Construction Industry Institute

1. Construction Industry Institute CII Webinar Series Webinar 2 The CII RFQ & Proposal Process Academic Committee February 3, 2014

2. CII Academic Community Webinars • Webinar 1 – January 27, 2:00 – 4:00 PM CST “How to Participate in CII” • Webinar 2 – February 3, 2:00 – 4:00 PM CST “The CII Proposal Process” • Webinar 3 – April 22, 2:00 – 4:00 CDT (Tentative) “How to Successfully Execute a CII Project”

3. Agenda Webinar 2 • CII Research Staff Support– Slides 4 • Overview of Research Process – Slides 5 to 8 • RFQ and Proposal Process - Slides 9 to 27 • CII Research Expectations – Slides 28 to 30 • CII Publications – Slides 31 to 35 • Frequently Asked Questions – Slides 37 to 47 • Questions, Answers and Discussion

4. CII Research Support Staff Steve Thomas Associate Director Kristi Delaney Sr. Program Coordinator • Jacqueline Thomas • Technical Writer/Editor

5. 2013 CII Research ProcessNeeds Assessment through RT Plan Approval BOA Review Continue Staffing Plan Approval Topic Slate Development BOA Vote Research Plan Development Research Needs Assessment RT Kick- off Budget Approval RFQ Sent to Academic Community Select PIs Prepare & Submit QS CII Funds PI Travel (Prior to Proposal Approval) Execute MOA w/ Universities

6. CII Research Process– Year 2 Feb 28 Interim Report Due Sep 24/25 Web Mtg w/ RC Aug 31 Interim Report Due Jul 28 CII Annual ConfMtg RT Executes the Work Plan RT MTG RT MTG RT MTG RT MTG RT MTG RT MTG

7. CII Research Process– Report out Year Jul 29 CII Annual ConfMtg Feb PRB 1st Submission May PRB 2nd Submission --------------- Develop Publications --------------------- ---------- Prepare Conference Report out --------- RT MTG RT MTG RT MTG RT MTG RT MTG AC Topic Nomination AC Dress Rehearsal AC Tryout

8. PI Selection and Proposal Development • Jan 31 RFQ Sent to Academic Community • Feb 6 Pre-Qualifications Submittal Web Meeting • Mar 3 Qualifications Submittal Due to CII • Apr 2 Topic & PI Selection Announced • Apr 4 Notification of Successful PIs Complete • May 12-16 RT Kickoffs at CII (Backup in June) • May 12 - Aug 31 Proposal Development • Jul 15-16 Proposal Progress Update to RC • Sep 2 Proposal Due to CII • Sep 9-10 Proposal Presentations to RC • Sep 24-25 Proposal Budget Approval by CII

9. RFQ Process Facts • It is a qualifications based process • RFQ specifies qualifications & proposal submittal process details – you need to read closely • Qualification submittals must be received at CII no later than 5:00PM CST, March 3, 2014via email attachment or hardcopy • Selection almost always requires some experience in the CII process • The proposal (when submitted) must conform to the CII model!

10. 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) • Qualifications (Topic specific & general – cut & paste from CV into template) (4) (Appendix C) • If more than one PI participates, the narrative will address all PIs and each additional PI will be allowed 4 pages to list their unique qualifications

11. RFQ Structure • 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:

12. Selection Process • Qualification Submittals will be evaluated by the entire CII Research Committee • 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 April 1-2, 2014 • Seven of the topics should be funded and at least 5 competitively awarded

13. Evaluation Criteria • PI: Qualifications & Experience: 50% • Topic specific 35% • General 15% • Institution (program) & Student: 30% • Program 20% • Named Graduate Student 10% • Passion for Topic: 20%

14. RFQ Structure – Part 1: PI Data

15. RFQ Structure – Part 2: Program Information

16. RFQ Structure – Part 3: GRA Information

17. Pre-Qualifications Submittal Conference Call • Feb 6 • Purpose is to review process; not topics • Topics are purposely loosely defined such that the RT defines the objectives and scope • Detailed discussion of the topics is not expected

18. Proposal Development Facts • Proposal will be developed jointly by the RT (Industry and Academic: Domain & Process Experts) • Proposal will be developed May – August • CII will fund PI travel during the proposal development period • CII expects to fund all proposals developed • CII will host a mid development web meeting for the RC & RT for alignment • Failure to submit an acceptable proposal by August 31st will likely result in a delayed start or possible cancelation of the research project

19. Objectives of the Revised Research Process • 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

20. Questions, Answers, and Discussion

21. Thoughts/Observations on CII Research • Unique characteristics or joint industry/academic team • Graduate student involvement • Research problem – industry perspective • CII research process – event driven • Industry Chairs • Intensity of effort • Industry access/involvement

22. Developing the Proposal • Meetings (2-3 face to face with web meetings in between) • Use your resources (industry Chairs & team) • CII research process – calendar/event driver • Research approach – team involvement and applied solution • Consensus on scope, methodology, and target deliverables • Credibility and rapport with team

23. Proposal Format and Content (6 pages)Note: The proposal format (due September 2) is not changed significantly from prior years • Title Page • Title, RT Chairs & PI(s) name, phone#, email address, sponsoring university • Brief Justification • Researcher(s) to state in their own words the problem to be addressed. • Anticipated “value added” • Principal beneficiaries of value added. • Purpose, Objectives, and Scope

24. Proposal Format and Content • Expected Product(s) of Research • Standard publications • Any notable implementation resource anticipated • ExpectedResearch Approach/Method • Proposed hypotheses • Data sources • Data collection procedure • Data analysis methods • Methods of validation • Product development steps • Research Organization and Responsibility Assignment • Institutional resources • Graduate research assistants and their qualifications

25. Proposal Format and Content • Research Budget • Line items for salaries, fringe benefits, equipment (if applicable) and other direct costs • Tuition • Tabulated for year 1, year 2, etc. • Show co-funding amounts provided by institution (if applicable) • Separate travel expenses from other expenses • No overhead on travel or tuition • Research Task Bar Chart Schedule • Include all research tasks • Major interim milestones (PRB submittals, Annual Conference activities) • Projected team meetings • Projected product completion milestones

26. Budget Template

27. Research Schedule Example

28. 1- is well structured and addresses a valid industry concern. 2 - is competently done in the CII mold. 3 - is done in the classic research mode. 4 - answers the “essential question.” 5 - adds value for the CII membership. 6 - contributes to the storehouse of knowledge. Quality CII research . . .

29. CII’s Expectations of Research Teams

30. CII Research TeamsExpectations of members • Attendance • Attend 4-6 meetings per year. • Attend conference calls & web meetings in between face-to-face meetings. • Meetings are generally hosted by industry. • Participation in Annual Conference and Project Improvement Workshops (PIWs).

31. Publications at CII Jacquie ThomasCII Technical Writer/Editor

32. Types of Publications • Research Reports • Research Summaries • Implementation Resources All CII publications, software, and other products must follow the guidelines in the CII Publishing Guide.

33. 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.

34. 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.

35. 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.

36. Questions, Answers, and Discussion

37. FAQ Q. Who’s qualified to submit a proposal to CII? Where would I obtain information about CII research and RFPs? • See slide 11 – 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.

38. FAQ • What is the typical timeframe of a research contract? A. Slides 5-7, Most projects should completed in 24 months, but there may be special circumstances that may shorten or lengthen the schedule.

39. FAQ • What is the typical size of research grants (minimum and maximum)? A. Typical grants range from $190,000 to $230,000. However, in special situations, the grant may be higher or lower than this range.

40. FAQ • How many Pis will CII fund per research team? A. CII will fund up to 2 Co-PIs and one student per research team.

41. FAQ Q. Who should I direct my questions to? Are there any pre-proposal/qualification submittal conference call and meetings? A. See slide 11 - All questions should be directed to Kristi Delaney or Steve Thomas (kldelaney@cii.utexas.edu or sthomas@cii.utexas.edu). The pre-proposal conference call is also another opportunities for questions to be answered.

42. 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 proposal topic.

43. 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.

44. FAQ Q. How does CII select successful proposals? A. See slides 12, the RFQ has details on the scoring method.

45. FAQ Q. Do I get feedback from proposal 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.

46. FAQ • 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.

47. FAQ • Where does CII published 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.

48. CII Academic Community Webinars • Webinar 1 – January 27, 2:00 – 4:00 PM CST “How to Participate in CII” • Webinar 2 – February 3, 2:00 – 4:00 PM CST “The CII Proposal Process” • Webinar 3 – April 22, 2:00 – 4:00 CDT (Tentative) “How to Successfully Execute a CII Project”

49. CII Research ProcessBackups

50. CII Research Team Process