Using management theory to support your recommendations

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Planning and delivery of research projects

This information is provided for the confidential and  exclusive use of students of RMIT University enrolled in the  unit USM4547: Management in Practice

January 2021

Commercial‐in‐confidence

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Governance Structure

Project Approval Process

Research Program Steering Committees

Industry Participant

review

Research Advisory Committee

Board

 Industry to evaluate new research proposals (focus on industry merit).

 RAC focus on consistency with CRC strategic objectives and funding allocations and makes recommendations to Board.

 Board reviews and approves proposals recommended by RAC (focus on risk, governance and IP).

 Steering Committee to develop and select new research proposals for wider industry consideration.

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Key Requirements 1. Have you read and understood the “Procedure for Developing a

Future Fuels CRC Research Proposal”? 2. Does the project proposal fit within our program plans? 3. Is it industry focused? 4. Does it address agreed CRC milestones? 5. Has the proposal been discussed with industry? 6. If so, have the industry advisors agreed to be involved in the project,

and to what extent? Do you have their commitments in writing? 7. Has a Project proposal been prepared, in the agreed format and on

the current template, for consideration by the sub-program working group?

8. Has a project budget been prepared, justified, and reviewed? 9. Have the recommendations from the working group been included in

the updated proposal for consideration by the Program Steering Committee?

10.Have you read the “Conduct of Research” Policy? If university ethics approval is required, has this been sought, and approval given?

Project Proposal – essential information • Research background and justification. (Objectives of the

research. Knowledge gaps.)

• Research approach – how the project will be undertaken.

• Research outputs and industry impact.

• Knowledge transfer and industry uptake.

• Background IP (what is brought to the project) and Project IP (what is developed that is of value).

• Budget summary.

• Milestones, Deliverables.

• Education & Training.

• Dissemination and publications.

• Project Risk and Risk management.

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Industry Value First and most important part of the proposal

• All Future Fuels CRC research is expected to be industry-led and have beneficial impacts in industry

• Proposal sets out pathway through which the outputs of the research will lead to practice changes (outcomes) that impact in the industry

• Impacts: what benefits are expected? What value is the project expected to create?

• Outcomes: what new practices are occurring in the industry or the community

• Outputs: what specifically is the project expected to produce?

• Knowledge Transfer: Who are expected to be the users of the research and how will they be involved in the project?

IP Management • Identify Background IP to be used in the project and

any potential Centre IP that may flow from the project.

• Background IP must be more than ‘just a sentence’ that states the IP brought to the project by its Participants and should include discussion of any encumbrances / ownership issues that may impact commercialisation of any developed Centre IP.

• Centre IP is not limited to potential high value inventions it relates to all new knowledge (outputs) created during the research project.

• Specifying Centre IP is critical to support knowledge transfer, licensing and commercialisation.

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Risk Assessments • Technical risk: the project may be complex, so completing all

milestones carries a risk.

• Scope risk: it may be possible to undertake some of the work but the results from one or more milestones may make completing the rest of the project scope difficult requiring.

• Expectation risk: it is possible for the researchers and industry users to have different views of the possible outputs and time frame for the project. A mismatch in expectations could inadvertently lead to the project being redirected or halted.

• Resource risk: there will be risks around obtaining samples, students, post docs, industry contributions and each of these will carry a different level of risk for each project.

• A well-crafted risk assessment gives decision-makers greater confidence that project participants have understood key risks.

Industry Engagement • Regular contact with industry advisory team

• To seek feedback on research methods, results, knowledge transfer and industry value

• Request site visits, interview time, data and samples.

• Working group meetings • Working groups facilitate synergies between projects and

new proposal development

• Steering committee meetings • Steering Committees set program goals and guide project

activities towards these goals

• Do we need more industry support?

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Enabling the decarbonisation of Australia’s energy networks

Future Fuels CRC is supported through the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Program. We gratefully acknowledge the cash and in-kind support from all our research, government and industry participants.

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