Industry Program at GTEC

The major focus of our corporate interaction is our Industrial Educational Partners program which was initiated in 1994 and, as of May 2004, had 21 member companies.

• membership fees are based on the number of employees in the company. Annual membership fees for companies with less than 50 employees, $5,000; over 50 and less than 1000, $10,000; over 1000 employees, $15,000.

• companies sign membership agreements to gain special member privileges

Benefits

Industrial Educational Partners' membership fees provide them:

• reduction in R&D costs through participation in GTEC,

• a "seat at the table" where technological advances are discussed,

• opportunities for intellectual exchanges and collaborative research between industry and the GTEC faculty and students,

• first knowledge of inventions and breakthroughs,

• licensing rights under negotiated conditions,

• opportunities to receive specific technical assistance,

• access to graduate students who are equipped with bioengineering skills for the medical implant/tissue engineering industry,

• enhanced interactions between industry and government through program activities and partnerships with agencies such as the FDA, NIH and NSF,

• opportunities to exchange ideas at annual workshops and short courses,

• newsletters by email for current activities of GTEC.

Industrial Educational Partners Symposium

• held annually

• updates the Industrial Educational Partners on progress of research projects

• solicits feedback on GTEC research and programs

Industrial Internship Program

• enables selected graduate students to perform research at bioengineering companies

• 3-6 months of research under supervision of senior researcher or engineer at company

• provides bioengineering companies a pipeline to graduate students with training appropriate for their company’s needs

Industry Advisory Council

• composed of representatives from the Industrial Educational Partners

• meets twice a year

• involved in the assessment and planning of GTEC’s research programs

• chaired by member of council, with the position rotating