Flexibility, funding, and framing: The university's role in co-production

Academic researchers often take for granted the freedoms afforded them, without realizing how rare these freedoms are in other sectors. Privileges considered mundane in university settings can fulfill vital needs of cross-sector collaborative projects. These include: 1) the flexibility to use a variety of outreach and communication tools, 2) access to resources (financial and otherwise), 3) the ability to think long-term and globally, and 4) clout in policy arenas. Academia certainly has weaknesses and should take a back seat on some project components, but properly leveraging university resources can help support and sustain collaborative projects.