BSAC Program Objectives and Benefits to Industrial Member

BSAC operates under the framework and rules of the NSF I/UCRC program, but has as primary objectives:

1. Technology transfer to Industrial Companies best able to commercialize longer term BSAC research.
2. Enabling of early stage exploratory topics which may subsequently evolve into individually funded projects.
3. Funding of BSAC researchers and staff in support of the overall (project nonspecific) research goals of BSAC.

Benefits to Member Companies

• An intensive 3-day semiannual private research review conducted on campus;
   
• A BSAC website with public and member-only privileges;
   
• Attendance at a bi-annual UC Berkeley EECS Industrial Liaison meeting;
   
• Twice-annual publication of a comprehensive 600+ page research report covering all BSAC projects;
   
• By-arrangement on-campus access to team meetings of BSAC research thrust teams; and
   
• By-arrangement campus meetings with researchers.
   
• BSAC membership is a gateway to further focused engagement by Industrial Members who may subsequently become members of the UC Berkeley MicroLab Affiliate program wherein employees of the member may avail themselves of the facilities of the microfabrication facility for research fabrication and process development.
   
• Individually funded BSAC directed research projects may be proposed to BSAC faculty which are generally undertaken only with Industrial Members, under separate agreements.
   
• Industrial Members are offered various options of privileged licensing of patents which derive from BSAC research.
   
• The most important University of California and BSAC product is our graduates, the large majority of whom receive the degree of PhD from the departments of electrical, mechanical or bio- engineering. Our graduates are among the most highly recruited technologists from the US educational system. Most go on to industry and academic leadership positions, Member companies have many opportunities to network with, assess, and form continuing relationships with our graduate students. Many of our graduates take positions with member companies.

MEMBER FUND

Industrial Membership directly and indirectly supports research in all the areas above.

Member fees are unrestricted funds segregated and generally used by faculty and researchers in unfunded early exploratory areas; for short-term funding of student and postdoctoral researchers; for maintaining faculty and researcher collaboration, exposure, and currency through conference and seminar attendance; for expenditures related to Industrial Member engagement, services, and support; for semiannual and regional research reviews conducted for Industrial Members; and for salaries of researchers and BSAC staff.  Industrial Member funds are, after common expenses are paid, distributed to each faculty co-Director for their University core research fund.  For BSAC faculty co-Directors who maintain an active research agenda, this distribution is in part uniform and in part reflective of the wishes of the industrial members as expressed in a (confidential) annual membership distribution survey.