Constituents

Iowa State University listens and responds to the needs of its constituents in various ways. The Office of Governmental Relations coordinates activities with the legislature and the Governor. The State Relations Officer in the ISU Office of Governmental Relations is the University's official liaison to the Iowa Legislature. As such, the SRO is present at the State Capitol each day of the annual legislative session speaking with legislators advocating the University's and the Board of Regents legislative priorities. Between legislative sessions, the SRO travels throughout the state visiting 75 to 100 legislators in their home districts to preview the University's upcoming legislative agenda to gather feedback from legislators regarding their higher education priorities. The Office of Governmental Relations also annually coordinates 25 to 50 appearances by a variety of University experts before committees of the Iowa Legislature. The Office also coordinates the analysis of several hundred legislative bills and amendments for their potential impact on the University.

Regent universities have opportunities to showcase their initiatives at annual Legislative Breakfasts. In addition, University representatives serve on many state-level committees such as the Iowa Department of Economic Development Board of Directors, the Regents’ Economic Development and Technology Transfer Interinstitutional Committee and the recently formed Biosciences Steering Committee and the Advanced Manufacturing Council. These last two groups are charged with implementing the roadmaps proposed by the State's Battelle Report.

Iowa State works closely with businesses and industries in the state, including commodity groups. These interactions occur through research and public service contracts (399 projects totaling $28.6 million in FY05), through University Extension activities, and through a network of ISU service providers. A Point of Contact system is in place on the institution’s homepage to assist companies that don’t know where to go for help. The Director of Industry Relations also works closely with companies statewide in one-on-one meetings and by coordinating company visits, Biotech Mixers (industry networking events aimed at forming collaborations among companies) and an annual Biotechnology Career Day. In addition, many colleges and centers at Iowa State have industry advisory boards, like those that advise the Institute for Physical Research and Technology and the Center for Industrial Research and Service. In 2004, a new, more broadly representative College of Agriculture Advisory Council was established to ensure balanced advice from citizens interested in agriculture, food, environment, communities and the life sciences.

Iowa State has a presence on several economic development boards, including the BIOWA Development Association, the Iowa Business Council, the Advanced Manufacturing Research and Collaboration Cluster, Professional Developers of Iowa, and other industry and community groups.

Furthermore, significant interaction occurs across Iowa that involves communities, school districts and the Area Education Agencies. Much of this activity occurs through the University’s Extension to Communities and Economic Development Program. Also, the Vice Provost for Research annually sponsors an economic development open house to provide detailed information on assistance that the University can offer to Iowa communities.

Through the Office of Governmental Relations (mentioned above) and the Office of Sponsored Programs Administration, the University works closely with federal agencies (such as NSF, NIH, and USDA) and its federal congressional delegation. Federal program directors are regularly invited to campus to talk about specific funding opportunities; many faculty and staff make periodic visits to federal agencies.

Businesses and corporations beyond the geographic borders of the state are also served through collaborative research projects and through licensing activities handled by the Iowa State University Research Foundation.

Many interactions occur between Iowa State and other countries through research and extension contracts and grants, and through the recruitment of companies to the ISU Research Park and other locations in Iowa. The University works closely with the Ames Economic Development Commission, the Iowa Department of Economic Development and the Greater Des Moines Partnership in these efforts. Some countries that have had extensive interaction with the University in recent years are New Zealand, Korea, Germany, Japan and China. The initiatives in Korea and New Zealand are already quite successful. A Korean company is now manufacturing soy-related products in Iowa, and a New Zealand company has been located in the ISU Research Park for nearly two years.

Iowa State’s successful community development and economic development program has drawn attention in several countries where universities are trying to build (or rebuild) outreach programs. Iowa State research administrators have given presentations about the institution’s model in countries like Germany and Chile. ISU Extension, via contracts with the U.S. and the Mexican governments, is working with universities in Mexico to (re)build part of the country’s extension and outreach programs.