FOI_24-281 Staff with responsibilities for Research and Knowledge Exchange contracts
Date of response: 30 October 2024
We have now considered your request of 08 October 2024 for the following information:
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 I kindly request to be informed of the number of Professional Services staff posts (as an FTE for the University) that currently are engaged in the “day to day” review (and likely to lead to the agreement) to sign off on Research and Knowledge Exchange Contracts. The title of such roles may be different but in essence the request is for the FTE number of roles providing a review of contracts/agreements dealing with research and consultancy services.
Non exhaustive examples of what types of document review would be considered relevant to identify the contract reviewing roles as an FTE in question for the University are, those staff which review Non Disclosure Agreements, Material Transfer Agreements, Research Collaboration Agreements, Consultancy Agreements, European (DESCA type) Collaboration Agreements, Memorandum of Understandings for research and knowledge exchange projects in development. Such staff are likely to be (reviewing more than one of these types of Agreement) and placed within the Research and Knowledge Exchange functions of a Faculty, School, Directorate, or Technology Transfer Office etc. and the roles are likely to be titled Contracts Officer, Contracts Manager, Contracts Administrator/Assistant by way of non-exhaustive example.
I would expect the HR department to have the relevant information since they would have access to the Job Descriptions to allow you to identify the aggregated FTE of currently filled (and roles currently being advertised for) that on a day to day basis are expected to be dealing with the Research and Knowledge Exchange Contract Review.
Please present the data as:
Question 1. Number of staff FTE for the University, currently reviewing Research and Knowledge Exchange contracts
Our response:
12.25 FTE.
Question 2. Number of Staff FTE further broken down by title (ie Contract Manager/Officer) and Staff Grade as per HERA grading ie by way of example - Contract Manager Grade 8 (?FTE), Contract Officer Grade 7 (?FTE)
Our response:
2x Centre Manager* – Grade 8
1x Centre Manager – Grade 7
Project Development Manager* - Grade 7
Contracts Manager/Research Manager* - Grade 8
Consultancy Manager* - Grade 8
Research Contracts Officer* - Grade 7
Consultancy Officer* - Grade 7
Relationship Development Officer* - Grade 7
Project Officer* - Grade 7
*Please note that roles are all broader than solely Research & KE contracts review.
Following the FTE response – please provide a response as to whether the University uses the following software to manage its Research and Intellectual Property:
Question 3. Does the University use Worktribe - https://www.worktribe.com/_ (Yes/No)
Our response:
No.
Question 4. Does the University use Minuet - https://www.inteum.com/minuet/ (Yes/No)
Our response:
No.