2.3 People support
In the previous topic we talked about getting to know the research strengths within your university and how useful it can be to be associated with one of these strengths. This naturally flows on to associating with and building research networks within your chosen discipline, whether this is in your own university or across institutions.
A useful tactic is the desirability of communicating with 'influence drivers', if this is possible. Within the university these will often be senior researchers, (e.g. Federation or Australia Fellows), or those who have sat on funding review panels at the State or National level and have in-depth knowledge of what is sought, e.g. ARC College of Experts. Primarily, you are looking for someone who knows how these things work. You might also look outside to organisations within the State Government, CSIRO, etc., for a different view.
If you are thinking of looking for research funding outside of the public sphere, especially in some of the more applied research areas, how do you go about initiating contact?
There are a number of ways you can do this. Approach a successful researcher who has connections with a business, industry, or community organisation, and see if they can introduce you, or at least provide useful contacts. If you belong to a research or professional network, you can use its links to external organisations. Some research units (disciplines, centres, etc.) will also have advisory committees which include external people, and may provide another avenue to explore.
You should also bear in mind that it is also common for universities to have overarching agreements (e.g. a memorandum of understanding or a strategic alliance) with certain external organisations. This could be to facilitate research collaboration in broad fields such as water resource, defence, etc. Also, there are usually people within your university who are employed to facilitate links with outside bodies. This will vary across universities and it may take a bit of effort to find these people, as they may be located in academic or administrative units, but you should be able to inquire through your relevant organisational units, escalating upwards until you get the answer. Contact your research office in the first instance, as they are most likely to have comprehensive knowledge of the various opportunities that might be accessed.
The hardest way, but worth considering, can be to 'cold canvas' an organisation. In this situation, you may need to undertake a series of small projects to build trust and your credibility. If you decide to do this, probably the most important thing to remember is to listen to what they want, not try to push your project onto them, and keep initial meetings short and to the point. You will need to be flexible and responsive, ensuring your work meets their research needs. Of course, their project may not be the most exciting, but it will be a start to demonstrate what you can offer and build your track record. Initial meetings need to be short to find out if there is a common interest and to indicate your understanding of the time-pressured culture in which most businesses operate. This approach can be time-consuming, but may be worth the effort in the long run. It can also offer some funds to support your research and to seed the next project.
Once your proposal is starting to take shape, you should start consulting potential team members as soon as possible. This may provide some useful feedback, but it also assists in the planning process, determining what is realistic and achievable. As a team leader, you need to ensure that all aspects of the project are adequately covered and that you have members with appropriate skills. For example, if you are developing a proposal whose success is predicated on input from a specialist in optical phase conjugation and you are not able to find someone, then you obviously need to re-orient your proposal. You may need some technical staff to assist with particular aspects of the project, or may be some PhD students who can be assigned elements of the proposal as part of their dissertation work. One fundamental aspect of this process, an essential part of risk management, is to ensure that you are totally clear about who will do what. This will be linked to your project plan. ‘Module 2: Commencement and Collaboration – Putting Ideas Into Practice’ and ‘Module 7: Managing and Leading People in a Research Context’ explore the successful management of a project team.
It is worth mentioning here a few specific points about involving ‘higher degree by research’ students in your project team. There can be significant benefits to all involved in this process, but there are also considerable supervisory responsibilities to remember, depending to some extent on whether you are a principal or co-supervisor. Bearing in mind the importance placed on successful and timely completions, it is essential that both you and the student are clear about your rights and responsibilities right from the beginning. It is also important to train these students in appropriate record and data management to protect their intellectual property and validate their research.
Modules