Construction Industry Institute
CII Webinar Series
Webinar 2
How to be Selected for and
Successfully Execute a CII Project
Academic Committee
February 9, 2015
CII Academic Committee Webinars
• Webinar 1 – January 26, 2:00 – 4:00 PM CST
“How to Participate in CII”
• Webinar 2 – February 9, 2:00 – 4:00 PM CST
“How to be Selected for and Successfully
Execute a CII Project”
• Webinar 3 – May or June (TBD)
“Lessons Learned from Using CII Products in
the Classroom”
2
Presenters & Contributors
• John Borcherding
– Adjunct professor at the University of Texas
– Member of the CII Research Committee
• Carl Haas
– Professor at the University of Waterloo
– Member of the CII Research Committee & Academic Committee
• Carlos Caldas
– Associate professor at the University of Texas
– Chair of the CII Academic Committee
• Steve Thomas
– Research Associate Professor at the University of Texas
– Associate Director of CII for Research, Academic, & Breakthrough
3
Research Support Staff
Steve Thomas
Associate Director
Junghye Son
Research Associate
Kristi Delaney
Senior Program
Coordinator
Jacqueline Thomas
Technical Writer/Editor
4
Presentation Overview
•
•
•
•
•
•
Part I
Part II
How to be selected
How to succeed
CII Research Process
RFQ Process
Evaluation Process
RFQ Format
FAQ
Q&A
John Borcherding
•
•
•
•
•
CII RT Process
CII Expectations
Thoughts/Observations
Lessons Learned
Q&A
Carl Haas
5
How to be Selected for a CII Project
John Borcherding
6
CII Research Process
Research Needs
Assessment
Topic Slate
Development
Board
Approval
PI Selection
Team
Staffing & Kickoff
Research Topic
Identification
Team & Proposal
Development
Research Proposal/Plan
Development &
Approval
RC/XC
Approval
Team Research
Conduct of Research
& Report out
7
CII Research Process – Year 1
Needs Assessment through RT Proposal Approval
Research Needs
Assessment
Topic Slate
Development
BOA
Review
BOA
Vote
Research Proposal
Development
Continue
Staffing
RT
Kick-off
RFQ Sent to
Academic
Community
Prepare &
Submit QS
Proposal
Approval
Budget
Approval
Select
PIs
CII Funds PI Travel
(Prior to Proposal Approval)
Execute
MOA w/
Universities
8
2015 CII Research Process – Key Dates
• Jan 30
RFQ Sent to Academic Community
• Feb 9
Webinar 2
• Mar 5
Qualifications Submittal Due to CII
• Mar 27
Notification of Successful PIs Complete
• Apr 17
RT Kickoffs Announced
• May 18-20
RT Kickoffs at CII (Backup in June 15-17)
• Jul 14-15
RT Mid-Proposal Development Update to RC
• May 20-Aug 31 Proposal Development
• Aug 31
Proposal Due to CII
• Sep 9-10
Proposal Presentations to RC
• Sep 16-17
Proposal Budget Approval by CII
9
CII RFQ Process
• It is a qualifications-based process.
• RFQ specifies qualifications & proposal submittal process
details – you need to read closely.
• Request for Qualifications (RFQ) and Interest (Q&I) was
sent to the academic community on Jan 30th.
• PI statement of Q&I must be submitted in accordance
with instructions provided in the RFQ and must be
received at CII no later than 5:00PM CST, March 5, 2015
via email attachment or hardcopy.
• Qualifications submission – up to three topics.
– a separate qualifications submittal must be made for and should
be tailored to each topic.
10
CII RFQ Process (cont’d)
• Purpose
– To efficiently organize data for submittal & evaluation.
• Who may submit Qualifications
– Any faculty member holding a doctorate from an accredited
university may submit qualifications as a PI; they should be on
CII’s proposal list (see RFQ).
• Questions and Submittal Contacts:
Stephen R. Thomas, Ph.D., P.E.
Junghye Son, Ph.D.
Kristi Delaney
Associate Director
Construction Industry Institute
Research Associate
Construction Industry Institute
Sr. Program Coordinator
Construction Industry Institute
3925 West Braker Lane (R4500)
3925 West Braker Lane (R4500)
3925 West Braker Lane (R4500)
Austin, Texas 78759-5316
512/232-3007
sthomas@cii.utexas.edu
Austin, Texas 78759-5316
512-471-3361
junghye.son@cii.utexas.edu
Austin, Texas 78759-5316
512/232-3002 - Office
512/499-8101 – Fax
kldelaney@cii.utexas.edu
11
Evaluation Process
• Qualification Submittals will be evaluated by the entire CII
Research Committee (RC).
• Academics on the RC will have a key role in evaluating
academic credentials.
• The CII Board will vote to prioritize research projects for
funding at its spring meeting scheduled for March 25-26,
2015.
– four research topics from the slate of thirteen (could be as low as
three depending on the BOA votes).
– one or two of these topics will likely be directed, with the
remaining two to three being competitively awarded.
12
Evaluation Criteria
• PI qualifications, experience, reputation, and previous
research (Appendix B & C): 50%
– Topic specific: 35%
– General: 15%
• General assessment of the proposing academic institution
(program-specific), and it’s graduate student program,
leveraged funding opportunities (Appendix C): 30%
– Program: 20%
– Named GRA, leveraged funding, other unique
resources/qualifications: 10%
• Overall demonstrated passion for the topic as presented in
Appendix B: 20%
13
RFQ Format
• A single PI submittal will be limited to 6 pages max:
– Coversheet (1)
– Narrative: Why I am best qualified for this research) (1) (Appendix
B Statement of Qualifications and Interest)
– Qualifications (Topic specific & general) (4) (Appendix C PI
Information Sheet)
• If more than one PI participate, the narrative will address
all PIs and each additional PI will be allowed 4 pages to
list their unique qualifications. (Appendix C PI Information Sheet)
14
RFQ Structure – Part 1: PI Data
PI Name
Title
Program
Department
College or School
Personal Information
University
Address
Email
Phone
Website (if available)
Education
Academic Appointments
Research Interests &
Specialization
Emphasis on the specific topic
Courses taught
Graduate level courses taught
Professional Registration
Industrial Experience
Employers, positions, responsibilities and applicability to the specific topic
Professional Memberships
Honors & Awards
Your Publications Most Relevant
to this Specific Topic
Books, journals, conference proceedings, technical reports, etc. (Max 5)
Example(s) of Highly Innovative
Research You Have Conducted
Previous CII Research Team/
Committee Activities
Other Funded Research
Activities
Number of Graduate Student
Supervision Completed
Other Professional Related
Experience Relevant to this
Specific Topic
Leveraged Funding Available
CII Research Topic / RT #, CII committee assignments
- Most relevant to this specific topic (last 10 years)
- List 3 to 5 research projects that you completed which best demonstrate your
qualifications for this research.
# MS
# Ph.D.
(Last 10 years only)
15
RFQ Structure – Part 2: Program Information
Program Name
Program/Department/College or School/University
# Professor
Number of Faculty
Members
# Associate Professor
# Assistant Professor
# Adjunct Professor / Lecturer
Related/Supporting
Research Centers at Your
University
Construction related research centers (Program/Department)
National/World Rankings
(School/Department)
U.S. News & World Report and Thomson Reuter’s The World University Rankings
(most recent available)
16
RFQ Structure – Part 3: GRA Information
Number of Graduate
Students in the Program
# MS
# Ph.D.
Graduate Students
Expected to Support this
Research
List by name and degree, major, and provide research and industry experience of the
student relevant to the specific topic
Admissions Requirements
(e.g., BS degree from ABET accredited engineering schools, minimum GRE scores,
minimum one year of work experience in the construction related fields)
Where do Program
Students go after
Graduation? (Please
estimate %)
% Academic
% Industry
% Others
Graduate Degrees Offered
by the Program
MS, ME, Ph.D., Certificates, etc.
17
Benefits of Qualifications-based Selection &
Early RT Start
• Earlier RT start (May vs. fall).
• Better alignment of industry members and PI.
• Industry involvement in proposal development.
• Realistic expectations of deliverables, budget, and
schedule.
18
19
FAQ
Q. Who should submit a proposal to CII? Where
would I obtain information about CII research and
RFQs?
A. Any faculty member holding a doctorate from
an accredited university may submit
qualifications as a PI; they should be on CII’s
proposal list. Anyone interested in responding
to the CII RFQ should send their vita to Kristi
Delaney at kldelaney@cii.utexas.edu. Once
approved, they will be added to the RFQ
distribution list. Also, CII website provides RFQ
information under Research section.
20
FAQ
Q. What is the typical timeframe of a research contract?
A. Slides 8-10, Most projects should completed in 2 years,
but there may be special circumstances that may
shorten or lengthen the schedule.
21
FAQ
Q. How many PIs will CII fund per research team?
A. CII typically funds one PI and one student per research
team. However, CII encourages the engagement of coPIs for its research teams, where necessary and
appropriate. Examples include that research topics are
not core (civil) engineering and a PI lacks specific CII
research experience.
22
FAQ
Q.
Who should I direct my questions to?
A.
See slide 14 - All questions should be directed to
Kristi Delaney, Junghye Son or Steve Thomas
(kldelaney@cii.utexas.edu,
junghye.son@cii.utexas.edu, or
sthomas@cii.utexas.edu).
23
FAQ
Q.
Is it important to have a member on the team who
has worked in the same area as the submitted
topic?
A.
It is best to have a member on the team who has
worked on the submitted topic area and a member
who has worked on a CII project. However, it
depends heavily on the research topic.
24
FAQ
Q. What are the minimum qualifications of the participants?
A.
It depends on the topic. PI must have a Ph.D. and a
preference is given to PhD candidates graduate
students. Consultants may participate on the project
with CII approval.
25
FAQ
Q. How does CII select successful qualifications?
A. See slides 16, the RFQ has details on the scoring
method.
26
FAQ
Q. Do I get feedback from qualifications reviewers and
how can I obtain them?
A. Yes, once PI selection has been completed, Steve
Thomas will e-mail successful PIs with for
notification. Unsuccessful PI(s) will be notified with
specific evaluation feedback in the months
following. They can also e-mail Steve to set up a
time for a debrief.
27
FAQ
Q. What other factors is CII looking for?
A. Overall strength of the proposed academic team,
ability to work with the industry team, an
understanding of the CII research model, quality of
graduate student and program, and ability of the
team to complete the project per CII’s schedule.
28
FAQ
Q.
Where does CII publish their research reports?
A.
All research reports are published and available to
CII members. Non-CII members can obtain copies of
the reports at non-member prices from the CII
website. Academics qualify to purchase reports at
member rates and are afforded access to the CII
knowledgebase during their research. See CII’s
website for additional information.
29
30
How to Successfully Execute a CII Project
Carl Haas
31
Presentation Overview
•
•
•
•
•
•
Part I
Part II
How to be selected
How to succeed
CII Research Process
RFQ Process
Evaluation Process
RFQ Format
FAQ
Q&A
John Borcherding
•
•
•
•
•
CII RT Process
CII Expectations
Thoughts/Observations
Lessons Learned
Q&A
Carl Haas
32
CII Research Team Process
33
CII Research Process – Year 1
Needs Assessment through RT Proposal Approval
Research Needs
Assessment
Topic Slate
Development
BOA
Review
BOA
Vote
Research Proposal
Development
Continue
Staffing
RT
Kick-off
RFQ Sent to
Academic
Community
Prepare &
Submit QS
Proposal
Approval
Budget
Approval
Select
PIs
CII Funds PI Travel
(Prior to Proposal Approval)
Execute
MOA w/
Universities
34
CII Research Process – Year 2 (2016)
Sep
Aug 31 Web
CII Annual
Interim Mtg w/
Conf Mtg
Report RC
Due
Feb 28
Interim
Report
Due
RT Executes the Work Plan
RT
MTG
RT
MTG
RT
MTG
RT
MTG
RT
MTG
RT
MTG
35
CII Research Process – Report out Year (2017)
Feb PRB
1st
Submission
May PRB
2nd
Submission
CII Annual
Conference
--------------- Develop Publications ------------------------------ Prepare Conference Report out --------RT
MTG
RT
MTG
RT
MTG
AC
AC
Topic
Tryout
Nomination
RT
MTG
RT
MTG
AC
Dress
Rehearsal
36
CII’s Expectations of
Research Teams
Quality CII research . . .
A.
is well structured and addresses a valid industry
concern.
B.
is competently done in the CII mold.
C.
is done in the classic research mode.
D.
answers the “essential question” and is of the value
to the CII membership.
E.
contributes to the storehouse of knowledge.
38
CII Research Key Roles & Responsibilities
RT Principal Investigator
• Develops the team research plan.
• Works with the team chairs in the facilitation of the team research.
• Guides the team’s research activities.
• Ensures the confidentiality of the team member’s proprietary data in
accordance with the CII Confidentiality Policy.
• Prepares and submits the team research report.
• Assists the team in the development of Implementation Resource(s)
(IR) and coordinates format/content to include software applications
with the Technical Writer/Editor.
• Submits all deliverables in accordance with UT/CII Memorandum of
Agreement (MOA).
39
CII Research Key Roles & Responsibilities
RT Principal Investigator (cont’d)
• Recommends to CII placement of research products within the CII
Knowledgebase.
• Provides input to CII Knowledge Assessment on how to assess the
value of the research processes developed through the research
team effort.
• Processes any MOA modifications as appropriate with the Program
Coordinator.
• Is responsible for team data collection in accordance with CII
policies.
• Provides RT Closeout Report (includes input to Knowledge
Assessment, and Knowledge Management as noted above, and an
accountability of funds) to the Research Program Coordinator within
60 days of submission of the work.
40
CII Research Key Roles & Responsibilities
RT Chair
• Provides overall team leadership.
• Facilitates overall research team activities.
• Organizes the team in support of the research activities.
• Ensures the team maintains its schedule and reports issues to the
Associate Director.
• Communicates team’s staffing changes/issues to the Program
Coordinator.
• Ensures (may delegate) that meeting minutes/attendance are
recorded for all meetings.
• Certifies continuing education hours (PDHs) as requested.
• Coordinates team writing of the Research Summary and coordinates
with the Technical Writer/Editor.
41
CII Research Key Roles & Responsibilities
RT Chair (cont’d)
• Facilitates research team support with PI(s) in developing of
Implementation Resource(s) and coordinates format/content with the
Technical Writer/Editor.
• Coordinates team Annual Conference coordination and report
out/presentation.
• Serves as the team speakers or designates a team speaker for
presentations.
• Coordinates the team schedule in collaboration with the PI(s).
• Ensures the research team online collaborative workspace is current.
• Determines with the PI(s) the schedule for team meetings and
obtains volunteers to host meetings.
• Coordinates with the PI(s) team closeout activities and submits team
closeout report to CII.
42
Proposal Development Facts
• Proposal will be developed jointly by the RT (Industry and
Academic: Domain & Process Experts).
• Proposal will be developed May ~ August (wandering
period).
• CII will fund PI travel during the proposal development
period.
• CII expects to fund all proposals developed .
• CII will host a mid-proposal development web meeting for
the RC & RT alignment.
• Failure to submit an acceptable proposal by August 31st
will likely result in a delayed start or possible cancelation
of the research project.
43
Proposal Development
• Team meetings (2-3 face to face with web meetings in
between during the summer period).
• Engage industry team members.
• Achieve team consensus on scope, methodology, and
target deliverables.
• Develop rigorous and scientific research methodology.
• Establish the research approach to involve industry to
produce applicable solution(s) .
44
CII Publications
Research Report
Research Summary
Implementation
Resource
All CII publications, software, and other products
must follow the guidelines in the CII Publishing Guide.
45
Research Reports
• Reports to CII.
• Written by principal investigators.
– Confidentiality of data
• Target audience: researchers, academics.
• Review by CII Associate Director for Research,
Research Associate, and Technical Writer/Editor.
• Available online.
46
Research Summaries
• Reports from CII; short, concise.
• Target audience: upper management.
• Written by team members from industry
perspective.
• Edited by CII Technical Writer/Editor.
• Reviewed by CII Product Review Board (PRB).
• Printed; also available online.
47
Implementation Resources
• Reports from CII; how-to guides.
• Optional.
• Target audience: implementers, users, project
managers.
• Primarily written by project team members.
• Edited by CII Technical Writer/Editor.
• Reviewed by CII Product Review Board (PRB).
• Printed; also available online.
• Software Guidelines in Publication Guide.
48
Thoughts/Observations on CII Research
• Research
– Topic generated from and selected by industry
– Time and budget constraints, event-driven
– Access to real world problems & data
• Close collaboration between industry & academia
–
–
–
–
–
Team led by industry (chair & vice-chair)
Domain experts (industry) & process experts (academic)
Various levels of familiarity with CII research process
Diverse backgrounds (experience, knowledge, personality, etc.)
High level of industry participation and involvement
• Research findings into implementable products
49
Lessons Learned
• Alignment
• Flexibility
• Balance between academics and industry
• Engagement & participation
• Team meeting
• Communications
• Industry interaction
50
Lessons Learned
• Alignment
– Maintain conflicts constructive.
– Do not rush into alignment.
– Keep team alignment alive by frequently revisiting research
purposes & objectives.
• Flexibility
– Plan is nothing; planning is everything. - Dwight Eisenhower
– Research is an evolving process.
• Balance between academics and industry
– Collaborate with the chair/vice-chair.
– Keep academic rigor as well as industry practicality.
– Balance academic and industry expectations.
51
Lessons Learned (cont’d)
• Engagement & participation
– Utilize a sub-team approach
– Engage key team members (e.g., sub-team leaders)
• Team meeting
–
–
–
–
–
Prepare and share a meeting agenda in advance
Work with chair and vice-chair
Prepare and share meeting minutes
Always have action items
Encourage meeting attendance
• Vary meeting venues
• Tie to other events (St. Patrick Day, baseball games, etc.)
• Social activities (team dinners, etc.)
52
Lessons Learned (cont’d)
• Communications with CII
– Formal conference calls with RC (mid-proposal, proposal, midprocess)
– Data collection plan, survey review and approval
– Review and revision of RS/IR/RR
– CII Annual Conference tryout and dress rehearsal
– Keep Steve Thomas Informed
• Communications within the team
–
–
–
–
Plan detailed schedule and key milestone dates
Inform team of key dates
Use meeting minutes
Utilize CII SharePoint
53
Lessons Learned (cont’d)
• Industry interaction
–
–
–
–
–
Great contacts
Real world problems and data
Building interpersonal relationships
Great learning experience
Employment opportunities for graduate students/have them
attend meetings!
• CII research is high energy high fun, contact sport – Mike
Vorster
54
Q&A
55
CII Academic Community Webinars
• Webinar 1 – January 26, 2:00 – 4:00 PM CST
“How to Participate in CII”
• Webinar 2 – February 9, 2:00 – 4:00 PM CST
“How to be Selected for and Successfully
Execute a CII Project”
• Webinar 3 – May or June (TBD)
“Lessons Learned from Using CII Products in
the Classroom”
56