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NewsvineIn a report released Monday, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) characterized Stanford as one among several American universities that “are accepting extensive industry controls over the research process — controls that violate hallowed traditions of academic independence industry controls.”
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Despite the attack on Stanford’s many research initiatives involving the environment, the University denied the characterization, stating that Stanford research is not directed according to company partnerships.
In particular, CSPI targeted the 10-year, $225 million Global Climate and Energy Project (GCEP). Funded by ExxonMobil, Toyota, General Electric and oil services giant Schlumberger, the partnership guarantees the companies involved five-year rights to a royalty free license of any University-patented invention.
GCEP Director Franklin M. Orr Jr. said that although qualitative information in the CSPI report was correct, it was driven by a predisposition against corporate-funded research in academia.
“There are some folks who don’t like corporate sponsorship and these are some of them,” Orr said. “It is certainly accurate that we are funded by the four companies named. And it is true that companies get a royalty in the first five years; after that, we can license it to anyone.”
Along with the Universities of California-Berkeley and Davis, Cal Tech, Georgia Tech, Princeton, Carnegie Mellon and Rice, Stanford was implicated in granting inappropriate influence to polluting companies. The CSPI cited the universities as “allowing company representatives on governing boards,” “giving industry sponsors first rights to intellectual property,” “allowing industry sponsors a role in deciding what research projects are funded,” “permitting industry review of research before it is published” and “allowing companies to delay publication of research results.”
Orr contended the accusation, particularly opposing the insinuation that companies unduly influence the direction of research.
“The idea that somehow sponsors can prevent publications or delay publications is not true,” he said. “Stanford absolutely does not allow for such interference.”
He added that companies neither see papers in advance nor review them before publication and that the selection process for research funding is also independent of company influence.
“We respond to proposals from individual faculty members or groups of faculty members,” Orr said. “They write the proposal, they do the work and nobody tells them what to do. They make their own decisions. Likewise, we look at a lot of proposals and we choose the best option if it has the potential to reduce green house gas emissions.”
Rather than being overbearing influences, the companies involved have largely been the reason why research initiatives like GCEP succeed, according to Orr. In the early days of GCEP, there was little internal monetary aid.
“There wasn’t much support, especially when we started,” Orr said. “And there wasn’t much money available to do the fundamental pre-commercial science that might lead to new conversion energies.”
Because of this, “companies have filled a very useful niche,” Orr added. Companies’ sponsorship of research, as well as their cooperation, continues to be necessary to advance into important, groundbreaking research.
“The opportunity to pursue new research frontiers has been hard to get elsewhere,” Orr said.
In addition, research discussions between company representatives and faculty have proven to be the most valuable assets to students in their work.
“Industrial affiliate programs provide money that support students every year,” Orr said. “Company representatives and faculty put on a show and tell and talk about their research and the opportunities in their fields. Some view this type of thing as evil, we like to think about it is a research discussion.”
Because of this need for industry support, Orr said that he believes partnerships like those with Stanford’s GCEP are likely to continue — despite criticisms from the CSPI.
“Partnerships come in lots of shapes and sizes depending on the situation,” Orr said. “For example, lots of folks are working on semi-conductors and electronics. Because Stanford is very strong in this area, I would not be surprised if Silicon Valley Companies become interested in our research groups in the future.”