Shared Research Program
The annual Shared Research Program Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by the Center for Revolutionary Solar Photoconversion (CRSP) to scientists and faculty at the four Collaboratory Institutions and Affiliate Research Institutions is based on the research thrust areas that CRSP members help select. This results in a group of precompetitive shared research projects each year that receive funding; the members receive non-exclusive, royalty-free licenses to the resulting intellectual property. Shared research projects are supported by a pool of funds created from annual membership fees, matching funding from the Colorado Renewable Energy Authority, and potentially other sources.
Essentially, each member of CRSP leverages its annual membership fees by gaining access to the intellectual property generated by the shared research program (in accordance with the terms and conditions of the CRSP Membership Agreement). For example, the 2008 Shared Research Program funded approximately $1.3 million in shared research seed research grants. For large and small company members of CRSP, that equaled a 130 and 26 times leverage for their annual membership fees, respectively.
The intellectual property licenses allow members to build on that intellectual property via internal research capabilities within their own companies, or by pursuing proprietary research via the CRSP Sponsored Research Program.
