NSF's GOALI Program Promotes Industrial/Academic Partnerships

As part of its objective to improve the nation's capacity for intellectual and economic growth, the National Science Foundation (NSF) offers a program that aims to synergize industry-university partnerships by making investment funds available to support an eclectic mix of industry/university linkages. In the program's first year alone, approximately $4 million in awards were made, and the award funds are expected to increase in 1996 and 1997.

Known as Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI), the program targets high risk and high gain research with focus on fundamental topics that would not have been undertaken by industry; development of innovative, collaborative industry/university collaborative programs; and direct transfer of new knowledge between academia and industry. It specifically focuses on affording the opportunity for faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and students to conduct research and gain experience with production processes in an industrial setting.

Funding is provided to develop creative modes of collaborative interactions with industry through individual or small group projects, and for industry-based fellowships for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Examples of GOALI mechanisms include the following:

• extended faculty visits to industry (three to 12 months) to foster long-term industry/university collaboration;
  
• faculty visits to industry (two to six months) at the beginning of a three-year university-based research project with the intention of transferring results to industry by the project's end;
  
• university-based support for cooperative university and industry engineers and/or scientists on research projects of mutual interest;
  
• support for interdisciplinary research/educational projects for two or three faculty from different academic units to interact with one or more industrial partners in a "virtual industry/university group"; and
  
• visits to universities by leading industrial engineers, scientists and managers to catalyze collaborative research and/or teach and develop curricula.

Those interested in more information about the GOALI program should contact Dr. Robert Reynik, who is handling inquiries for all fields within the NSF directorate for Mathematical and Physical Science (MPS), 4201 Wilson Blvd., Rm 1065S, Arlington, VA 22230, email: rreynik@nsf.gov, phone: (703) 306-1814. Details of GOALI can be found on the OMA home page. There are currently no target dates.