Benefits of Membership in the Liaison Program

● Exclusive access to the Institute’s Graduate Research Progress Reports (GRPR’s) that are published twice per year (January and July)

     All of the research output from a current total of 10 research projects carried out by the students and staff of the Institute are disseminated 2x/year exclusively to our liaison program partners in book format (Graduate Research Progress Reports; GRPR), electronically on CD, and also in a “Members Only” area in our web site. We try to select projects that are industrially relevant and also welcome input from our member companies on the type of research project (as well as comments/suggestions on any existing individual research program) that should be initiated in the Institute. At times, members of a student’s PhD committee may also be from a member company. This helps to ensure that our research activities are industrially relevant. We try to select projects where the information generated would have specific utility to our member companies. Often new techniques are developed in the Institute and member companies would be able to learn more of these procedures, techniques, etc. well before they appear in the open literature. We also welcome direct communication between the student working on a project, EPI research staff, and scientists/engineers working within a member company.

      ● Access to experienced faculty, research scientists and engineers, and qualified students, including opportunities to discuss ongoing Institute research activities and the development of the Institute’s future research plans.    

● Each member company will also receive all reprints of publications derived from Institute research programs as well as all M.S. research reports and Ph.D. dissertations prepared by graduate students within the Institute.

     Each month the contact person at the member company will receive a mailing from the Institute that consists of a GRPR (distributed in February and August in both book and CD format), reprint, or a dissertation/theses/or research report.

     ● Attendance at the Annual Review Meeting for Members held at the Institute.  These are held on an annual basis in March (including dinner and lunch) and includes oral and poster presentations of recent research results from the Institute

     Each year, in March, the Institute holds a 1 1/2 day review meeting at Lehigh where our research activities are presented to our Industrial Liaison program partners through oral and poster presentations given by our students. This is a very good opportunity for Industrial Liaison partners to interact on a one-to-one basis with Institute students and staff members. In addition, a number of companies over the years have recruited employees by hiring our graduate students. A company can follow the progress of a student over the course of his/her Ph.D. program and get to know their capabilities and hire them upon graduation. Our students are well trained in the polymer colloids area and many of our alumni have had very successful industrial research careers. This meeting is also a good opportunity for representatives from our member companies to network among themselves. The dates for the 2008 meeting are Wednesday, March 26, 2008 and Thursday, March 27, 2008.

       ● Each Industrial Liaison member company also receives one free registration to the annual short course “Advances in Emulsion Polymerization and Latex Technology” held at either Lehigh in June or in Davos, Switzerland, in August ( a $1400 value!).

● There is also the opportunity for consulting by Institute faculty and research staff at no cost if the member company visits the Institute for discussions or via e-mail, phone, or web-based exchange, or at a reduced rate on problems of specific interest to the Member if an off-site visit away from the University is required (travel and lodging expenses not included). We feel this is a valuable benefit where experienced Institute faculty and research staff can help with a specific issue/problem with a given liaison company on a confidential basis.

● The Institute also offers a series of analytical services and data interpretations to members of the Industrial Liaison companies from time to time on a cost basis to help a member company with sample analysis.

    We do not compete with commercial analytical labs, but provide these analytic services and corresponding data interpretation as an aid to our member companies. In addition, the Institute is available to perform basic or applied research on proprietary topics, fields, or problems of interest to a Member.  Such research is conducted pursuant to a separate Research and Testing Agreement or a Sponsored Research Agreement entered into by the Member and the University. University research facilities and equipment are non-profit, tax-exempt resources and are therefore not available for direct use or rental by Members for commercial purposes, but access to University research facilities and equipment may be provided pursuant to a Sponsored Research Agreement or pursuant to other arrangements which must be specified in a separate research agreement entered into by the Member and the University.

     The potential also exists for a Visiting Scientist from a member company to visit the Institute for varying periods of time to learn a technique, work on a focused research program etc. subject to a separate agreement between the member company and the University. Details for all of these other types of specific interactions can be discussed with the Executive Director of the Institute.

The cost to belong to the Industrial Liaison Program is $13,000 (US) per year. Payment terms may be arranged. We strive very hard to leverage each company's membership dues many-fold to amplify our research output.