Resources and research: An empirical study of the influence of departmental research resources on individual STEM researchers involvement with industry

This paper investigates the influence of departmental level characteristics and resources on individual involvement with industry using a national survey of STEM faculty. An integrative model of industry involvement is developed and tested that integrates a multi-level perspective on university–industry relations. Three measures of industry involvement are tested: the amount of time a researcher spends with industry, the number of activities a researcher engages in, and the intensity of those activities. Results of the model show that the quality of human capital in a researcher's home department is a significant influence on industry involvement. Non-federal R&D expenditures and direct industry funding also positively increase the likelihood of industry involvement. Policy and managerial implications of the results are discussed.