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# System prepended metadata

title: Objectives R&D MRI

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The objectives of the processes have to be defined by the direction according to their strategic view. It is important to have clearly defined objectives to have efficiency indicators.

## 1- Main objectives of the R&D process:

### Notes / TODO's
- The objectives of the R&D process must be aligned with the mission and objectives of MRI and those of Biocampus (https://www.biocampus.cnrs.fr/index.php/en/mixed-unit-service/presentation). TODO: Do we have concrete goals for Biocampus?
- The presentation of MRI in it's website does not reflect any intention of doing R&D. Once the objectives are defined this has to be changed in the website and other documentation. New issue #36

### 1.1- Improve current products or services
R&D can be targeted to improve current services.
- Improve the efficiency, quality, user experience,... of an existing service

### 1.2- New services
Offering new services next to the core activity. The core activity of MRI is provide access to equipment and expertise in imaging and cytometry. It turns out that many of these new services parallel to the core activity are also well related to services related to other core facilities of BioCampus.
- Sample preparation (REM, Organoids,...)
- Instrumental development of bespoke equipment with improved capabilities and/or flexibility to adapt to specific applications
- Data management
- Data analysis (Statabio)

### 1.3- New combinations of services
Offering a combination of existing services into a new workflow with services from MRI or with on or more Biocampus core facilities (or outside of BioCampus) as a new full package service. For example: FACS sorting or micro-dissection and sequencing / transcriptomics / proteomics. FACS clone sorting followed by HCS clone characterization...

## 2- Implicit objectives
The objective of doing R&D is not only limited to tangible new products or services like those proposed above. A non-finalised project is not a failure. The value of performing R&D is important as an investment.

### 2.1- Gain expertise
Gaining expertise, understanding and knowing how to do something throught experience in a certain domain,  is a critical indirect consequence of the R&D.
This expertise adds value to the general activity of the platform as it crosses boundaries and estimulates the activity in the platform and it adds up to future developements.

### 2.2- Change perception
Working in close collaboration with research teams and industry as R&D partners changes the relational balance of the core facility. The platform is perceived as more than a provider of equipment and more as a source of expertise and promoting the positive feedback into the R&D processus.


## 3- The actors
Different actors are involved in the R&D. 
- Research teams (users or not of MRI)
- Industrial partners
- Other core facilities (BioCampus or not)

## 4- Indicators
What are the metrics that can help us to evaluate the efficiency of the R&D processus for the defined objectives. There are two main difficulties to find good indicators for the R&D process.
- The little amount of projects that run at a given time: This reduces the significance of the numbers.
- The long term run of the R&D projects: Projects take in general one to many years to complete this adds a huge latency between the decision making and the evaluation of the efficiency and pertinence of the decisions. Moreover, for what concerns the indicators, all the range of indicators concerning the usage and user satisfaction are delayed too much. While this seems to be part of the R&D process it self, there are things that can be done to palliate this weakness.

Essentially a more efficient management of the processus passes for making things more agile.

Indicators have to answer at three levels
- « les projets sont-ils menés selon les dispositions prévues ? » (suivi)
- « les projets atteignent –ils leurs objectifs ? » (mesure de résultat par projet)
- « le processus R&D permet-il de porter l’innovation et la valorisation ? » (mesure du résultat du processus = performance = un KPI)

Indicators can be cumulative or at a point in time

Here are a few ideas for indicators and objectives. Note that I provide some example values. Those are just my view and an example of how this values have to be specified. I provide as example the goal, e.g. "Does the project validate criteria <-> Yes"

### MRI level (many of these overlap with the lower ones)
- MRI's own ressources funding dedicated to R&D <-> 10% of own ressources dedicated to R&D
- Budget adherence <-> 25% of projects stay in budget
- Timeline Efficiency <-> 25% of projects completed within the initially estimated timeline.
- Number of projects that involve collaboration with other core facilities, research teams, or industry partners <-> 1 per year
- External funding dedicated to R&D <-> 2:1 external:own ressources for R&D
- ETP dedicated to R&D <-> 10% of HR dedicated to R&D
- Nr of projects described before execution vs after execution <-> 80% of projects identified before execution
- Nr started projects <-> 1 project per year
- Nr finalized projects <-> 0.5 project per year
- Nr of projects in each phase <-> ideation, development, implementation *This can help to identify bottlenecks*
- Ratio of finalized projects.
  - Since start of the process <-> 50% projects finalized
  - In the last 5(?) years. Moving finalized ratio <-> 50% projects projects finalized
- Number of projects that accomplish any of the _implicit_ objectives of the processus. See point 1.5 <-> 80% of projects fulfill at least one __implicit__ objective
  - How can this be stipulated? Define a limited nr of questions for each objective
- Number of efficient projects vs inefficient projects <-> 25% efficient projects
_NOTE: The efficiency at the project level may be indicated for different aspects. See Project level indicators_

### Project level. These help to define if a particular project is efficient
- Do finalized projects accomplish the goal (validation criteria are met) <-> Yes
- Do project (finished or not) accomplish any of the implicit objectives <-> Yes
- When finished:
  - Finished in time <-> Yes
  - Delay in months nr of months <-> 6 months
  - Delay as fraction of predicted duration <-> 1.5 times initial project duration
- Valorisation (talks, posters, workshops, patents, transfers,...) as a result of the project <-> at least one

### User Satisfaction and Impact Indicators:

**User Feedback:**
- Regular surveys or feedback mechanisms to gauge user satisfaction with the R&D services and identify areas for improvement.
- We should think about ways to gather, through the general satisfaction pool:
    - Optional questions if you were involved in a R&D project
        - Did the project fulfill your expectations...
        - ...
        - Open fields for comments
    - Optional questions if you were involved in a collab project
        - Orestis?
        - ...
        - Open fields for comments
- The plus of this is that, through the enquete, we will publityce the posibility to have these tuypes of projects.

**Partnership building impact**
- Do projects help to build partnerships with:
  - Reseach teams
  - Other core facilities
  - Industry

**Publication Impact:**
- Number of publications resulting from R&D projects and their impact factor. This indicates the contribution to scientific knowledge.

### Strategic Alignment Indicators:

**Strategic Alignment Score:**
- Evaluate the degree to which R&D projects align with the overall strategic objectives of MRI and Biocampus:
  - Strategic goals of MRI
  - Strategic goals of Biocampus. What are the strategic objectifs of Biocampus concerning que R&D?
*NOTE: specify, for each objectif of the processus to which strategic objectif of MRI or Biocampus they align.*

**Mission Fulfillment:**
- Percentage of R&D projects directly contributing to fulfilling the mission and objectives of MRI and Biocampus.

### Knowledge Transfer and Training Indicators:

**Knowledge Transfer Events:**
- Number of workshops, seminars, or training sessions organized as part of knowledge transfer resulting from R&D.

**Skill Enhancement:**
- Assess the improvement in the skills and expertise of team members involved in R&D projects.

### Sustainability and Environmental Impact:

**Sustainability Impact:**
- Evaluate the extent to which R&D projects contribute to sustainable practices and environmental impact reduction.

### Risk Management:

**Risk Mitigation Success:**
- Percentage of projects where identified risks were successfully mitigated or managed. Look at excel for identifying risks. We might build a table to evaluate this.

### Collaboration and Partnership Success Indicators:

**New Collaborations Formed:**
- Number of new collaborations or partnerships established as a result of R&D activities.
- Are there identified mutual benefits for the collaboration?
- Are the goals of both partners achieved?
- Longevity of the partnership

**Industry Engagement:**
- Level of engagement and satisfaction of industrial partners involved in R&D projects.

**Mutual Benefits:**
Elaborate on the criteria for evaluating the success of collaborations and partnerships formed through R&D activities. This could include factors such as mutual benefit, longevity of partnerships, and achievement of shared goals