PARTIAL SUPPORT FOR THE CORE ACTIVITIES OF THE GOVERNMENT-UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY RESEARCH ROUNDTABLE (GUIRR)

National Academy Of Sciences, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

Background: The effectiveness of the partnership between federal government, universities and industry influence the advancement of scientific ideas and the transition of those ideas from the lab to practice. To ensure these partnerships work smoothly and to address any barriers to scientific innovation and competitiveness as they arise, NIH must proactively engage in these partnerships. The Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable (GUIRR) is one of NIH’s primary tools to make these partnerships work. The relationship between universities and the federal government was described by Vannevar Bush in, Science the Endless Frontier. He makes the point that the security, the health, and the advancement of our nation is dependent on the strength of the relationship between the federal government and the universities, and the relationship of those sectors to the industry that brings those advancements into production. The Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable operates under the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Its historical objective is to convene senior-most representatives from government, universities and industry to define and explore critical issues related to the national and global science and technology agenda that are of shared interest; to frame the next critical question stemming from current debate and analysis; and to incubate activities of on-going value to the stakeholders. GUIRR’s overall mission is to improve the research enterprise of the United States by successfully resolving the cross-sectorial issues that prevent the U.S. research enterprise from reaching its full potential. GUIRR monitors and identifies factors that may impede the advancement of science and the translation of scientific ideas into useful products, therapies and processes to benefit our nation. GUIRR provides a forum where leaders of the constituent sectors, Government, Industry, and Universities, can meet on a regular basis and discuss issues in a candid and proactive way. Meeting topics are chosen by the membership and are thus not always known in advance; however, the format and numbers of these convened discussions has been and is expected to remain fixed. Task Description: The NIH, working in collaboration with other participating federal agencies, requires the assistance of an external organization with the credibility and respect of the NAS to convene meetings, engage leaders of industry, government, and universities in discussions that identify critical issues, and propose ways to improve the conditions and relationships between those organizations. The overall goal of this activity is to improve the quality, content, and productivity of the national science enterprise. GUIRR has provided this service for decades. It is focused on issues that arise between federal agencies and universities as well as the relationship between industry and universities to improve the national science enterprise. The NIH would like these efforts to continue, specifically: A. GUIRR will host at least three meetings per year in Washington, DC. B. The NIH encourages the Academy to ensure GUIRR membership and topics reflect the full diversity of the modern scientific research enterprise, increasing its membership and emphasis on life sciences and information technology in accordance with the increasingly prominent roles these fields are playing the national scientific ecosystem. GUIRR should also diversify in the types of member organizations, e.g., private philanthropy, venture capital, and small business organizations, and in the people who run them, to include the full spectrum of sociocultural, racial, and gender diversity of the workforce. C. The NIH encourages members to consider issues that are similar in scope and magnitude to the following: • Global Research Partnerships • Shaping a National R&D Agenda • Increasing Public Understanding of and Involvement in the National Research Enterprise • Novel Cross-Sector Partnerships to Overcome Barriers in Translation of Basic Research into Deliverable Products • Alternative Metrics for R&D Productivity • Strategies for Engagement of Non-Traditional Partners in the Research Enterprise • Use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to Accelerate Translation • Developing a Culture of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in STEM Graduate Programs • Big Data: Impact on Society • Translational Research and Implications for G-U-I Partnerships • Policy Entrepreneurs: Advancing the Presence of Science in the Formation of Government Policy • Catalyzing University-Industry Engagement to Promote the Nation’s Competitiveness • STEM Graduate Training and Associated Professional Workforce Development • Factors in Multi-National R&D Location D. GUIRR will occasionally identify targeted projects and identify a working group to pursue the targeted activities. E. GUIRR will host webinars as a means of bringing information of expected value to GUIRR stakeholders in a more immediate and freely accessible manner. GUIRR will report on attendance for each webinar, and work to increase attendance.