Issue link: https://htpgraphics.uberflip.com/i/392125
Funding Section 3 11 for other agencies and companies. Of course, your personal contact (networking) at relevant exhibitions, conferences and so on is absolutely vital. If you are not fortunate enough to have funding for lots of opportunities of this nature or are new to networking, then see if colleagues or supervisors can help you by introducing you to contacts or taking you along to appropriate events. Who knows where that blind date might lead? n Maximising Your Investment Your institution will have policies dealing with the costing and pricing of research, IP, conflicts of interest and ethical considerations. These will all be available on your intranet. Whilst your Research Office and Research Administrators will be able to advise you on all of these, it would be beneficial to you to familiarise yourself with the general issues and principles, so that you can interact more pro-actively with your potential sponsors and with your own Research Office. If there are any clinical/ regulatory aspects to your research proposal, contact your authorities as soon as possible to get advice and the appropriate licences and approvals. Of course, your institution's authorised person will have to approve all terms and sign all contracts and so early engagement with your Research Administrator and Head of Department on any developing specific opportunity will help the speed and efficiency of the whole exercise. n Draft and Discuss Your Research Proposition(s) Sketch out your Research Plan (work scope and project plan) and, if applying to an agency or company, closely tailor it to that organisation's expertise and facilities. A timetable, IP position and deliverables/outcomes and project management statement will be essential features that ideally should be addressed in the opening statement. This is often an iterative process with funders. Discuss the draft with colleagues and especially with successful grant and contract winners. Refine the proposal in the light of feedback. Try to use as much terminology that will be recognisable to your intended recipient or assessor as possible, rather than your more familiar academic wording. Be open to partnerships within your own institution or from elsewhere if this will complement and enhance your proposition.