Precollaboration Framework: Academic/Industry Partnerships: Mobile and Wearable Technologies for Behavioral Science

Abstract

Through our experiences of forming and maintaining many industry/academic partnerships and relationships, we realized that a standardized framework that facilitates communication could be very helpful to both partners. To that end, we invented the Industry/Academic Translational Science Partnership Framework © (“Framework”) as shown below. The Framework has been used in over a dozen project of different lengths including R01 projects, SBIR projects, pilot projects, and government projects. A printable version is available online at: www.vibrenthealth.com. The key goal of the framework is keeping each other’s interests aligned by promoting and maintaining a healthy industry/academic partnership. This plays out during the collaboration process. The Framework guides each partner to better communicate and understand the goals, motivations, and pressures of the other. It helps the partners to transition their individual missions and goals into shared missions and goals.