Problem solving at sea

As an attendee of yesterday’s Research ShowCASE at Case Western Reserve University, I was confronted with the best and most promising study the university had to offer: hundreds of student research posters, panels on cutting-edge industries and dozens of university faculty. Yet out of the hundreds of research projects presented at the ShowCASE, I seriously questioned whether more than a few could ever move beyond the research lab and enter the marketplace.

In evaluating the challenges in encouraging university researchers to tackle real world problems, I was particularly struck by a comment made by Case Associate Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering James Basilion, who spoke on a panel about translational research. When asked to compare basic and translational research, Basilion used an analogy about surfers. He equated basic research with the surfer out at sea, riding a wave, steering the board gently left and right, but aiming only to make it safely to the beach. Translational research, he said, is having to meet someone on the beach by the palm tree at exactly 3 p.m.

This intense difference explains why many university basic researchers have exceptional difficulty transitioning to a translational field. They are used to using exacting lab conditions to test hypotheses and safely reach a previously unknown conclusion that can be tested and reproduced in other labs. Translational research, on the other hand, aims for a specific application that must be proven at specific times, meet predetermined milestones and be reproduced anywhere with similar results. In this case, a successful experiment is more than just hitting the beach.

All of the translational research panelists argued that the research community probably demands some of each kind of surfer from universities. Basic research that furthers the canon of scientific knowledge through unpredictable discovery has been a key role of American universities since the industrial revolution. However, industrial and public officials have complained that universities are miles out of touch with the real world or as Basilion would argue showing up at a different end of the beach three hours after the meeting time. When industry demands solutions to a known market need and university researchers have expertise that can meet that need, it is often a struggle to make former wave riders conform to the norms of the business world.

Frustratingly, there may be no perfect solution to creating university-industry partnerships. Available funding for research is shrinking at universities statewide, and demands are being made in Columbus and Washington for return on investment of research dollars. It is imperative that we find a process that works, a solution that allows the free spirited research faculty at universities to create and tinker, but at the same time provides direct monetary benefit to the institutions for their survival as independent platforms for such thought. Maybe you have a suggestion?