Research funding from industry

Published: April 22, 2022

 
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In a seminar that we provide for senior postdocs and group leaders, we talk about the topic of funding. After covering the usual suspects, I am asking whether the attendees have ever considered funding from industry. Fred, who is currently getting ready for his first professorship applications, shoots out a knee-jerk answer, “No, I can´t imagine being drafted to become the extended workbench of a corporation. If I wanted to do that, I’d rather work for them directly and earn more!”

I can´t imagine being drafted to become the extended workbench of a corporation

That´s exactly the prejudice I intend to tackle during the seminar. “With every funding source, you need to ask whether it fits your research and whether you´re being exploited or supported,” I reply. I then pause long enough to slowly allow the attendees’ eyes to move to Jane. A few minutes earlier, she reported that her scholarship foundation had recently dropped her like a hot potato when a competing group published results related to her industry-funded research topic. You can encounter tough conditions with every funding body, even non-profit foundations and associations. “You need to check with every funding source, regardless if it´s privately or publicly funded.” The arguments that funding from industry is somewhat ‘dirty’ and could damage your integrity as a researcher are increasingly viewed as outdated. Securing funding is a crucial criterion for any job application in academia. As long as you do good research, it doesn´t matter where the money comes from. With a well-rounded portfolio of funding sources, you can thus score significant points during your application procedure.

If you secure industry funding, you have to deal with a partner with complex self-interests. Be sure to check up front to what degree you will retain your freedom of research. Can you still publish, and if so, what limitations apply? To whom and in what manner can you share your results and ideas? Question the motives of your partner as well: Are you attractive to them because your PhD students are simply cheaper than scientists in industry? Or does the collaboration aim at developing a commercially relevant application based on your research?

After a lively discussion, I add, “You should also keep the development of your PhD students and postdocs in mind. Some may want to transition to industry careers after leaving your group. For them, an industry collaboration would be a great experience, and their market value would increase.”

And you as their group leader would develop the reputation that you care for the professional development of your students and also possess a network outside of academia.

 

This article was first published in Nachrichten aus der Chemie (issue 04/2019).  See the German original here.

We have written a longer article about this topic for Chemistry World: How to get research funding from industry.

Our workshop Industry funding lets you reflect on whether this funding stream is for you and develop tactics to successfully strike up collaborations with the industry. 

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