I’ve run into a situation that is new for me, and wondered if anyone had
helpful suggestions. Idaho State University is a mid-sized public
institution, and home to the Idaho Accelerator Center. This *applied
research* center specializes in “low-energy electron accelerator”
applications, and has the nation’s largest collection of such
accelerators under one administrative roof. Research spans a wide range
of possible applications, including homeland security, health, basic
nuclear physics, materials science, etc. It is a relatively new center,
and it has not yet refined its mechanisms for determining which lines of
research have the most potential for commercialization.

The university would like to identify several firms capable of
conducting a feasibility study and marketing analysis of the
investigators’ ideas: firms that can speak both the language of the
physicists and of the “business” world. The task is to review ideas
ranging from the concept-level to things already well-along in the
development process, and determine those most suitable for development,
and which have a high/low potential for commercialization.

ISU currently envisions developing a white paper or request for bids to
meet this need. It would seem our first step in this process is to
identify suitable, well-qualified firms, both for eventual solicitation
and to find out what information they need to have in such a “white
paper” in order to provide an adequate response. But I am at a loss as
to how to find such firms. Has anyone had a similar situation, and if
so, how did you address it?

Thanks in advance for any ideas!

Ralph

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