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UNIVERSITY OF 

 RHODE ISUND 



STATEMENT FOR JOINT FIELD BRIEFING AT NWC ON JANUARY 22, 1996 



Good Boming. I am Jeff Calleihan. In By remarks I am going to 

 discuss an existing industry/government/acadeBic partnership kno%m 

 as the Ocean Technology Center, of which I eun director. The Center 

 is located at the University of Rhode Island- about 10 Biles vest 

 of here across Narragansett Bay- and is part of the National 

 Science Foundation's • Industry/University Cooperative Research 

 Centers Program. As an NSF I/UCRC, OTC represents a highly 

 effective model for fostering collaborative research between 

 industry, government, and academe and for leveraging federal R&D 

 resources . 



As you probably know, the National Science Foundation established 

 the I/UCRC Program a little over twenty years ago for the expressed 

 purpose of improving the process by which scientific and 

 technological research results are transferred to American 

 industry. Beginning with one center in the Bid-1970's, the Program 

 has now grown to Include over 50 centers at universities throughout 

 the country. Each one focuses on a different field of research; 

 OTC is the only one that specializes in ocean-related science and 

 technology. 



All of NSF's I/UCRCs operate under similar rules: He recruit 

 members from industry and federal agencies that have an interest in 

 the research performed by our center. The members pay an annual 

 membership fee that averages about $25,000, and in exchange they 

 receive access to all research results. Including royalty- free 

 rights to any intellectual property that is generated from the 

 research, and access .to research staff and facilities at URI. 

 Because they fund the research activities of the Center, the 

 members also determine its research agenda, thereby ensuring that 

 it remains relevant to them. 



The highly favorable leveraging I spoke of earlier results from the 

 fact that virtually all the research performed by these centers is 

 funded by meBbership fees and other monies generated by grants and 

 contracts, not by NSF. The total annual NSF budget for the I/UCRC 

 program is eibout $4M. That $4M results in over $60M annually in 

 membership fees, university contributions, and other funding. That 

 is, every dollar NSF puts into the program generates almost 15 

 dollars in research support. 



OTC is one of the newest I/UCRCs, having begiin operations a little 

 over two years ago. We currently have eight members: five ocean 

 technology firms and three federal letboratories whose missions are 

 ocean related. Six of our members- NUHC and all five industry 

 members- are from the southeastern New England region. That most of 

 our members are from this region reflects the fact that there is a 

 cluster of such companies and federal labs here. Our membership is 



„..,,„„ ,„ OCEAN TtCHNOLOGY CENTER 



b"'.!..'!'.!" Narragansell Bav Campus. Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882-1 197 



i,.«p;,.i« Phone: 401 -WJ.WW Fax 401-792-681I 



