Matching Needs and Expectations to Build a Collaborative Relationship

Needs and expectations of both universities and science centers:

• Exchange of intellectual content.
• Goals can be adapted and aligned.
• Each partner needs to understand the different culture of the other.
• Both partners must exercise patience, as each environment has its own time scale (calendar).
• Standards must be established for evaluating partnerships.
• Sustainability and Funding
• Partnerships living through multiple projects
• A slightly more vertical management model, with a single person that overseeing collaborations in both the museums and universities. 

Needs and expectations of universities:

• For universities, needs are research driven, so the choice of partner is determined by who has the appropriate tools and resources.
• Universities need point of contact, and resource access.  These may be broadly defined.
• Specific persons of contact designated by University and Science Center partners whose role is to initialize collaborations and to eliminate confusion.
• Museum point person must combine people and resources.
• Universities see science center role as that of translation of current research for public consumption.
• Science centers can help universities frame rationale and impact for funding.
• Low risk opportunities within museums for university volunteers
• Science centers allow staff some time to explore with universities

Needs and expectations of science centers

• The science centers don’t want the academic institutions who are requesting funding to call at the last minute requesting support for a funding proposal.
• Need university person to liaison internally and with science center
• Science Centers want quality
• Cross Pollination in conferences to make new partnerships.
• There must be mutual understanding of the different needs of each partner.  This means that each partner must do its homework to lay the groundwork for a successful partnership.
• Science centers can help universities frame rationale and impact.
• Science center need correct knowledge of the science, as well as role models.
• Access to Journals

University motivations

• Broader impacts requirements of funding agenices.
• Broader impacts drive universities. 

Funder expectations

• The grant providers need to provide a list of examples/suggestions of types of outreach that are and are not acceptable.
• Reviewers of proposals must be educated about broader impacts.