate Terrorists.” Analysis of 13,877 university student dating relationships found a similar percent of male and female “Intimate Terrorists.” This is consistent with other studies of general populations and reflects inadequacies in Johnson’s methodology. Bidirectional violence, including Intimate Terrorism, was associated with the highest probability of injury, especially for women. The results suggest that programs to reduce partner violence, including reducing violence against women, should address violence and coercive control by both partners.     

Evaluation of a sexual abuse prevention program for preschoolers

Many sexual abuse prevention programs have no research basis to support their claims of effectiveness. The Sexual Abuse Prevention Program for Preschoolers (SAPPP) was developed by modifying a popular prevention program to include behavioral training and rehearsal, and evaluation components. Children were taught to identify different types of touch, to say “no,” and to “tell others.” Each of the six SAPPP lessons included a topic introduction, stories related to the topic, target behavior rehearsal: This was followed by class discussion. Four university preschool children, three females and one male, between the ages of 3 and 4 participated in the program. All of the children showed improvement from pretest to post-test. The improved post-test scores were the result of correct verbal responses. Correct behavior demonstration responses did not increase for any child. A successful child sexual abuse prevention program should train children to demonstrate appropriate preventive behaviors. Suggestions for improving preventive behavior skills demonstrations and increasing the number of children in future research are discussed.