Pitfalls to avoid in applied research and scholastic pursuits at colleges

Dr Deepak Srinivasagupta

The Canadian collegiate system touches virtually every community in Canada. Historically, Canada's colleges and technical institutes have focussed on their education and training mandates. Going beyond their traditional knowledge dissemination role, these institutions are increasingly pursuing applied research and scholarly activities. Federal and provincial governments have come to recognize the role that the colleges and technical institutes can play in regional innovation. Funding programs such as the NSERC's Colleges and Community Innovation Program have been created to enhance their capacity to undertake these activities.

However, are these institutions ready for the added responsibilities that come with creation of knowledge? This article describes some pitfalls that the Canadian collegiate system must avoid, and measures that they can undertake to be successful in applied research and scholarly pursuits.

Avoid compartmentalization. There appears to be an emerging notion that the traditional research-intensive universities focus on basic research, and that the colleges can best focus on applied research. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Such compartmentalization is artificial and unfortunately seeks to limit human ability.

Significant applied research is conducted within universities. Engineering and applied science schools conduct applied research, seeking to solve real-world problems. Likewise, basic research often involves skilled practitioners such as technicians, technologists and trades-persons. Discovery research includes hands-on experimentation, lots of failures and even trial and error.

A critical mass of human talent of varied abilities is necessary for any research endeavour to be successful, be it basic or applied. Colleges and universities must partner with each other, acknowledging their respective strengths and differing mandates. Failure to do so can limit the ability of colleges to deliver on industry problems.

Capitalize on basic research. Even the most successful technological institutes have strong basic and social sciences departments. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is reputed for its physics, chemistry and even its economics departments. Discovery research provides a fountainhead of knowledge that can be applied by applied scientists and engineers to solve practical problems.

Major companies have recognized the important of basic research relevant to their businesses. Many even invested in their own laboratories and centres that routinely conducted basic research. The iconic Bell Laboratories produced several Nobel laureates. The venerable IBM publishes its own research journals. General Electric employs thousands of researchers globally for corporate R&D. Many reputable companies conduct cutting-edge research within the confines and secrecy of their own organizations. What is increasingly the norm, however, is that government funds basic research at universities. The industry sponsors applied research via contracts or licenses technology for its own use.

The Canadian context (e.g. northern geography, unique natural resources) calls for continued investment into basic research that cannot be conducted elsewhere. But the knowledge generated from these continued investments must be more effectively deployed to result in greater innovation. Canadian colleges must be prepared to act upon this opportunity.

Provide academic freedom.

Universities have taken pride in fostering an open atmosphere where a diversity of opinion is encouraged. Academic freedom is zealously safeguarded, often through a tenure system. The atmosphere enables utmost creativity and excellence in research. Universities have also enjoyed a high-level of autonomy, especially in matters of academic governance. In contrast, as an experienced academic observer once pointed out, the governance at colleges parallels hospitals, in that they are both top-down organizations. The difference in how universities and colleges have been traditionally managed by their provincial governments may have implications for outcomes from research and scholarly activities.

Even within industry, employees in R&D teams tend to enjoy greater operating freedoms and a longer-term business outlook than their colleagues elsewhere.

The collegiate system must acknowledge and deal with the challenges that their traditional administrative models may pose for research endeavours. An enabling atmosphere where rank-and-file faculty and staff are empowered and provided independence is critical. The human spirit works best when unbridled. The importance of academic and creative freedom in enabling research excellence cannot be understated.

Nurture and celebrate human talent

Of all the challenges that colleges and technical institutes must overcome to be successful in their new endeavours, the human resource issue is perhaps the most vexing. Some colleges have sought to address this by recruiting researchers from the outside. Importing and transplanting researchers is at best a stop-gap approach. The state of affairs may sometimes shock them as these researchers are more familiar with conducting research in traditional establishments such as universities, research councils and corporate research laboratories.

A preferred lasting approach would be to provide a safe environment for current faculty who have already created relationships with their peers. The faculty members often have strong relationships of their own with industry. These ties may have been through past careers, or cultivated through alumni employed there. Colleges must reward and promote researchers from within to create positive role models. They must be willing to develop, train, and mentor faculty that are interested in research activities. A culture of change is best if it comes from within.

Research offices at Canada's collegiate institutions take on a more active role compared to their counterparts at research-intensive universities. Even so, these offices must avoid taking ownership and control of the institutions' research programs – such situations can be rife with conflicts of interest and ethical concerns. Research offices should be supportive and nurturing, not overbearing or controlling. Just as the head of a hospital is invariably a physician, so should researchers lead and drive the research agenda.

Leadership by example is also important. At universities, executive leaders are expected to exemplify academic scholarship, in addition to handling administrative responsibilities. Program heads, deans, and directors and executives at Canadian colleges should likewise set a positive example by creating and participating in research in areas of their own expertise.

Leverage student innovation.

The emphasis at many colleges and technical institutes is to train students to be effective team players and followers. In contrast, universities have tended to educate their students with the expectation that they would be future technical and business leaders. An example of this would be polytechnic-trained technologists and technicians who start their careers reporting to a university-educated professional engineer in the workforce. Established universities have also had a favourable track record of attracting high school toppers for whom a collegiate education is often a second choice. Furthermore, the full-fledged universities have talented students in graduate programs and post-doctoral fellowships, a clear human resource advantage over the collegiate system.

Even with some obvious disadvantages, the Canadian collegiate system has no paucity of talented students. Students may demonstrate a more open mind-set bordering on the intrepid, willingness to learn and entrepreneurial ambitions. In many cases, it is easier to motivate students towards applied research and scholarly activities. While engaging students, there are a few pitfalls that must be avoided. Specific applied research problems may be solicited from industry and these often require non-disclosure agreements. On the other hand, students need to be able to describe their research accomplishments to future employers and may be under duress where their academic progress is held hostage to their willingness to sign a confidentiality agreement. Such projects may be more suitable for a paid student internship or co-op program where the student becomes an employee of the industry sponsor. Colleges must also be prepared to accommodate non-confidential project alternatives should the students so desire, in situations where project activity is an academic requirement.

Deepak Srinivasagupta is the President of Adi ROISolutions Corp, an Edmonton-based technology and business solutions company and led the development of FundVantage, its funding intelligence solution for Canada enterprises (www.fundvantage.ca). Srinivasagupta's most recent role was within the research office of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.