NIAGARA COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY

Transcription

1 NIAGARA COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY College Practices PRACTICE NUMBER: PRACTICE TITLE: NC Applied Research Administration Reviewed: Approved: November 22, 2004 Responsibility: Exec Team A. Background and Definitions Niagara College is committed to research and development activities that will support economic development in the Niagara Region and beyond, and enhance the quality of our programs and the professional development of our college personnel. Research activities at a college are diverse and include applied research, research into teaching and learning, labour market research and institutional research designed to improve the programs and services of the college. Student research will only be conducted under the supervision of a qualified staff research supervisor. Research is defined by the Canada Foundation for Innovation as the attempt to discover new facts, knowledge, and information, to develop new interpretations of facts, knowledge or information, or to discover new means of applying existing knowledge. Applied Research is defined in the Dictionary of Statistics and Methodology as research undertaken with the intention of applying the results to some specific problem. Granting Agency is defined as a federal, provincial or regional agency which has provided a grant or award to fund research activities. This may include, but is not limited to, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR), Federal Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev), Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), and Niagara Region. Research Project Manager is defined as an employee of the Division of Research and Innovation who is responsible for budgeting, co-ordinating schedules and organizing work to ensure all tasks are completed within the time frame allocated in the work plan. Industry Toolkit is a collection of documents to define the scope of work, budget, industry partner contributions and other agreements. Please request the latest copy from the Division of Research and Innovation Project Review Committee consists of Associate Vice-President, Research and Innovation, Senior Manager - Projects, Senior Manager - Business, the Project Managers and Industry Liaison Officer. The committee reviews applications from potential industry partners and determines if they meet the criteria to be accepted as a research project. 1

2 NIAGARA COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY PRACTICE TITLE: Research Administration B. Purpose The purpose of this practice is to define the role, responsibilities and tasks of the Division of Research and Innovation, also known as Niagara Research. C. Practice Statements Role 1. Niagara Research provides innovative solutions to business and industry through applied research and knowledge transfer, in partnership with Niagara College faculty and students. The office develops, coordinates and supports research activities by Niagara s faculty, staff, and students; seeks and administers grants for research activities; and identifies and secures appropriate partnership activities and alliances that support the College s research goals. The office works closely with other areas of the College involved in research activities, including offices responsible for labour market research, program development and quality assurance, planning and institutional research, and academic divisions appropriate to individual research projects. General Responsibilities Applied Research 2. The Division of Research and Innovation administers applied research projects and funds that have been sourced and developed through the office itself or through other college units, both academic and non-academic. Applied research s goal is to develop economic benefits through the application or adaptation of science and technology (or new knowledge) to industry problems and goals. Applied research also concerns the application of knowledge and information for the purpose of developing or improving products and services Research 3. The Division of Research and Innovation provides leadership in strategic applied research planning, including the sourcing of ideas, partners and funding. It is charged with building the capacity of Niagara College to conduct applied research activities to meet its long term applied research objectives. 4. The office supports the involvement of students in research activities by supporting course-based research projects, and providing consultation and professional development sessions on technology transfer processes and the ethical conduct of research. 5. The division is responsible for applied research policy development and updating. It develops external partnerships as appropriate with granting agencies, associations, educational institutions and the private sector. It coordinates the internal committees related to research, including the Research Ethics Board (REB) and Institutional Animal Care Committee (IACC). 2

3 NIAGARA COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY PRACTICE TITLE: Research Administration Research Services 6. Niagara Research sources, develops, administers and reports on research grant and contract proposals and resulting research projects. It develops and updates the college web information about research. The office also coordinates research communications tools, and supports research publications appropriate to the college research activities and goals. Procedure for Approval and Administration of Research Projects 7. Proposed applied research projects may be identified through a request from a granting agency, a request from industry, or a concept from college staff or students, but must involve an industry partner. 8. The proposed project should be described on the Industry Partner Collaboration Project Outline form (Attachment A), signed, dated, and submitted to the Division of Research and Innovation. If the project is in response to a grant application for an external agency, the agency s forms and guidelines will supersede the college application form. 9. The Project Review Committee will review the application against college and/or granting agency research criteria, priorities and opportunity for economic development and determine whether to accept the proposal as a research project. 10. Accepted projects will be assigned to a Research Project Manager who will complete the Niagara Research industry toolkit and assemble a research team. Research teams are led by a Faculty Researcher and may have one or more graduate research associates and/or student research assistants. 11. The Faculty Researcher will determine if REB or IACC review is required. The Faculty Researcher will complete and submit appropriate applications. 12. The Division of Research and Innovation will manage the project and all reporting requirements according to grant or contract requirements. 13. Any intellectual property potential must be disclosed to the Division of Research and Innovation following the College s Ownership of Intellectual Property practice. D. Related Documents and Links Nil 3

4 INDUSTRY PARTNER COLLABORATION PROJECT OUTLINE Part 1: General Contact Information - - Please complete AL L Contact fields as they are required for reporting Name of Company/Organization: Primary Contact Name & Title Address: Phone: Website: Company Information Is the business based in Ontario? Yes No Type of Business: Private Charitable Public Corporation Notfor-Profit Government/Institutional Number of years in business? Start Up 1-2 years 3-4 years 5+ years Number of employees? Are any owners related to any employees of Niagara College? Yes No Brief Description of the Company: Indicate products and services, markets. (Max. 250 words) 1

5 Project Information Project Title: Desired Start Rationale for the Project? Solve a Critical Problem Area of Specialization Required? Advanced Manufacturing: Automation Reverse Engineering Process Improvement Product Design & Product Re- Design and Improvement Agriculture & Environment: Precision Agriculture Environment al Solutions Horticulture & Greenhouse Desired End M eet an Unmet Need Business & Commercialization Services: M arket Research M arketing & Advertising Plans Sales Strategies Promotional M aterial HR & Health and Safety Plans If Other, please specify: Digital M edia & Information Technologies: Web Mobile Application Software Improve existing application Food, Beverage, and Tourism Innovation: Product Regulatory Assistance Tourism Innovation Project Description: Describe the proposed project; the rationale and overall goals of the project; and its potential benefits. Specific Project Activities? Engineering Design Product and Process Applied Research Technology Product Testing Certification Proof of Concept Piloting & Demonstration Problem-solving Other If Other, please specify: 2

6 Part 2: Commercialization Potential Background: Describe the history of the project, and developments to current status, including already established Intellectual Property. (Max. 250 words) Does this project have a specific commercial objective? Yes No Has your company successfully commercialized a product in the past? No One More Than One Commercialization Potential: Outline the commercial and market analysis that has been undertaken to assess this opportunity. (Max 250 words) Next Steps: At the conclusion of the project, what do you envision as the next steps to achieve successful commercialization? (Max. 100 words) Do you anticipate creating jobs as a result of this project? Yes No If so, how many new jobs do you anticipate? or more Partner and College Contribution To Project Partner s Contribution Commitment: Cash In-Kind Combination of Cash & In-Kind Detailed Description of Partner s Cash and/or In-kind Contribution: (i.e.: people, equipment, materials, etc.) Niagara College Expertise and Facilities: If known, what Niagara College resources or assistance do you require? (Max 100 words) 3

7 Additional Information Attachments: Please list any supporting documentation that has been included with this outline that you believe will assist the project review team to better evaluate your project proposal. Referral From (if applicable): Please send the completed application form to with the following subject line, Company Name Application for Collaboration. 4