This is very common practice in academia. You need funding for projects to keep your profs busy and bring in bucks. So you take HD's money and do the research. I am sure there is no pressure to come up with the findings sought after by the customer.This is like hiring the big consulting forms to prove / validate your point / decisionnot that I am complaining ...
Yes, there's an old saying about why you never see a motorcycle parked outside a psychiarist's office!