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Innovation Service
What kinds of projects will RIS support as innovation?
Our Innovation Service is being used to capture any project within UCL’s charitable mission that enables research or innovation activity but cannot be classified as sponsored research.
To be supported by our teams, all projects should:
- Have the right to publish results within a reasonable timeframe
- Use results for further research and teaching purposes
- Demonstrate public benefit.
Classification principles
The table below illustrates the key differences between a project classified as innovation versus a sponsored research project.
| Classification principles | Sponsored research | Innovation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | The funding source should be external to and independent of UCL. This includes funding derived from external sources but managed by UCL and funding made available by UCL subsidiaries. | Yes | Yes |
| 2. | The project should meet the Frascati Definition of Research (novel, creative, uncertain, systematic, transferrable). | Yes | No |
| 3. | The project scope (objectives and plan) should be subject to external (i.e. funder) scrutiny and normally agreed upon from the outset, as required by HESA. | Yes | No |
| 4. | Performance-related conditions should exist. | Yes | No |
| 5. | Funding terms should support publication within a reasonable timeframe (maximum delay of 12 months) and allow the use of results for academic purposes. | Yes | Yes |
| 6. | Public benefit should not be incidental, i.e., the benefit of the funder or collaborator, if not a public body, should not significantly outweigh the benefit to the public. | Yes | Yes |
Is my project sponsored research or innovation?
Wherever possible, projects should be classified as sponsored research to maximise UCL’s reported research volume and the number of projects eligible to receive QR funding. Use our triage tool to help you find the right UCL team to support your project (UCL login required). To use the tool, select 'Present' at the top-right-hand corner of the screen to begin.
You can also contact your designated Pre-Award contact for advice on the classification of your project.
Managing innovation activity in Worktribe
The processes and level of support for innovation activities are designed to follow those for sponsored research as closely as possible. When creating a project in Worktribe you need to select 'Innovation' as the Project Activity Type.
There are several new project types and contract request types available. Please select the type that most closely matches the description of your project. Costing, pricing and approval processes remain the same for both research and innovation projects.
Further guidance
- Creating an Innovation project in Worktribe (UCL login required)
- Creating an Innovation contract request in Worktribe (UCL login required)
Training
For an overview of our Innovation Service, watch our Innovation training - Faculties session video (UCL login required). The session will provide you with:
- A basic understanding of the Innovation Service offer
- An understanding of the system and processes associated with the innovation service
- The main activities within the scope of Research and Innovation Services and routes to support from other UCL teams.
Guidance and support
Use the links below to find answers to our most frequently asked questions, a copy of our Innovation Service training deck and examples of case studies.
