5. STEPS TOWARD IMPLEMENTATION

5.2. The Influence of Research Policy

• Research in engineering faculties should have two closely related objectives: the production of knowledge useful to the present or future practitioners of the profession of engineering, and the enhancement of the quality and capability of both undergraduate and graduate students.

• The emphasis on recruiting new professorial staff tends to be focused on the quality of the doctoral research which normally precedes faculty appointment. The initial emphasis for a newly appointed professor is on continuing the high rate of research production which typified the postgraduate education period in order to ensure the granting of tenure and a continued growth of research funding. This can most readily be achieved by continuing in the same problem area as was addressed in the doctoral research.

• In the current environment, a junior engineering professor looking forward to a successful and stable university career would be ill-advised to allocate much time to interaction with the profession, with industry, and with the user communities. Consulting, which is recognized as an excellent means of useful interaction, may be discouraged by this environment, particularly in the important early years because it does not usually lead to publishable results.

• Undue emphasis on the production of early research results following appointment must be avoided. Newly appointed professors should have adequate opportunity and incentive to broaden their engineering knowledge and experience, and to plan the direction of their future research on the basis of the relevant issues that they encounter.

• Much of the research funding for Canadian engineering professors should be dependent on the potential contribution to issues of national importance to Canada. This approach provides direct incentive for professors to make relevant contacts with the user community and interact with this community in developing research contract proposals.

• The assessment of relevance and value of a professor's research should be based to a significant extent on the willingness of industry and other user agencies to contribute to the continuing support of the research.

• Research funding agencies should recognize that the output of greatest value from most academic research is people who are highly educated and trained. The quality and quantity of this output should be seen as a major factor in fund allocation.

• For engineering professors, NSERC research grants provide base funding for the exploration of new ideas on the results of which targeted contract funding can be sought. Accordingly, a broad base of funding is preferred for engineering disciplines. In the interests of an adequate supply of graduates with advanced-level education, most if not all engineering professors should be directing the work of several graduate students. All of these engineering professors involved in research and graduate supervision should receive some sustaining support. Most universities have not been in a position to provide such support from their base budgets in recent years.

• There is a need for the introduction and extension by the funding agencies and by government departments of programs which encourage linkages between engineering professors and Canadian industry in the conduct of joint research. An excellent example is the Cooperative Research and Development (CRD) grant program of NSERC. Also, the establishment of federal and provincial Centres of Excellence has provided useful experience for extension of this approach in the future.

• It should be recognized that incentives are needed to attract both engineering researchers in universities and personnel in industries to undertake cooperative projects. It is an appropriate role for governments to provide such incentives. These incentives must be strong enough to encourage approaches to universities by companies who have no previous history of such interaction, and, in some instances, no previous involvement in research and development. A major criterion for support should be the willingness on the part of both the professor and industry to devote time and resources to the project.

• Governments should recognize that a major share of the funding for engineering research projects carried out jointly by engineering faculties and industries must come from resources provided by these governments. Large research-oriented firms can and do provide substantial research support, but these firms are few in number in Canada. The financial investment that most of our smaller emerging advanced-technology industries can be expected to make for this type of research is limited. A small financial contribution by an industrial firm together with involvement of its staff provide both a valid measure of its commitment and an assurance of effective transfer of technology.

RECOMMENDATION 46: Engineering faculty administrators should ensure that newly appointed professors have adequate opportunity and incentive to plan a relevant research program and to establish good contacts in industry.

RECOMMENDATION 47: Much of the research funding for engineering professors should be based on the potential contribution to issues of national importance to Canada.

RECOMMENDATION 48: Agencies such as NSERC, NRC and government departments should establish, expand and emphasize programs supporting cooperative research and development by industry and universities.

RECOMMENDATION 49: In evaluating proposals for cooperative research and development involving industry and universities, granting agencies should place emphasis on the willingness of industry to contribute time and funds commensurate with their available resources.

RECOMMENDATION 50: Research funding agencies should recognize that the output of greatest value from most academic research is highly educated and trained people.