Academic Interactions with the Public and Private Sector: Opportunities and Challenges

In recent years, governments have been more explicit in their expectations that investments in scientific research should have value to society, including hydroclimatic research. In particular, academic researchers are increasingly called upon to collaboratively engage members of the public and private sector in setting research agendas, demonstrating application of research results, and developing products to support resource management decisions. We review several different approaches for conducting collaborative cross-sector projects, including client-consultant relationships, technology transfer and outreach, research partnerships, and public participation. We also present lessons learned about building successful partnerships between academia and other sectors. The academic sector offers unique advantages for addressing specific kinds of research questions, including those involving slowly evolving consequences and cross-jurisdictional conflicts. Pressures on academic researchers can compromise these advantages, including pressures to sustain research through market approaches that pose challenges for the overall publicly funded research enterprise. We present options for countering these pressures, including focusing on the unique advantages of academia and developing decision support products from a perspective of societal equity.