From time to time, MySQL employees are approached with proposals from universities and other research institutions about MySQL participating in research programmes financed by governmental initiatives in the US and in the EU. This is much appreciated. Often, there is a mutual interest, where

• academics need an industrial partner to anchor the results of the research into a real-world application and even to fulfil the requirements of getting a grant, and
• the MySQL user community needs new features in MySQL Server, or in the Connectors enabling the use of MySQL from various development environments.

Left: MySQL University refers to the highest form of education when it comes to learning how to develop MySQL Server (as opposed to using it). It’s opening up for the MySQL community to attend, at no cost.

So what do I suggest you to do, if you’re drafting a Framework Programme proposal (these are collaborative research projects funded by the European Commission) or equivalent other type of application involving governmental funding, and you think MySQL (whether AB, Inc., GmbH or KK) would be a possible industry partner?

• First, think about how your research can end up as a benefit for the MySQL user community. Who needs it? To fulfil what requirement? Why is your project going to end up in deliverables that are usable by the MySQL ecosystem?
• Second, think about what MySQL can do to help. We have limited resources for developing MySQL Server further, and we deploy them carefully. However, we absolutely want to help, if your research proposal provides good answers to the primary questions above. We are more likely to be able to help, the more concrete the contribution of the research partners is.
• Third, email me or anyone else in the MySQL Community Team, at firstname@mysql.com. Or if you happen to know someone at MySQL, or you know of a MySQL employee close to your geographic location, approach that person — who in turn will approach the Community Team at MySQL. We will then act as your contact persons and primary interface towards our development organisation, who in turn are the domain experts in Data Warehousing, High Availability, Geographical Data, Clustering, Replication, or whatever the specific domain of your research is about.

While none of us in the Community Team has yet acquired a PhD, we’ll connect you with those MySQLers who have — once we’ve determined that your research proposal has a common goal with what MySQL is trying to accomplish.