"From Industrial and Systems Engineering's standpoint, the Technical Assistance Program has opened up new doors for our faculty and graduate students. Now we have a contractual vehicle by which we can enter into pseudo-consulting arrangements with local companies and assist them with technical problems of a short-term scope. The companies benefit from gaining university expertise and the faculty benefit from receiving additional income through the university and by providing an outreach service that is under one of the missions of VT. We are pleased that these short-term projects sometimes eventually lead into longer term research relationships and that the faculty have industrial experiences to relate in classroom instruction."

John G. Casali, Ph.D., CPE
John Grado Professor and Dept. Head
Director, Auditory Systems Laboratory
Grado Dept. of Industrial and Systems Engineering
College of Engineering
Virginia Tech

"I have found the TAP vehicle a very effective one -- it's an extremely flexible mechanism to do an initial project with industry that might be small in scope and time-duration and it's very easy to put in place. I've found that this vehicle enabled me to start working with a company using a simple and streamlined contracting process and then pursue longer-term relationships with the sponsor, in some cases, leading to the possibility of research contracts."

Eileen M. Van Aken, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Director, Enterprise Engineering Research Lab
Grado Dept. of Industrial and Systems Engineering
College of Engineering
Virginia Tech

"Virginia Tech's new Technical Assistance Program is an innovative way for faculty to engage outside clients in short-term projects that in the past would not have come to the university. This may lead to longer term sponsored research, resulting in a win-win for the university, the faculty member, and the client. We have just established our first Technical Assistance Agreement here in the College of Natural Resources and look forward to working with the Division of Continuing and Professional Education over the next year as we implement the project. A year from now we will be in a position to evaluate how this new program has worked for us."

James E. Johnson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean
Outreach and Professor of Forestry
College of Natural Resources
Virginia Tech

"Continuing Education is proud to be involved in Virginia Tech's Technical Assistance Program. The program is designed to link the intellectual resources of our faculty, staff, and students with businesses, government agencies, and non-profit organizations in Virginia. The program has been very popular with participating faculty and the associated companies and organizations. It streamlines the process for Virginia Tech faculty working with companies for short duration projects. One of the more exciting aspects of the program is its potential for spin-off benefits. As our faculty develop and promote relationships with organizations through the Technical Assistance Program, we will create opportunities for future collaborative work, including sponsored research, and bolster the intellectual resources available to companies. That's a real success story for University Outreach."

Ted J. Settle, Ph.D.
Director
Economic Initiatives and Marketing Research
Virginia Tech