Issue link: https://htpgraphics.uberflip.com/i/392125
Timetable 23 Section 5 Researchers often do not like being constrained by timetables. After all, it can be difficult to say how long a piece of research will take. You might never achieve your final objectives. This does not mean that the timetable for the Project should be ignored. In fact any funder of the Project will probably be interested in setting it out in some detail. Commencement Dates and End Dates can be crucial to deciding which IP belongs to whom (see Section 9 – Intellectual Property). Commencement Date Each Project should have a start date. This may simply be the date that the Research Contract is signed. Research Contracts are sometimes signed in advance of the research commencing. In that case the contract will specify a commencement date, even though the date of the contract will be the date it is actually signed. Although it is not advisable, sometimes the research does start before the contract is signed up. You should try to avoid this if you think it could in any way leave you a hostage to fortune and in any event keep the time taken to sign brief. The other participant or participants may feel they want to renegotiate some terms and you may find that you are not in a position to say no. If, however, the research does start before the contract is signed then you should make sure that the actual date when the research started is the date set out in the contract as the commencement date. The date of the contract will be the later date when the contract is signed. Contracts must not be back-dated. End Date The contract should also have an end date. This may be a fixed point in time. Sometimes it is tied to the occurrence of a specific event e.g. the completion of the research. Think carefully about what will work in practice as the best date for the contract to end. This may tie into when the funding for the research runs out or the ending of a contract for any fixed term research staff. Remember that the research will probably include the writing of reports, including a final report. The contract term should therefore cover all that report writing as well. It may also be the date the contract is terminated (see Section 11 – End of the Contract).