Benefits of BSAC Membership

 BSAC continues to operate under the framework and rules of the original NSF I/UCRC program, with primary objectives that promote

1. Technology transfer to Industrial Companies best able to commercialize longer-term BSAC research.
2. Early-stage exploratory research which may subsequently evolve into commercially relevant fully funded projects.
3. Education and research experience for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.

Benefits to Member Companies

Although BSAC membership does not (by itself) sponsor individual member-directed projects, a number of valuable and far-reaching tangible and intangible benefits are provided, including:

• (Syndicated Research Leverage) Member fees are pooled among Industry members and further leveraged with external awards (federal & state) to fund more than 150 times as many early-stage projects as any one member could fund internally with their membership fees alone. Membership fees also provide operating funds for center membership services, research reviews, and personnel.
• (Influence over Research Directions) Industrial Membership fees are, after common expenses are paid, distributed to individual core research funds of each faculty co-Director. This distribution to faculty is in part uniform and in part according to the wishes of each industrial member from their (confidential) annual membership fee distribution election.
• (Sponsored Research) Individually funded BSAC directed research projects may be contracted with BSAC faculty. Such sponsored research is generally undertaken only with Industrial Members, under separate agreements.
• (Joint Research) Members may partner with BSAC faculty on joint proposals for federal, state or foundation funding (where the member may be a user of funds). Faculty will partner only with BSAC member companies on such proposals.
• (Research Reviews/IAB) An intensive 3-day semiannual research review conducted on campus, including member-only sessions and private access to online reports that cover all BSAC projects and provide 600+ pages of comprehensive information. Members also meet in executive session (Industrial Advisory Board) to assess the operations and research directions of the center.
• (Secure Website) BSAC website with both public and extensive member-only privileges, pre-publication review of BSAC research, access to BSAC invention disclosures, and portals for connection to projects and researchers. (Gatekeeper Option): Members may, however, restrict distribution of all nonpublic BSAC information, and route all such information only through their selected “gatekeeper(s)”.
• (IP Access) Industrial Members are offered time-advantaged access to inventions that derive from BSAC research.
• (Visiting Industrial Fellow program) Ability to embed, under a separate agreement and with additional funding, industrial researchers into the research groups of BSAC faculty for extended periods (one-to-three years).
• (NanoLab Affiliate Program) BSAC companies have guaranteed eligibility for and discounted membership in the UC Berkeley NanoLab Affiliate program wherein employees of the member may, on an hourly recharge basis, avail themselves of the facilities of the microfabrication facility for research fabrication and process development.
• (Campus and Center Access) Members can request by-arrangement meetings with BSAC faculty or members of their research groups.
• (Access to BSAC Graduates) Our graduates, the large majority of whom receive the degree of Ph.D. from the departments of electrical, mechanical, chemical, or bioengineering, 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.

Additionally Available to Collaboration Members

• (Collaboration Research Projects*) Optional Collaboration Membership entitles Collaboration Member to work with BSAC faculty who defines & manages a project of high interest to the member, staffed by a Graduate Student Researcher.