This past week, I was on a call and witnessed a brief exchange that packed a lot of value. I want to share that with you here.

This was a regular meeting of North Carolina higher education leaders gathering with the aim of advancing DOD-funded research at institutions of higher education across the state. The guest speaker, a leader of an innovation unit within a major defense contractor, was providing an overview of this unit’s R&D. Much of this work involved partnerships with universities.

Our moderator asked a direct question: If I'm a university researcher, how would I connect and collaborate with you?

The speaker's answer was twofold: One, send me a cold email; Two, most connections occur through existing networks. Note that he did not mention any postings, documents, or websites to search.

It’s important to point out that his organization’s work is generally further along the technology readiness level than basic research, so we're not talking about grants here. Of course, announcements related to federal government grants are publicly posted. It’s critical for PIs to review these, especially for anyone engaged in basic research, as most of you are.

However, many opportunities beyond grants exist, especially if your work leans into applications. So, while you continue to review what is posted and learn about the goals of an organization, it's important to realize that not all opportunities make it to a formal announcement.

Generally, no one is trying to keep this information for themselves. It’s often the case, especially when you move into technology development and the associated contracts, that the pace of the work is faster than what many academics are used to. In this dynamic environment, decisions are made quickly. There may also be more complexity within the contracting process, which makes it difficult for a PI to manage on their own. If you're partnering with industry, such as a major defense contractor, they have the infrastructure and administration to handle those challenges.

Keep in mind that if you are considering pursuing such a collaboration, you should loop in the appropriate people at your institution, such as those in an Office of Innovation or Industry Engagement. If you’re not sure whom to ask, start with your Research Office.

I often advocate for increasing the volume of emails you send and following up persistently, which includes sending cold emails. I also advocate for growing your network, talking to more people, and being the person who refers a colleague for a potential collaboration. That effort may come back around when someone makes a valuable introduction for you.

In the brief exchange described above, we benefit from a direct answer to a direct question from an expert with decades of experience within the government and the defense industry. The takeaway is this: keep looking at those announcements, but realize there are many opportunities that will never be printed to a PDF.

P.S. As a reminder, make sure your online presence is where you want it to be so that cold email has a better chance of getting a reply. 😉 

I’ll be guest speaker later this month on a webinar hosted by ScientifyRESEARCH and Overton. Register now if you’d like to check it out!

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