Five years after the publication of Research Universities and the Future of America (2012), an ad hoc committee of BHEW, in collaboration with the NAE, CSTL, STEP, and COSEMPUP, will organize and host a national convocation in summer/fall 2017 on the role of U.S. research universities in supporting economic prosperity, security, health, and global competitiveness. Specifically, convocation participants will discuss strategies to implement three key recommendations from the 2012 report:

• Strengthening university-industry partnerships and opportunities to facilitate the transfer of knowledge, ideas, and technologies to society, including through enhanced tech-transfer activities on university campuses;

• Increasing the return on investment, cost-effectiveness, and productivity of our research universities, as well as state-level and private sector investments; and

• Securing the full benefits of higher education at research universities for all students, including students from underrepresented groups.

In advance of the convocation, BHEW will post on its website an individually authored paper discussing the report’s recommendations in these three areas and will invite public comment on suggestions for implementation. The paper and the public comments will serve as a primary focus for the convocation. A convocation proceedings will be issued.