Applied Research Process Workflow

While each college/institute will have its own specific process for managing its applied research activities with industry clients, a number of the components of the process are similar. They are presented in the following workflow table, developed through input from several Canadian colleges and institutes.

Workflow Component	Documentation
Outreach to industry	Promotional materials Meeting agendas and minutes
Response to request/intake	Industry partner intake form Project Outline/Request
Preliminary meeting with client	Industry partner intake form Project Outline/Request
Assess project suitability	Diagnostic assessment forms Budget forms and processes Ref:  Intellectual Property (IP) Policy
Develop collaborative project proposal or outline	Collaborative Research and Development Agreement IP Agreement Non-disclosure/Confidentiality Agreement
Evaluate project proposal
Decision to proceed
Develop project plan	Project workplan
Sign project agreements	Non-disclosure/Confidentiality Agreement Collaborative Research and Development Agreement Intellectual Property Agreement Contribution Agreement Material Transfer Agreement
Develop funding proposals as needed/gather resources funding facilities/equipment human resources project management team	Research proposal Ethics review (where needed)
Implement project plan	Service or Technical contracts Internal hiring procedures and forms
Track and monitor project budget and deliverables	Budget tracking form Performance measures report Project report forms Minutes of meetings
Report on project as per plan	Project report forms
Conduct project evaluation	Formative and summative evaluations
Write project summary/report	Project evaluation report
Disseminate project findings	Dissemination agreement
Identify new opportunities