Leadership Development

Under the NSF grant, the Research Competitiveness Program conducted nine major conferences. Each conference was organized around a theme identified as important by several EPSCoR states. The themes of the conferences may be sorted into three broad categories: building collaborations in particular regions and areas of study (Sioux Falls, 1997; Atlanta, 1998; Lawrence, 1998; Stillwater, 1999; Oak Ridge, 1999); improving links between academia, industry and state government for specific states (Vergennes, 1997; Biloxi, 1999); and providing senior university executives from all EPSCoR states with information about and opportunity to discuss important tools for enhancing research (San Diego, 1998; San Francisco, 2001).

The collaboration-building conferences brought together scientists from EPSCoR states with experts from around the nation and federal program managers with funding responsibilities in the area. The format included presentations by the states and invited experts, hands-on working sessions, and a synthesis and planning session. Following a structured format in the working sessions, scientists identified opportunities and made plans to pursue them.

A survey of 412 persons attending one or more of the five collaboration conferences found that 89 respondents had participated in 92 collaborative research teams as a result of their participation. The survey found that 76 respondents had participated in a collaborative research proposal resulting from their participation (27 won, 32 lost and 17 pending as of January 2000).

The conferences addressing academic/industrial/state relations had a similar format of not only using national experts to inform participants, but using a facilitated discussion environment to produce a list of steps needed to be taken, complete with the identification of parties responsible and a timeline for completion. As with the collaboration-building conferences, several action items were subsequently supported with direct assistance projects and used to inform the analytical task.

The other two conferences were aimed at senior university executives in all EPSCoR states. The first provided university presidents and vice presidents with information on advanced networking and its importance to research infrastructure. The conference report recommends policy guidelines representing the viewpoint of the participants to the national infrastructure policy-makers. The final conference in this series, attended by provosts and vice presidents for research, addressed the use of strategic planning as an effective tool for enhancing competitive research.