The Nonprofit Funder–Research Institution Partnership Workshop, held at the Keck Center of the National Academies on November 7, 2018, brought together stakeholders from nonprofit organizations, research institutions, and funding bodies to address key issues affecting collaborative research efforts. The agenda featured a mix of plenary and breakout sessions designed to foster dialogue and generate actionable solutions on topics such as intellectual property and technology transfer, research project support costs, and the streamlining of administrative processes. Early morning subgroup meetings allowed participants to delve into specialized areas, including licensing control, definitions and management of intellectual property, patient access principles, royalty sharing, education, support costs, application processes, financial reporting, and policy harmonization.
The workshop began with welcome remarks emphasizing partnership principles, followed by overviews of current initiatives led by working groups and subgroups. Breakout sessions and working lunches facilitated in-depth discussions on targeted challenges, while afternoon report-outs enabled cross-group knowledge sharing. The event concluded with a session outlining next steps, underscoring a commitment to ongoing collaboration. Overall, the workshop provided a structured environment for leaders in research funding and administration to identify pain points, share best practices, and chart paths forward for more effective and sustainable nonprofit–research institution partnerships.
