CONTENTS

• The Engineering Research Centers Program
• Study Objectives

II. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

• Study Design
• Methodology 

III. PROFILE OF ERC INDUSTRY SPONSORS

• Companies Supporting the ERCs
• Respondents' Roles in their Companies' Relationships with ERCs
• Respondents' Personal Interactions with ERCs
• Other Company Employee Interactions with ERCs

IV. ERC-INDUSTRY INTERACTION: EXPECTATIONS AND OUTCOMES

• Original Reasons for Participation
• Results and Benefits to the Company from ERC Participation
• Overall Benefits to the Company from ERC Participation
• Expected Outcomes and Outcomes Actually Derived
• Examples of Significant Benefits from ERC Participation
• Differences in Outcomes by the ERCs in which the Companies Participate

V. ERC STUDENTS HIRED BY PARTICIPATING COMPANIES

VI. FACTORS UNDERLYING BENEFITS DERIVED BY COMPANIES FROM ERC PARTICIPATION

• Factors that Contribute to ERC-Derived Benefits
• Barriers to Benefiting from the ERC Relationship
• Comparison of ERCs with Other University-Industry Research Collaboration Experiences
• Benefits by Years of Company Involvement in the ERC
• Benefits by Extent of Types of Personal and Company Collaboration with the ERC
• Benefits by Degree of Company Influence on the ERC's Research Agenda
• Membership Versus Contracts -- Does it Make a Difference?
• Technological Area -- Does it Make a Difference?
• The Perspective of the ERC "Champion" Versus that of the Budget Approver

VII. LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE

VIII. THE PERSPECTIVE OF OTHER ERC PARTICIPANTS IN THE FIRMS

IX. IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS

X. CONCLUSION

APPENDIX A - SURVEY INSTRUMENT

APPENDIX B - SURVEY INSTRUMENT

APPENDIX C - FOLLOW-UP GUIDE

FOOTNOTES