Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) Summit: A Seismic Shift in Promotion and Tenure

Award ID: 1936073

The award will support the evaluation of the value and inclusion of knowledge and outcomes derived from innovation and entrepreneurial (I&E) achievements as additional components in Promotion and Tenure (P&T) decisions for university faculty in higher education nationally. This work will promote the progress of science and to advance national prosperity. The ability to more effectively align the intellectual capabilities of university faculty with an innovation economy will have profound, broad reaching impacts for society and the American economy. This effort will engage the broad spectrum of higher education - including primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) to research 1 (R1) doctoral universities [including minority- serving institutions such as historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) and Hispanic serving institutions (HSIs)]. Key to this objective will be the delivery of a multi-day summit for constituents from a diverse cross-section of higher education to discuss possible the topic and make recommendations for next steps. In addition, a pre-summit survey will be performed to gain a better understanding the current state of incorporation of I&E criteria within existing P&T guidelines across the Nation. This proposal requests support for the planning and delivery of a one and a half day event in Spring/Summer 2020 entitled "Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) Summit: A Seismic Shift in Promotion and Tenure (P&T)." The purpose of this summit is to convene the broad spectrum of higher education to discuss the value and inclusion of evidence-based data, experimental knowledge and impact outcomes derived from innovation and entrepreneurial achievements as additional components in P&T decisions for higher education nationally. The constituents to be involved in this Summit range from primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) to research 1 (R1) doctoral universities [including minority- serving institutions such as historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) and Hispanic serving institutions (HSIs)], as well as organizations directly impacting this community. The overarching goals of this summit are to: (a) disseminate the current status of I&E within P&T amongst universities from across the Nation; (b) provide case studies from individual faculty, administrators and industry leaders demonstrating the impact of I&E within P&T; (c) foster communication and information sharing amongst the higher education ecosystem on I&E; and (d) develop best practices and road map for individual universities to augment their individual P&T guidelines to more inclusively support I&E amongst their faculty. Note: For the purpose of this document, the word "university" will serve as encompassing all institutions of higher education. The ability to more effectively align the intellectual capabilities of our university faculty with an innovation economy will have profound, broad reaching impacts for society and the American economy. Not only are faculty's professional careers be positively impacted by this work in innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E), the universities will be better positioned to accomplish their own institutional strategic goals focused around I&E. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Program Director: Pradeep Fulay