Construction Industry Institute

CII Webinar Series

Webinar 2The New CII RFQ & Proposal

ProcessAcademic Committee

February 16, 2011

CII Academic Community Webinars

• Webinar 1 – January 11, (11:00 AM – 1:00 PM) CST “How to Participate in CII”

• Webinar 2 – February 16, (11:00 AM – 1:00 PM) CST “The New CII RFQ & Proposal Process”

• Webinar 3 – May, Date TBA

“How to Successfully Execute a CII Project”

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Agenda Webinar 2

• CII Organization Chart and Research Staff – Slides 4 and 5• CII Research Committee and Research Team Process –

Slides 6 and 7• Overview of New Research Process – Slides 8 to 10• RFQ and Proposal Process - Slides 11 to 30• CII Research Expectations – Slides 31 to 37• Frequently Asked Questions – Slides 38 to 47• Questions, Answers and Discussion – Slide 48

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CII Organization

Board of Advisors

Communities of Practice

Product Review Board

Knowledge Creation Knowledge Dissemination

Implementation Strategy

Committee

Professional Development Committee

Benchmarking & Metrics

Committee

Knowledge Management Committee

Special Functions

Branding Implementation

Committee

Conference Committee

Finance Committee

Membership Committee

Nominating Committee

Alliances

Research Teams

Academic Committee

Breakthrough Strategy

Committee

Research Committee

KnowledgeAssessment

KnowledgeManagement

Executive Committee

Strategic Planning

Committee

Standing Committees

Industry-Sector Benchmarking

CII Research Support Staff

Kristi DelaneySr. Program Coordinator

Steve ThomasAssociate Director

Jacqueline ThomasTechnical Writer/Editor

Randy Abdallah, Walbridge , Vice-ChairDr. John Borcherding, University of Texas at AustinBarry Christen, URS CorporationEarl Clark, DuPontFrank Gay, WorleyParsonsJim Gibson, Alstom PowerDr. Dan Halpin, Professor Emeritus, PurdueTom Kudele, ExxonMobilDon Leinweber, Mustang EngineeringTom Napier, USACEMark Palmer, NISTCindy Richartz, AbbottEd Ruane, FluorStan Trip, ConocoPhillipsDr. Ken Walsh, San Diego State University David Wolfson, Air Products and Chemicals, ChairDr. Steve Thomas, CIIDr. Jacqueline Thomas, CIIKristi Delaney, CII

Research Committee

CII Research Team Process

CII Research ProcessNeeds Assessment through RT Plan Approval

Research Needs Assessment

Topic Slate Development

BOA Review

BOAVote

Continue Staffing

RTKick-

off

Research PlanDevelopment

PlanApproval

BudgetApproval

Prepare & Submit

Q & I

RFQ Sent toAcademicCommunity

SelectPIs

CII Funds PI Travel(Prior to Proposal

Approval)

Execute MOA w/

Universities

CII Research Process – Year 2

RT Executes the Work Plan

Feb 28 Interim Report

Due

Jul 23 CII Annual

Conf Mtg

Sep ? Web

Mtg w/ RC

RTMTG

RTMTG

RTMTG

RTMTG

RTMTG

RTMTG

Aug 31 Interim Report

Due

CII Research Process – Report out Year

--------------- Develop Publications --------------------- ---------- Prepare Conference Report out ---------

Jul 29 CII Annual

Conf Mtg

RTMTG

RTMTG

RTMTG

Feb PRB1st

Submission

May PRB 2nd

Submission

RTMTG

RTMTG

ACTryout

ACDress

Rehearsal

ACTopic

Nomination

RFQ Process Milestones

• Feb 25 – RFQ Sent to Academic Community

• Mar 3 & 4 - Pre-Qualifications Submittal Web Meeting

• Mar 17 - Qualifications Submittal Due to CII

• Mar 30 – Topic & PI Selection Announced (Planned)

• Apr 15 – PI Notification of Selected PIs Complete

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Proposal Milestones

• June 1-3 RT Kickoffs at CII

• Jun 1 – Aug 31 Proposal Development

• Jul 20 – Proposal Progress Update to RC

• Aug 31 – Proposal Due to CII

• Sep 6-7 Proposal Presentations to RC

• Sep 12 – Proposal Revisions Due to CII

12

RFQ Facts

• It is a qualifications based process• RFQ will specify qualifications & proposal submittal

process• Qualification submittals must be received at CII no later

than 5:00PM CST, March 17, 2011 via email attachment or hardcopy

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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)– Qualifications (Topic specific & general – cut & paste

from CV) (4)• If more than one PI participates, the narrative will

address both and each additional PI will be allowed 4 pages to list qualifications

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RFQ Structure

• Purpose– To efficiently organize data for submittal & evaluation

• Who may submit Qualifications– Any faculty member from an accredited university may

submit qualifications as a PI; they should be on CII’s proposal list

• Questions and Submittal Contacts:

15

Stephen R. Thomas, Ph.D., P.E. Kristi DelaneyAssociate Director Sr. Program CoordinatorConstruction Industry Institute Construction Industry Institute3925 West Braker Lane (R4500)

3925 West Braker Lane (R4500)

Austin, Texas 78759-5316 Austin, Texas 78759-5316512/232-3007 512/232-3002 - Officesthomas@cii.utexas.edu 512/499-8101 – Fax  kldelaney@cii.utexas.edu

Selection Process

• Qualification Submittals will be evaluated by the entire CII Research Committee

• Academics on the RC will have a key role• The CII Board will vote to prioritize research projects

for funding at its spring meeting scheduled for March 29-30, 2011

• Four of the topics should be funded

16

Evaluation Criteria (Not Final)

• PI: Qualifications & Experience: 50%

• Topic relevant 35%

• General 15%

• Institution/students: 30%

• Passion for Topic: 15%

• Cost/Schedule Effectiveness: 5%

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RFQ Structure – Part 1: PI Data

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PI Name  

Personal Information

Title Program Department College or School University Address  Email Phone Website (if available)

Education Background  

Professional Registration  

Academic Appointment  

Industrial Experience  

Research Interests  

Professional Memberships  

Honors & Awards  Your Publications Most Relevant to this Specific Topic

Books, journals, conference proceedings, technical reports, etc. (Max 5)

Previous CII Research/ Committee Activities CII Research Topic / RT #, CII committee assignments

Other Funded Research Activities 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.

Number of Graduate Student Supervision Completed

# MS # Ph.D.

Other Professional Related Experience Relevant to this Specific Topic

(Last 10 years only)

RFQ Structure – Part 2: Program Information

19

Program Name Program/Department/College or School/University  

Number of Faculty Members

# Professor

# Associate Professor

# Assistant Professor  

# Adjunct Professor / Lecturer  

Related/Supporting Centers at Your University

Engineering Research Centers (Program/Department)  

National Rankings (School/Department)

U.S. News & World Report most recent available and other as applicable  

RFQ Structure – Part 3: GRA Information

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Number of Graduate Students in the Program

# MS# Ph.D.

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 students go after graduation? (Please estimate %)

% Academic% Industry% Others

Graduate Degrees offered by the program

MS, ME, Ph.D., certificates, etc.

Pre-Qualifications Submittal Conference Call

• Mar 3 & 4• Purpose is to review process changes; not topics• Topics are purposely loosely defined such that the RT

defines the objectives and scope• Detailed discussion of the topics is not expected

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Proposal Development Facts

• Proposal will be developed jointly by the RT (Industry and Academic: Domain & Process Experts)

• Proposal will be developed June – 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

alignment• Failure to submit an acceptable proposal by August

31st will as a minimum, likely result in a 2 month delayed start

22

Objectives of the Revised Research Process

• Earlier RT start (June vs. fall)• Better alignment of industry members and PI• Industry involvement in proposal development• Realistic expectations of deliverables, budget, and

schedule

23

Working with Industry to Prepare Proposal

24

Stu Working

Proposal Format and Content (6 pages)

Note: The proposal format (due August 31) is not expected to change significantly from prior years

I. Title PageI. Title, RT Chairs & PI(s) name, phone#, email address,

sponsoring university

II. Brief JustificationI. Researcher(s) to state in their own words the problem to

be addressed.

II. Anticipated “value added”

III. Principal beneficiaries of value added.

III. Purpose, objectives, and scope

Proposal Format and Content

IV. Expected Product(s) of ResearchI. Standard publicationsII. Any notable implementation resource anticipated

V. Expected Research Approach/MethodI. Proposed hypothesesII. Data sourcesIII. Data collection procedureIV. Data analysis methodsV. Product development steps

VI. Research Organization and Responsibility Assignment

I. Institutional resourcesII. Graduate research assistants and their qualifications

Proposal Format and ContentV. Research Budget

I. Line items for salaries, fringe benefits, equipment (if applicable) and other direct costs.

II. TuitionIII. Tabulated for year 1, year 2, etc. IV. Show co-funding amounts provided by institution (if

applicable) if applicable. V. Separate travel expenses from other expenses

I. No overhead on travel.

VI.Research Task Bar Chart ScheduleI. Include all research tasksII. Major interim milestones (PRB submittals, Annual

Conference activities)III. Team meetingsIV. Product completion milestones

Budget Template

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Year 1 Year 2 Total

Salaries – Faculty

PI – Enter Name

Co-PI-Enter Name (if applicable)

Fringe Benefits (xx.x%)

Total Faculty Salaries

Salaries – Graduate Students

Enter Student/Department Name (# hrs/week)

Enter Student/Department Name (# hrs/week)

Fringe Benefits (xx.x%)

Total Student Salaries

Supplies/Equipment/Services*

TOTAL DIRECT COSTS

F&A Costs (University Overhead xx.x%)

Tuition

TOTAL INDIRECT COSTS

Travel (no overhead on travel)

Team Meetings ( # per year)

Data collection ( # per year)

CII Annual Conference

Miscellaneous*

Total CII funding requirements

Total Institutional Cost-Sharing/Matching Contributions (if applicable)

TOTAL PROJECT COST *include an itemized list

2005 2006 2007

Activity (X) & Milestones (♦) S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D

Form Team X

Review & summarize background; identify known factors through literature review X X X

PT Mtg 1: review literature and plan project X

Recruit Participants for Structured Interviews X X X X

Conduct Structured Interviews X X X X

Analyze Existing Data Sets X X X X X X

PT Mtg 2: Review existing data and interview outcomes X

Author Surveys X X X

Administer Surveys X X X X X

2006 Annual Conference ♦

Analyze survey results X X X X X

Research Schedule Example

2006 2007

Activity (X) & Milestones (♦) J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D

Formulate strategies based on data collection X X X

Develop compendium/matrix for training strategies X X X

PT Mtg 3: Review Survey Data and draft of outcomes X

Write Research Summary X X X X X

Write Research Report X X X X X

Prepare for AC Tryouts X

RS & IR to PBR – 1st Review ♦

Implement changes from PRB X X

PT Mtg 4: review annual conference materials X

AC Tryouts X X X

RS & IR to PDR – 2nd review ♦

Implement changes from PRB X X X X X X (a) X (b) (c) (d) (e)

2007 Annual Conference ♦

Publish RS & IR X X X X

Research Schedule Example

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 . . .

CII’s Expectations of Research Teams

• 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).

CII Research TeamsExpectations of members

Publications at CIIJacquie ThomasCII Technical Writer/Editor

• Research Reports

• Research Summaries

• Implementation Resources

All CII publications, software, and other products must follow the guidelines in the CII Publishing Guide.

Types of Publications

• Reports to CII.

• Written by principal investigators.– Confidentiality of data

• Target audience: researchers, academics.

• Review by CII Associate Director for Research and

Technical Writer/Editor.

• Available online.

Research Reports

• 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.

Research Summaries

Q. Who’s qualified to submit a proposal to CII? Where would I obtain information about CII research and RFPs?

A. See slide 15 - Anyone interested in responding to the CII RFQ should send their vita to Steve Thomas at sthomas@cii.utexas.edu. Once approved, they will be added to the RFQQ distribution list.

FAQ

FAQ

Q. What is the typical timeframe of a research contract?

A. Slides 8-10, Most projects should completed in 27 months, but there may be special circumstances that may shorten or lengthen the schedule.

FAQ

Q. What is the typical size of research grants (minimum and maximum)?

A. Typical grants range from $180,000 to $210,000. However, in special situations, the grant may be higher or lower than this range.

FAQ

Q. Who should I direct my questions to? Are there any pre-proposal/qualification submittal conference call and meetings?

A. See slide 11 & 15 - All questions should be directed to Kristi Delaney or Steve Thomas (kldelaney@mail.utexas.edu or sthomas@cii.utexas.edu). The pre-proposal conference call is also another opportunities for questions to be answered.

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.

FAQ

Q. What are the minimum qualifications of the participants?

A. It depends on the topic. PI should must have a Ph.D. and a preference is given to PhD candidates graduate students. Consultants may participate on the project with CII approval.

FAQ

Q. How does CII select successful proposals?

A. See slides 16-17, the RFQ has details on the scoring method.

FAQ

Q. Do I get feedback from proposal reviewers and how can I obtain them?

A. Yes, once the proposals have been selected, Steve Thomas will e-mail unsuccessful PIs with the information. They can also e-mail Steve to set up a time for a debrief.

FAQ

Q. What other factors is CII looking for?

A. Overall strength of the proposed team (individual and team members), 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.

FAQ

Q. 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.

CII Academic Community Webinars

• Webinar 1 – January 11, (11:00 AM – 1:00 PM) CST “How to Participate in CII”

• Webinar 2 – February 16, (11:00 AM – 1:00 PM) CST “The New CII RFQ & Proposal Process”

• Webinar 3 – May, Date TBA

“How to Successfully Execute a CII Project”

48