Principles and Partnerships Building Mutually Beneficial Research

							Principles and Partnerships
   Building Mutually Beneficial
     Research Relationships


         Kristina Boardman
          Wisconsin DOT
     Presented to AASHTO RAC
            July 12, 2006
Outline
   Introduction – Research at WisDOT
   Changing DOT focus – need for
    partnerships
   Research management principles
       AASHTO’s letter to RITA – Nov 2005
       CUTC successful practices – Jan 2006
   Challenges and opportunities
    Research at WisDOT
   New Research and Communication Services
    Section within Division of Business Management
       Research        Library      Visual Design
     Web Services     Multi-Media   Org. Develop.
   My interim role as research administrator and
    RCSS section chief while continuing as DOT
    officer for DBM
   My charge: Keep moving ahead!
WisDOT’s Changing Focus
   Sustain commitments
       Mission, vision, values, emphasis areas
   Address new realities
       Funding gaps and downsizing
       Security
       Aging workforce
       IT and Internet potential
   Integrate actions
       Workforce plan
       Strategic highway safety plan
       ACE, IBIS, COOP-COG
          Research at WisDOT
                                           Research           Wisconsin Highway Research Program
    Council on Research                                                     (WHRP)
           (COR)                         & Library Unit
                                                                    WisDOT/UW-Madison
 Senior WisDOT Managers            -   Strategic needs
                                   -   Program management     Midwest Regional Univ. Transportation
 Technology Transfer and New       -   Budget allocation                Center (MRUTC)
      Product Evaluation           -   Project tracking                  UW-Madison
    WisDOT Technical Staff         -   Performance measures
                                   -   Program evaluation      National University Transportation
    Pooled Fund Projects           -   Information services                 Center
WisDOT solicitation process        -   Communicate results               UW-Madison
                                   -   Best practices
      National Programs            -   Training                Traffic Operations and Safety Lab
 TRB, AASHTO, NCHRP, etc.          -   Implementation                       (TOPS)
                                                                    WisDOT/UW-Madison
   Technical Communications                                   Construction and Materials Support
    CTC & Associates LLC                                                Center (CMSC)
                                                                  WisDOT/UW-Madison
Collaborative Engineering Center
    WisDOT/UW-Madison                                               Bridge Security Center
                                                                   WisDOT/UW-Madison
 AASHTO Recommendations
 for DOT/UTC Relationships*
   Structured relationship with home state DOT
       Representation on advisory boards, research-
        selection committees
       Regular communication
       Implementable research products
   Relevance and accountability
       Agree on project selection, goals, schedules
       Some matching funds on project-by-project basis
   Involvement in needs identification
       Focus groups
       Other processes to identify DOT needs
* November 30, 2005 letter from John Horsley to Ashok Kaveeshwar
AASHTO Recommendations
for DOT/UTC Relationships
   National research roadmaps
       SHRP-II, AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan,
        Concrete Pavement Roadmap, etc.
       Helpful in integrating state efforts
   Mutually beneficial projects
       Process to identify projects of mutual benefit
   Partnerships and funding from broad base
       Federal, state, regional, local agencies
       Other universities
       Private companies
       Non-profit organizations
 Observations on Successful
 Univ/DOT Business Practices*
   Set clear goals for partnership – DOT
       Outside problem-solving capability
       Workforce development – students become
        future employees; university help DOT with
        training current employees
       Unique university role – long-term, nearby,
        breadth of expertise, as-needed basis
       A way to participate in national research
* Courtesy of Sandra Larson, Stephen Andrle, Richard Long, Edward
Mierzejewski, Matthew Moore, Michael Kyte – Council of University
Transportation Centers, January 2006
    Observations on Successful
    Univ/DOT Business Practices
   Set clear goals for partnership – University
       Research opportunities for faculty
       Research and employment for graduate students
       Enhance cash flow
       Source of tuition funds
       Essential DOT partnership for pooled fund projects
       DOT work as stepping stone to national research
       Applied research to build to fundamental research
Observations on Successful
Univ/DOT Business Practices
   Acknowledge problem areas
       Overhead
       Intellectual property
       Publication rights
       Attitudes
       On-time performance
       Graduate student tuition
       UTC match
Principles for Successful Business
Relationships – Attitudes
   Trust
   Mutual commitment – partnership
   Respect – understand differences
   Honesty – no games
   Enjoyable working relationships
   Strong work ethic and professional
    commitment
   Patience and frequent communication
   Work toward shared objectives
Principles for Successful
Business Relationships
   Joint business practices
       Multi-year basic agreement
       Point of contact at university and DOT – meet
        frequently
       Dot officials on university center board
   Dot business practices
       Continuing admin funding and research level
       Participate in governance and project oversight
        committees
       Recognize scholarship demands on faculty
       Review and implement research recommendations
    Principles for Successful
    Business Relationships
   University practices
       Establish a client-focused business unit.
       Provide incentive for faculty to participate.
       Return some indirect cost to research unit.
       Build technology transfer into contracts.
       Partner with others – grow beyond state work.
       Collaborate with academic faculty.
       Use applied research financial and experience base.
       Hire people with real-world experience.
       Be responsive, listen. Give DOT what it asks for.
       Provide communications support to researchers.
    Conclusions –
    Challenges and Opportunities
   Share information, goals, needs
   Work hard at understanding each other’s
    point of view
   Celebrate individual and joint successes
   Make each other look–and be–good
   Market successes together
       Kristina Boardman
         608-267-3287
kristina.boardman@dot.state.wi.us