Funding CRD Activities

The CRD should be viewed as an investment by the PMU in establishing linkages with the community and region. These linkages will have long term payoffs both strategically and economically. Initial costs will have to be borne in large part by the PMU. However, the evolving partnerships and community links developed through the CRD activities will eventually produce revenue. These revenues first will pay for ongoing activities. Eventually, they will allow for additional growth and development, as sponsored contracts and funding grow, as new scientific and applied research centers are created, and as intellectual property leads to new business and industrial ventures.

While this process will not occur overnight, proper nurturing of partnerships along with the development of research that meet community needs will lead to a self-sustaining research enterprise. Key to this will be the early involvement of critical members of the industrial and business community on the PMU external advisory structure.