1. Managing the Research Proposal
Dr Nick Blismas
School of Property Construction & Project Management
Ext 55056
School of Property Construction & Project Management

2. Outline Mapping the requirements Assembling the academic team
Engaging & managing the Collaborating Organisations
Planning the Budget
School of Property Construction & Project Management

3. Mapping the Requirements
Different approaches to ‘creating’ the submission
Actively search for funding, CO’s & ideas
Short/med/long-term goals
View as a project
Break-up the project
Establish Activities and Milestones
Establish Stakeholders
Map-out to help visualise
School of Property Construction & Project Management

4. Establish Activities & Milestones
Proposal
CV's
Project proposal
Budget
Letters & signatures
Submission procedure & dates
Portfolio/Dean (ARC)
EOI (ARC)
Internal (All)
External
Signatures
HoS (All)
CO's
Supporting Orgs
R&I – PVC (All)
CRC Director or Other
School of Property Construction & Project Management

5. Establish Stakeholders
Funding Body*
Funding rules & requirements
Ask R&I
R&I Office
Support, but have requirements
Portfolio (Dean)
May need to read EOI
Notification of intent
Head of School
Support proposal and your time
Resources
Research Committee
School committee may have an influence
Ethics Committee
Not usually at proposal stage, but if risky - suggest you discuss issues of concern
Academic Partners
Other partners - input to proposal and the research
CO's*
Critical aspect for most proposals
More later
CRC's or Other bodies*
Letter from CRC director
Other Stakeholders with an interest*
Unions
Supporting organisations
Determine risk, access and response levels
School of Property Construction & Project Management

6. Visualise the project
School of Property Construction & Project Management

7. Assembling the Academic Team
Who
Variety of skills
Complimentary
Explicit
People you like to work with!
Main driver
External influences
Non-contributors
Track-record ‘padding’
Number
One
Onerous
More than 4
Cumbersome
What is the level of input?
Depends on project type
School of Property Construction & Project Management

8. Academic Team Roles Ideas people Management
Although all should contribute something
Management
Team
Coordinate meetings
Coordinate read & comment
Submission process
Coordinate workloads & deliverables
Who, when, what, how etc.
Document management – one person (usually 1st CI)
Stakeholder
Assigned to team members
Contacts and skills
School of Property Construction & Project Management

9. Managing the CO’s Who Interested CO's
Engage early
Industry workshops/ conferences
Need to keep going post-award
Establish long-term partnerships…
Goal = repeat work
Roles/contribution
Type of contribution
Cash
In-kind
Time in interviewing/workshops
On-site experimentation
More interventionist designs - more reluctant
School of Property Construction & Project Management

10. Managing the CO’s Small number (1-3) Easier to manage/ coordinate
Fewer to please
Higher level of engagement
But depends on individual CO’s and the contact person!
ARC ideally 2-3…
Large number (>4)
Difficult to manage
Reality is only few will really engage
Lever the ones who are engaged for other contacts
Get them to get others involved
Use their enthusiasm & leverage
School of Property Construction & Project Management

11. Managing the CO’s Contact/Gatekeeper Establish Power ASAP ($ power)
Usually person you first engage
Can block access to others in the organisation
Internal politics
Establish Power ASAP ($ power)
Get to ASAP
Sell concept
Get buy-in/commitment
Try establish direct line of communication
Getting the signatures!
Make process simple/explicit ASAP
Delay signatures until figures fixed
Establish whereabouts for the 2 weeks before submission
School of Property Construction & Project Management

12. Planning the Budget Excel spreadsheet to manipulate figures
Precise with figures/estimates
Provide as much detail as possible
School of Property Construction & Project Management

13. Managing the Research Proposal
Dr Nick Blismas
School of Property Construction & Project Management
Ext 55056
School of Property Construction & Project Management