1. Stephen Bauer NIDILRR Program Officer
Stages of Development
Stephen Bauer
NIDILRR Program Officer
RERC Director's Meeting 2016

2. Purpose Introduce the “Stages of Development”
RERC Director's Meeting 2016

3. Outline Motivation Concepts Description Common Questions
RERC Director's Meeting 2016

4. Motivation
NIDILRR’s Mission: “Generate new knowledge and promote its effective use in improving the ability of persons with disabilities to perform activities of their choice in the community, [And] To expand society's capacity to provide full opportunities and accommodations for its citizens with disabilities.”
RERC Director's Meeting 2016

5. Motivation
NIDILRR achieves its Mission by funding grants comprising Research, Development, training, technical assistance, knowledge translation, and dissemination. To optimize benefits deriving from R or D investments, NIDILRR has developed and implemented the Stages of Research (SoR) and Stages of Development (SoD) frameworks.
RERC Director's Meeting 2016

6. Motivation
SoD Applications (structure, improve): Solicitations, Applications, Review Criteria, Peer Review Process, Grant Monitoring, Grant Management and Reporting, Performance Analysis, Strategic Planning, and Dissemination SoD provide descriptive guidance rather than prescriptive requirements.
RERC Director's Meeting 2016

7. Concepts
Development: Process of creating new or improved products using appropriate development methods. Output: Models, methods, tools, standards, software applications, and devices. Outcome: Actualized product used by target market(s) to address significant needs.
RERC Director's Meeting 2016

8. Description
Idea First Stage (Proof of Concept): Second Stage (Proof of Product): Third Stage (Proof of Adoption) Each Stage comprises appropriate and systematic methods, and associated outputs and outcomes.
RERC Director's Meeting 2016

9. Description
Idea Product concept… to address significant unmet need(s) of a target disability market(s). Target market may include users or service providers, researchers, developers, etc.
RERC Director's Meeting 2016

10. Description
First Stage (Proof of Concept) Requirements established or confirmed; key concepts, components, or systems are tested; associated technical challenges resolved… Technology transfer plan developed with KT4TT. Product Concept is Feasible.
RERC Director's Meeting 2016

11. Description
Transfer of Development Product(s) always requires a Partner Organization(s)
Universities
Manufacturers
Distributors
Professional Organizations
Standards Organizations
Partner Organizations also provide or refine Product Requirements.
RERC Director's Meeting 2016

12. Description
Second Stage (Proof of Product) Requirements established or confirmed; fully- integrated and working prototype tested; technical challenges resolved. Technology Transfer Plan implemented in collaboration with the Transfer Partner(s) Product is Realizable
RERC Director's Meeting 2016

13. Description
Assessment with respect to Requirements is typical of Stage 1 and Stage 2 activities
Bench test “device” components or systems
Evaluate “device” compliance to standards
Psychometric properties of a “tool” is tested.
User trial of a “software application”
Provider trial of a “method”
RERC Director's Meeting 2016

14. Description
Third Stage (Proof of Adoption) Product refinement; identify barriers to adoption; facilitate product adoption; assess product adoption. Complete Technology Transfer Plan and collaboration with Transfer Partner(s) Product is Beneficial
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15. Description
Product Adoption may be established by assessing a market’s…
Awareness of a product…
Positive disposition towards a product…
Decision to try a product…
Use of a product…
Retention of a product…
Barriers and facilitators to adoption can be identified for each “step”.
RERC Director's Meeting 2016

16. Public Comments
Missing Stage… perceived that “manufacturer” would use a “Stage 2 ½” to transform a “Proof of Product” (still a prototype) into a commercial product… Missing Stage… perceived that investigator needs “Stage 2 ½” to confirm a product market viability… First and Second Stages… perceived that First and Second Stages are undifferentiated in terms of activities, outputs, and outcomes…
RERC Director's Meeting 2016

17. Public Comments
Third Stage… perceived to be unfunded and therefore Proof of Adoption is undoable…
Development Products... perceived that development products are devices, developed with engineering methods, in university contexts, and licensed to manufacturers…
Product Adoption… perceived that target market(s) are too large, segmented, or complex for investigators to facilitate or assess product adoption…
RERC Director's Meeting 2016

18. Public Comments
Methods… perceived that research and development methods are entirely distinct… Ordering… perceived that SoD requires research to precede development… Iteration and Adaptation… perceived that SoD is linear and prescriptive; investigators would be unable to adapt or iterate projects to overcome unanticipated problems or to pursue unanticipated opportunities…
RERC Director's Meeting 2016

19. Public Comments
Project Oversight… perceived that SoD requires investigators to obtain NIDILRR permission to adapt and iterate development projects… Project Oversight… perceived that SoD was not prescriptive enough in terms of standard milestones, deliverables, and continued funding…
RERC Director's Meeting 2016

20. Thanks! Questions?
RERC Director's Meeting 2016