55 research outputs found
Relationship of university research to industry and innovation
Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 2015.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references.This dissertation examines how the rate and direction of scientific science is endogenous to the institutional, technological and economic environment. The first essay investigates how local industrial R&D impacts the rate and direction of academic research by measuring the geographically localized spillover effect from industry R&D headquarters to nearby universities, which I call "reverse knowledge spillovers". To address the endogeneity concerns due to selection of industry location, this study exploits the exogenous entry into plant biotechnology R&D by pre-existing agribusiness incumbents in non-biotechnology clusters. I find that after the industry incumbents' entry into plant biotechnology R&D, collocated universities with the institutional capacity for industry boundary-spanning experienced a significant productivity increase in industry-relevant fields of science. As a further investigation into the phenomenon of "reverse knowledge spillovers", the second essay examines the individual antecedents that incentivize university scientists to engage in industry-relevant research. I argue that young and less prominent scientists have a stronger incentive to exploit new opportunities provided by the local industry due to the lack of alternatives and less opportunity cost. Finally, the third essay provides a theoretical overview of the endogeneity of science. The purpose of this essay is to deepen our understanding of Science as an economic institution, and to draw out some of the crucial pathways by which the structure, conduct and performance of the scientific research enterprise is endogenous to the institutional environment, technology and economic objectives.by Eunhee Sohn.Ph. D
Mesoporous Non-stacked Graphene-receptor Sensor for Detecting Nerve Agents
A novel gas sensor consisting of porous, non-stacked reduced graphene oxide (NSrGO)-heaxfluorohydoroxypropanyl benzene (HFHPB) nanosheets was successfully fabricated, allowing the detection of dimethyl methyl phosphonate (DMMP), similar to sarin toxic gas. The HFHPB group was chemically grafted to the NSrGO via a diazotization reaction to produce NSrGO-HFHPB. The NSrGO-HFHPB 3D film has a mesoporous structure with a large pore volume and high surface area that can sensitively detect DMMP and concurrently selectively signal the DMMP through the chemically-attached HFHPB. The DMMP uptake of the mesoporous NSrGO-HFHPB was 240.03 Hz, 12 times greater than that of rGO-HFHPB (20.14 Hz). In addition, the response rate of NSrGO-HFHPB was faster than that of rGO-HFHPB, an approximately 3 times more rapid recovery due to the mesoporous structure of the NSrGO-HFHPB. The NSrGO-HFHPB sensor exhibited long-term stability due to the use of robust carbon and resulting high resistance to humidity © The Author(s) 2016011sciescopu
Technological Catching-up and Latecomer Strategy: A Case Study of the Asian Shipbuilding Industry
A graph based approach to model charge transport in semiconducting polymers
Charge transport in molecular solids, such as semiconducting polymers, is strongly affected by packing and structural order over several length scales. Conventional approaches to modeling these phenomena range from analytical models to numerical models using quantum mechanical calculations. While analytical approaches cannot account for detailed structural effects, numerical models are expensive for exhaustive (and statistically significant) analysis. Here, we report a computationally scalable methodology using graph theory to explore the influence of molecular ordering on charge mobility. This model accurately reproduces the analytical results for transport in nematic and isotropic systems, as well as experimental results of the dependence of the charge carrier mobility on orientation correlation length for polymers. We further model how defect distribution (correlated and uncorrelated) in semiconducting polymers can modify the mobility, predicting a critical defect density above which the mobility plummets. This work enables rapid (and computationally extensible) evaluation of charge mobility semiconducting polymer devices.This article is published as Noruzi, Ramin, Eunhee Lim, Balaji Sesha Sarath Pokuri, Michael L. Chabinyc, and Baskar Ganapathysubramanian. "A graph based approach to model charge transport in semiconducting polymers." npj Computational Materials 8, no. 1 (2022): 1-8. DOI: 10.1038/s41524-022-00714-w. Copyright 2022 The Author(s). Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Posted with permission
Chemically modulated graphene quantum dot for tuning the photoluminescence as novel sensory probe
A band gap tuning of environmental-friendly graphene quantum dot (GQD) becomes a keen interest for novel applications such as photoluminescence (PL) sensor. Here, for tuning the band gap of GQD, a hexafluorohydroxypropanyl benzene (HFHPB) group acted as a receptor of a chemical warfare agent was chemically attached on the GQD via the diazonium coupling reaction of HFHPB diazonium salt, providing new HFHPB-GQD material. With a help of the electron withdrawing HFHPB group, the energy band gap of the HFHPB-GQD was widened and its PL decay life time decreased. As designed, after addition of dimethyl methyl phosphonate (DMMP), the PL intensity of HFHPB-GQD sensor sharply increased up to approximately 200% through a hydrogen bond with DMMP. The fast response and short recovery time was proven by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) analysis. This HFHPB-GQD sensor shows highly sensitive to DMMP in comparison with GQD sensor without HFHPB and graphene. In addition, the HFHPB-GQD sensor showed high selectivity only to the phosphonate functional group among many other analytes and also stable enough for real device applications. Thus, the tuning of the band gap of the photoluminescent GQDs may open up new promising strategies for the molecular detection of target substrates. © The Author(s) 20166511sciescopu
Does the pressure to fill journal quotas bias evaluation?: Evidence from publication delays and rejection rates.
Although the peer review system of academic journals is seen as fundamental to scientific achievement, a major threat to the validity of the system is a potential evaluation bias resulting from constraints at the journal level. In this study, we examine how the time pressure to maintain a fixed periodical quota for journal publication can influence a journal editor's decision to accept or reject a paper at any given point in time. We find that an increase in publication backlog, proxied as the average delay between paper acceptance and print publication, is correlated with an increase in the subsequent rejection rates of new submissions. Our findings suggest that time pressures inherent in the peer review system may be a source of potential evaluator bias, calling for a need to reconsider the current quota system
Technology adoption and innovation: The establishment of airmail and aviation innovation in the United States, 1918–1935
RESEARCH SUMMARY:
This article explores how technology adoption can shape innovative activity. We study this issue within the historical context of the introduction and expansion of airmail across the United States between 1918 and 1935 using archival material and a novel dataset of early 20th century patents. A joint qualitative and quantitative investigation indicates that local individual and corporate actors applied diverse pools of knowledge and intensified their work with aviation innovations following airmail entry into their county. Moreover, we find evidence that the co‐location of aircraft manufacturing and airmail operations was associated with more corporate innovations that facilitated economies of scale and corresponded to increased technological diversification of firms' aviation patent portfolios. Ultimately, this paper deepens our understanding of the antecedents, consequences, and organizational processes that underpin innovation.
MANAGERIAL SUMMARY:
This research investigates how aviation innovation in the United States was influenced by the postal service's early 20th century introduction and expansion of airmail routes. Our results indicate that counties with an airmail route experienced increased aviation‐related patenting by individual and corporate inventors relative to similar counties that did not receive an airmail route. Moreover, we find that corporate inventors working in airmail counties that also contained aircraft manufacturers were particularly active in technological areas that enhanced aircraft economies of scale and patented in a wider range of aviation‐related domains. An implication of this work for managers and policymakers is that early access to nascent technology can be a driver of local innovation and that spillovers can benefit diverse economic actors working in close proximity
Exploring young children’s behavioral problems who are at risk of social emotional development and their caregivers’ need for early intervention in Children’s Residential Care Homes
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