Strategic Research Partnerships Research Articles

Strategic Research Partnerships: Constructing Policy-Relevant Indicators

Absent a set of indicators based on a set of valid constructs, it will remain difficult to determine the importance of strategic research partnerships (SRP) for the U.S. economy and the enterprise of science and technology in general. The purpose of this paper is to identify characteristics of a desirable policy indicator for strategic research partnerships. In choosing among the many possible conceptualizations and indicators of SRP, a framing question should be: “what is the public stake?” The fact that SRP activity has great economic import (still an open question) does not imply an equivalent government or public policy importance. This seems to imply, then, that SRP indicators should focus on such factors as the composition of R&D (e.g. do they shift the balance in available public domain research?), impacts of labor and human resources, tax implications (e.g. use of tax credits, foregone revenue and its impacts), and, especially, public-private partnerships (e.g. how are government-sponsored or -brokered SRPs different from others?).

Strengthening research capacity in health promotion practice settings

Training in research and evaluation skills is a frequently expressed need among health promotion practitioners. Research conducted in Scotland among health promotion specialists and their managers showed that training in research on its own would be an insufficient response. In this paper, it is argued that there is a need to develop a broader strategy which seeks to strengthen research capacity within health promotion practice settings, rather than simply offering training to improve practitioners’ research skills. This will help to improve the quality of research conducted in practice settings and contribute to building an evidence base for health promotion. A broader professional development strategy for health promotion research in Scotland is proposed which utilizes a range of learning routes and delivery mechanisms. This will be backed up by the establishment of a broad strategic research partnership which brings together practitioners, researchers and policy‐makers so as to develop a better understanding of what evaluation evidence is needed and who is contributing what.

Academic/government/industry strategic research partnerships

Important factors for science to contribute to technological innovation are proper focus, scope, completeness, and timing. These are influenced by both the contexts and methodologies of research. In the context, there is a need to organize a bridging form between the sources of science and the implementors of technology. In the methodology, there is a need to adjust the approaches of science with the approaches of technological innovation. Cooperative research centers and next-generation-technology strategies have been shown to provide proper contexts and methodologies for coupling science with technology.

Bridging town and gown: building research partnerships between community-based professional providers and academia.

Strategic research partnerships between community-based professionals and academic researchers are increasingly recognized as a means of evolving evidence-based practice and policy directions in health services delivery. Many barriers impede collaboration, however, and information on how to successfully implement collaborative partnerships is scattered, leaving much to trial and error. This article describes the process of achieving a successful research partnership among community-based home care professionals and academic researchers during a 6-year period of collaboration. The case illustration portrays how to identify and motivate the right research partners, how to mobilize resources, how to sustain an effective partnership process during the lengthy time commitments required to complete research, and how to ensure the experience of return on investment of time, energy, and resources in the partnership process. As measured by the outcomes of their collaborative research experience, the authors conclude that the benefits of bridging town and gown greatly outweigh the challenges of research partnerships.

Forestry Research Advisory Council of Canada Annual Report for 1991

Forestry Research Advisory Council of Canada Annual Report for 1991