A new model for university research

THE ROBOTICS TEAM AT CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY INNOVATES WITH A NEW APPROACH FOR THE FUNDING AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF UNIVERSITY RESEARCH.

THE NATIONAL ROBOTIC ENGINEERING CENTER (NREC) at Carnegie Mellon University introduced a new model for conducting academic research that places greater emphasis on developing technology in the form of integrated, robust systems than on the publishing-driven, basic research model that dominates academia. There is a stark contrast between the traditional academic research model and the approach taken by the NREC. This approach is based upon the needs of research sponsors that naturally derive from the state of the robotics market and the unique characteristics related to developing robot applications.

Not surprisingly, government agencies are the primary funding source for traditional university research. Federal and other government agencies devote their largest share of research funds to academia, which funds more than two-thirds of academia's research output. With the exception of industry's small share of 4.9%, all of academia's funding sources are government agencies, non-profits, or the university itself.