You have /5 articles left.
Sign up for a free account or log in.
A new think tank report released Monday finds significant differences in the levels of industry-funded university research taking place in different states.
North Carolina had the highest level of industry-funded university research, according to the report, released by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a think tank focused on science and technology policy. The report used data from the National Science Foundation to rank the states based on the share of university research funded by industry.
At the top of the rankings, North Carolina universities drew 12.1 percent of their research funding from industry. On the other end of the spectrum, universities in Nevada drew the lowest percentage of research funding from industry sources -- 1.7 percent.
Other states rounding out the top five were Georgia, Kansas, Ohio and Missouri. Those completing the bottom five were Rhode Island, Nebraska, Hawaii and South Dakota.
Generally, states with the largest share of industry-funded research have long-running state-supported technology commercialization programs, the report found.
The report recommends several policies geared toward encouraging universities to attract funding from industry. They include targeting research to the needs of local firms, modifying research-and-development tax credits, and tying higher education funding to industry funding success.
Faculty members are often skeptical about the effects of industry-funded research on academic freedom, but the think tank argues linking industry funding to university research can jump-start economic activity without harming academic standards.
