The STARLab Industrial Affiliates Program is one of twenty-seven Industrial
Affiliates Programs (IAP) in Science and Technology at Stanford. The IAP was
established to develop a practical and functional relationship between the
University and the industrial community. The broad goals of the program are
to promote contact between faculty, research staff, and students and their
counterparts in industry and to expand the research and teaching capability
of the University. The following major features of the STARLab Industrial
Affiliates Program contribute significantly to its success:
Annual Research Program Review
The Annual Research Program Review summarizes new results and
techniques developed within STARLab and explores their impact on
current and anticipated future problems. This is typically a one or two
day meeting during which papers are presented by students or faculty on
their most recent research activities. The program reviews are popular
events and allow time for both lecture, discussion, and communication
among students, faculty and representatives from industry.
Faculty visits
Faculty visits to participating companies for the purpose of
establishing a knowledgeable working relationship between the technical
personnel in industry and the university faculty.
Report distribution
Report distribution (including preprints and reprints of journal
articles), available to the Industrial Affiliates upon request. This
facilitates the flow of information on new results and progress in
specific areas. As many as ten individuals at each member company may
receive this information. The availability of preprints circumvents
publication delays of one or more years.
Seminars
Notice of seminars and special talks conducted as part of the
University curriculum. These are announced to Affiliates so that they
have the opportunity to remain cognizant of the research progress
within the Laboratory. These are sometimes available in videotape form.
Stanford contacts
Facilitation of contact with faculty and students in other departments
of the School of Engineering.
Campus liason
A personal faculty or research staff liaison on campus. This person
maintains technical contact throughout the year, visits the company,
hosts the company in Stanford's labs and provides other information and
services as requested.
Student interviews
Assistance in arranging interviews with graduate students for both
discussion of employment opportunities and/or exchange of research
information.
Tax advantages
Approximately 75% of the annual company contribution will be used for
the support of research activities. Such research contributions may be
eligible for special treatment under the tax laws.
Each member company contributes $10,000 annually for its participation in
the Industrial Affiliates Program in STARLab. 80% of each contribution is
used to support the research and teaching objectives of the faculty member
serving as liaison officer with the member company and has, in the past,
included items such as student fellowships and equipment purchases. 20% is
deposited in a central fund to be used at the discretion of the Director of
STARLab and the Director of the Industrial Affiliates Program. Following are
examples for which this portion of the contribution is used:
- Supporting distinguished scientists and engineers from industry and
other universities during their visits to campus (to present lectures
or to collaborate in research).
- Supporting a STARLab cluster computer facility to aid research within
the Laboratory and to give students "hands on" training.
- Maintaining the IAP liaison functions, including the annual workshop
and faculty visits to the affiliate companies.
The Industrial Affiliates funds are uniquely valuable to Stanford. Although
they are not necessarily large compared to some other funds available (such
as federal contract funds), they may be used in a discretionary fashion not
possible with most other university funds. Affiliates programs in other
Laboratories of the Electrical Engineering Department have spawned many of
the major initiatives in the Electrical Engineering Department of the last
two decades. They are highly leveraged funds, of great importance to our
educational enterprise.
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