Theory: University Research Management issues and processes · •1544 academic staff •2609 research staff •7380 postgraduate students. ... •Document management systems •Contract

Theory: University Research Management issues and

processes

Elena Andonova, 28th January 2011

isis-enterprise.com

Oxford Researchers and Facilities

• 1544 academic staff

• 2609 research staff

• 7380 postgraduate students

isis-enterprise.com© Copyright 2011 Isis Innovation Ltd.

Research administration is a collective enterprise

Isis

Internal Collaborations

Finance

Funders

External

CollaborationsOther

universities

Aim is to facilitate world-class research and knowledge exchange!


Oxford Research Services - Major Responsibilities

• Supporting the grant process

• Negotiating research-related contracts and agreements

• Advising on the costing and pricing of research at Oxford

• Supporting University and Divisional research-related planning

• Promoting the responsible conduct of research and compliance


Oxford Research Services - Major Responsibilities

• Providing information on funding opportunities

• Supporting the development of the University’s

knowledge exchange/knowledge transfer

activities and its partnerships with key external

organisations

• Facilitating technology transfer

• Leading the continuous improvement of

research administration at Oxford


• Three Divisional teams

• Three main ‘client’ groups are:

• The Academic Divisions

• Their Faculties and Researchers, Senior Officers of the

University

• Oxford's Research Sponsors and Collaborators

• Activities include:

• Support grant processes

• Negotiate research related agreements and report

• Support Tech Transfer

• Specialists

• European Funding, IP

• Clinical trials

Oxford Research Services – Structure

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Source: ISI Web of Science (all databases)

CanadaItalyFranceGermanyU.S. Australia JapanSwitzer-

land

Nether-

lands

Spain

18.2

5.85.1

7.7

4.13.6

4.53.6 3.3 3.0

% of Oxford outputs in Web of Science with international co-author, 2004-2008

2.0

0.6

China India1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 13 32Rank

Oxford researchers are collaborating across the globe

isis-enterprise.com

• Charitable status of the university

• Compliance with funders’ requirements

• Many different funders

• Efficient processing

• Tracking agreements

• Document management systems

• Contract negotiation

• Financial management

• Project management

• IP

• Liability

• Publication

Key issues

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• Grant submission

• Department approval

• Research Services approval

• Contract negotiation

• Authority to sign

• Policies

• Liability, IP, publication

• Training

• Relationship management

• Corporate

• Other funders

• Isis

• IP Rights Management

Key Processes


List of Topics

• IP Rights Management

• Contract Negotiation

• Sources of Funding

• Delivering what the funder expects – outcomes and deliverables

• Metrics – measurement or assessment?

• Project Management• Anything else...


IP Rights Management

• Ownership

• Source of Funding

• Employment Status

• Funders

• Collaborators

• Assignment to Isis

• Protection and Exploitation


Contract Negotiation

• Principles and Policy of Institution

• Charitable rules

• Academic Freedom

• Terms of Contract

• IP

• Publication

• Liability

• Price

• Desires of Funder

• Corporate

• Government

• Solving the mutual problem

• Getting to Yes

• Principles not position


Other HEFCE

funding £85.2m

(9.9%)

Endowment and

Investment

£37.1m (4.3%)

Other Income

£166.9m (19.4%)

HEFCE R

£110.1m (12.8%)

Research Grants

and Contracts

£340.5m (39.5%)

Academic Fees

and Support

Grants £122.7m

(14.2%)

Research (grants & contracts plus HEFCE R) accounts for more than 50% of total Oxford income

2576 grant applications (+14% on 07/08)1920 awards (+8%)£467m award value (+21%) 3278 contracts (+29%)

Total University Income 2008/09 - £852m


Oxford Research Income by Sponsor Type FY 2006/07

Total £248.2m

Research Councils £78.0m -

31.4%

UK Govt / NHS £23.5m -

9.4%

European Commission

£11.9m - 4.8%

UK & Overseas Industry

£30.4m - 12.2%

Other UK & Overseas

Sources £19.5m - 7.9%

UK Charity £85.0m - 34.3%


Sources of Funding

• Research Councils

• Companies

• Governments

• Charities

• European Union


Outcomes and deliverables

• What does the funder want?

• Just do the research and publish

• Do the research and tell us

• Do research for us

• How will the outcomes be measured?

• Reports?

• Papers?

• A Product?

• Economic Impact?


Economic Impact

• Very hard to measure

• Long term for basic research

• Patents?

• Spinouts?

• Licenses?

• Income?

• Jobs?

• Trainees?

• Hard to measure (objective)

• Easier to Assess (more subjective)


Research Evaluation Framework

• Used to be Research Assessment Exercise

• Assesses Quality of Research

• Peer review of historical publications

• Inclusion of Impact Measures (controversial)

• Traceability

• Length of time

• Comparability


Project Management

• Delivery is important

• Is the institution know what the funder expects (and has the funder been

clear)

• Proportionality of expectation

• European Bureacracy

• Royal Society Travelling Fellowship

• Financial compliance

• Reporting

• What does the funder do with the information?

Documents

Theory: University Research Management issues and processes · •1544 academic staff •2609 research staff •7380 postgraduate students. ... •Document management systems •Contract