Midwest Structural Sciences Center A University-Government Partnership

Strategic partnerships among universities, industry and government have been a trademark of the research environment in the United States for more than two decades. Each member of this research triad brings a set of unique perspectives and strengths to the table, as well as being hampered with an often equally daunting set of weaknesses. It is clear that given appropriate opportunities in specific technologies, university-industry-government collaboration is a 'big winner.' Our observation, however, is that some federally-funded research programs have failed to achieve the synergistic result envisioned by the funding agency, the host university, or collaborating industries. This paper introduces the relationships and highlights a new research program at the University of Illinois focused on the structural sciences necessary for next-generation air vehicles. Keys to successful programs are realistic expectations on all sides, a clear focus on appropriate science and engineering technologies, flexibility on the part of the federal funding agency, and a strong university management team.