Based on the experience of a dozen years and more than 25 Engineering Research Centers, it has become evident to NSF ERC Program Directors that certain characteristics of background, ability, and personality tend to be associated with success in directing an ERC. This is not to say that NSF perceives a fixed "model" of the ideal ERC Director. Certainly there is a range of characteristics and any given individual will be stronger in some areas than in others. In addition, the "ideal" profile will vary across different fields, universities, and industry bases. Finally, there are all the intangibles of team chemistry, timing, and luck that may play as significant a role as any other more objective factor in one's ability to lead an ERC effectively.

Nevertheless, having expressed these caveats, it is worthwhile to describe some of the likely success factors for an ERC Director, as identified in an informal survey of current and past NSF ERC PDs.

With regard to professional background, the individual will certainly possess the PhD degree in a relevant field of engineering or science. S/he will be a university professor. Experience in working with industry is definitely a plus for an ERC Director. If a Director comes to the university from industry to lead the ERC, it can be problematical if s/he expects to use a more "directive" style of management at the university. In any case, some management experience is highly recommended.

The Director will be a tenured professor who is likely to have achieved widespread recognition in his or her field for scholarly and intellectual attainments. Age is not a factor; the person can be at early, mid, or late career, as long as he/she is tenured.

In terms of leadership ability, five very important traits can be identified: 1) the ability to articulate a vision for the ERC that is shared with industry and the faculty and that is flexible enough to evolve over time with the developments of the ERC and the field; 2) a clear perception of the current status of the field and a vision of future advancements and a strategy to achieve them; 3) the ability to think at the systems level and integrate research from different fields to achieve a systems-level goal; 4) the ability to recognize intellectual needs and identify needed talents, both internal and external to the university faculty and form and sustain a cross-disciplinary team over time; and 5) the ability to lead without coercion. A Director will probably be someone who prefers to deal with the "big picture," rather than with details, and who knows how to hire and delegate the detailed tasks. It is also quite useful if the individual is a skilled "salesperson" in representing the center's needs and capabilities to potential sponsors in industry and government, as well as within the university. Again, the ability to articulate the vision of the ERC and energize people to share in the vision for the ERC and its development is critical.

To that end, interpersonal skills that involve team building are valuable. Management in an academic environment is often a delicate operation, so it is strongly advisable that the Director be diplomatic, tactful, and empathetic as well as perceptive, alert, and determined. Given the enormous demands of the job and the personal self-sacrifices it entails, the ability to make a total commitment to the center is vital.

The prospective Director must have gathered together a group of colleagues and junior faculty in relevant fields who are willing to form the core of the ERC faculty team. It is also very important to have an industrial support base (or at least strong contacts) established through consulting, participation in a previous center, industry employment, etc. It is useful if the individual has good relations with the university and departmental administrators, although these relationships can be built after the center is established. Also valuable are other federal, state, and private support bases (e.g., foundations) beyond NSF.

The Director should understand the opportunity the ERC provides to change the educational/research culture of the engineering efforts of the university and the potential to impact beyond engineering. H/she should be interested in integrating the results of the ERCs systems perspective into the curriculum in new and innovative ways.

Finally, in terms of attitudes and personal orientation, an ERC Director should be a team-oriented coalition-builder who welcomes change, since technological and "cultural" change are what the ERCs are all about. The person's attitude toward the encouragement of women and underrepresented minorities to pursue engineering education and research must be genuinely positive. S/he should be oriented toward focused basic research that integrates science and engineering with long-term benefits for industry, because this is the fundamental rationale for the ERC Program. Finally, the Director should be oriented always toward achieving a center in which the integrated whole is greater than the sum of its individual parts.

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