USM WAY FORWARD : USM WAY FORWARD : NEW RU GRANT FUNDING

GOALSOf RDC  Experts in

fundingIn Malaysia

Various Fields

WealthCreation

Societal Well Being

Pivoting Science, Technology and Arts to create Innovations 

INNOVATIONINNOVATION BASED BASED INNOVATIONINNOVATION--BASED BASED ECONOMYECONOMY

K l d G ti dKnowledge Generation andConsolidation

Current R&D FUNDING At USM Current R&D FUNDING At USM

Incentive Value Concept/ Basic Applied Prototype

R&D COMMERCIALISATIONPRE-R&D PRE-COM

Incubation/Early

Mature Value R li tiIncentive

/short termValue

AnalysisConcept/

IdeaBasic

RApplied

RPrototype

Developmentvia Cradle

Early Growth

Stage Realisation

MTDC grants

ScienceFundFRGS/SAGA/RU

OutsideTechnoFund

Outside agencies/USM

InnoFundCRDF,TAF/ TAF-W

InnoFundTypes of RU:Potential (indiv)Eureka

VCs, MAVCAP,MOF, Industries

EurekaFundamentalGolden goose

There is a need to design the RUThere is a need to design the RU funding to show continuity and nurture young researchers to become mature 

research leaders

From individual to team to cluster

DefinitionsDefinitions

• Group is when all are working together but there is a leader and a group of people that do their own work. Some pull their weight but others are in the there for a ride. The members may/not understand the whole mission and vision of the group. Equivalent to “mini MOSTI”. USM is not in favour of this. It does not nurture nor enrich the group. 

• A team is when all members are equally important They all• A team is when all members are equally important. They all pull their weight and there must be bonding with rapport and trust among each other to deliver. They all understand the whole mission and vision of the team Each team iswhole mission and vision of the team. Each team is multidisciplinary and show sustainability of cohorts. A mature team can become a cluster.

From team to cluster to center to institute

– Teams must be allowed to nurture. Spirit of trust and sharing must be  enforced.

– Teams can gather together working on an area of focus and develop into a Cluster. A cluster is a combined number of teams with the shared mission to deliver the vision of the cluster. The cluster is usually headed by a mature research leader with a proven track record.

Cluster formation cannot be forced There must be rapport– Cluster formation cannot be forced. There must be rapport among the team members

– Within each cluster, it must be multi‐disciplinary, inter‐PTJ, , p y, ,inter‐institution. Must show sustainability  of cohorts

– A mature Cluster may eventually become CoE or strong enough to be an instituteenough to be an institute. 

– A group of Clusters may also form an institute.  

CoE

Cluster Definition:•Multidisciplinary•Inter PTJ

Matured Cluster

•Inter PTJ•National linkage•International linkage•Mission

New team

Mission•Vision•Proven track record•Sustainable with Continuityy•Problem solving

CoE Combination of TeamsCombination of Teams

Team 6Team 1 Institute

Combination of Clusters

Team 5Team 2 Cluster

Team 4Team 3 Team 4Team 3

Way Forward: New RDC funding at USM

JENIS GERANGeran

Insentif

Geran Jangka Pendek(Young

researchers)

Geran RU Geran RU Berpasukan

(Team)

Geran RU Kluster

(Cluster)

SILINGSILING PERUNTUKAN

(RM)RM5,000 RM40,000 RM250,000 RM1 juta RM 5 juta

TEMPOH 1 tahun 2 tahun 3 tahun 4 tahun 5 tahun

CATATAN • Pensyarah dan Gred 41 ke atas yang tidak memegang

• Individual• Pensyarah

dan Gred 41 ke atas sehingga gred

• Competitive• Min : 2 academic

staff• Peringkat

pelantar + 2

• Competitive• Team based• Min: 5 academic

staf• Peringkat pelantar +

• Highly competitive

• Cluster based• Min : 5

academic staffmemegang sebarang geran penyelidikan

• Kelulusan TNC (P&I)

sehingga gred 54.

• Penilaian peringkat Pelantar

pelantar + 2 panel dari pelantar lain

• Peringkat pelantar + 2 panel dari Pelantar lain

• Panel luar

academic staff• Panel luar

sahaja

•HIGHLY competitive

Young researchers nurtured to become matured research leaders 

Competitive grants

Young researchers nurtured to become mature research leaders 

Domain experts

Evaluators Ethics Social Culture Innovation

RU GRANTSRU GRANTSAll RU grants are now considered as competitive grants and agressivelymonitoredmonitored. 

RU funds will be made available to individuals, teams or clusters. The RU grants are henceforth named as: 

(f d d l ) ( l f )RU (for Individuals ‐ RUI) (Max ceiling: RM 250,000 for 3 years)

RU Team (RUT) (Max ceiling: RM 1 million for 4 years)

RU Cluster (RUC) (Max ceiling: RM 5 million 4‐5 years)

To encourage researchers to apply for outside grants, each researcher is allowed to be PI for only 2 RU grants at any one time.

Researchers can also form a team/cluster to bid on Advanced StudyResearchers can also form a team/cluster to bid on Advanced Study Initiatives (Top down projects)  that will be determined by USM aligned with the priority areas of the country or of USM as part of its strategies as an APEX university. These topics will be announced from time to time. y p

RU Individual (RUI) GrantsRU Individual (RUI) Grants

RUI has a ceiling of up to RM 250 000 for aRUI  has a ceiling of up to RM 250,000 for a maximum of 3 years .

Evaluated based on meritEvaluated based on merit 

Need to show a minimum RU KPI of 10 with a minimum of 2 researchersminimum of 2 researchers

Submit evidence for verification of RU KPI

RU Team (RUT) GrantsRU Team (RUT) Grants

RUT  has a ceiling of up to RM 1 million for a g pmaximum of 4 years .

Evaluated based on meritEvaluated based on merit Must show multi‐disciplinaryProvide people‐oriented solutions to sustainabilityProvide people oriented solutions to sustainability issues, wealth creation and/or bottom billion agenda are encouragedNeed to show a minimum RU KPI of 25 with a minimum of 5 researchersSubmit evidence for verification of RU KPI

TeamTeam

Combination of l idi i limultidisciplinaryIndividuals  

Individual Individual projectproject

Individual Individual projectproject

Individual Individual projectproject

Individual Individual projectproject

Each team will be measured against RU KPIsMinimum to qualify RU KPI =25Minimum to qualify RU KPI 25

EXAMPLE: STRUCTURE WITHIN 1 TEAMDiagnostic Research

Multiplex

DetectAmplicon:

ELISA

TestFormat:

f

Diagnostic Research

Multiplex

DetectAmplicon:

ELISA

TestFormat:

f

DiagnosticsResearch

Target selection, characterisation

& validationMultiplex

Multiplex PCR:

Diagnosis

ELISA

DetectAmplicon:MolecularBeacon

Microfluidics

TestFormat:Biochip

ClinicalTrials

DiagnosticsResearch

Target selection, characterisation

& validationMultiplex

Multiplex PCR:

Diagnosis

ELISA

DetectAmplicon:MolecularBeacon

Microfluidics

TestFormat:Biochip

ClinicalTrials

MultiplexPCR:Drug

SensitivityDetect

Amplicon:PACHA

TestFormat:Dipstick

Pilot & Full Scale

MultiplexPCR:Drug

SensitivityDetect

Amplicon:PACHA

TestFormat:Dipstick

Pilot & Full ScalePilot & Full ScaleTest Kit

Manufacturing

Pilot & Full ScaleTest Kit

Manufacturing

Workestablishedwith track

record

Work inprogress

Preliminarywork

initiated

Work not doneexpertiserequiredavailable

Work not doneexpertiserequired

not available

Thrust areas& Subareas

FinalObjective

Key to Colour SchemeCourtesy Prof Zainul F Zainuddin

EXAMPLE: STRUCTURE WITHIN 1 TEAMFundamental Research

Candidates forFunctional &

Host risk/Susceptibility

factors

H t i t

Fundamental

Immunology

Candidates forVaccines

DiagnosticsDrug Targets

comparativegenomics

Cellularreceptors &

signaling

Host resistancefactors

Enhancementof immune

presentationu da e taResearch

Molecularmycobacteriology

Validation

F t t t &

signaling

Bioinformatics

Proteomics

Macrophage-Mycobacterialinteractions

Pathogenicgenesy gy

Future tests &development

MicroarraysUnique/novelmycobacterial

factors

Antibioticresistance

Workestablished Work in Preliminary

work

Work not doneexpertise

Work not doneexpertise Thrust areas Final

mechanisms

with trackrecord

progress workinitiated required

availablerequired

not available& Subareas Objective

Key to Colour SchemeCourtesy Prof Zainul F Zainuddin

RU Cluster (RUC) Grants( )Mature research leaders with proven track records are eligible to lead RUC grantsRUC has a ceiling of up to RM 5 million for a maximum of 5 yearsRUC has a ceiling of up to RM 5 million for a maximum of 5 years .RUC are research funds that involve collaborations. Top down projects

1. Multi-disciplinary and single institution(USM) ;(inter-PTJ) or2. Multi-disciplinary (inter-PTJ) and multi-institutional (inter-varsities) using (matching grant concepts for a max of RM 5 million for USM based-researchers only)

Evaluated based on meritEvaluated based on merit . All clusters upon evaluation must show RU KPI of average 50 (at least 3 years of data) with a minimum of 5 researchers to be eligible for applicationS b i id f ifi i f RU KPISubmit evidence for verification of RU KPIProviding people-oriented solutions to sustainability issues, bottom billion and wealth creation agenda are mandatory

Clusters that are ready and show achievement of RU KPI – 75 orClusters that are ready and show achievement of RU KPI 75 or higher AFTER completion of the project can be considered by Senate to be recognised as a CoE

ClusterCluster

Combination of multidisciplinary 

TeamsTeamsInter‐PTJ, Inter institution

TeamTeam TeamTeam TeamTeam TeamTeam

Each cluster will be measured against RU KPIs. Minimum to qualify = 50.

TB CLUSTER (combination of 5 teams)

EXAMPLE(combination of 5 teams)

Diagnostics

V i l Th tiTB

RESEARCHCLUSTER

Vaccinology Therapeutics

CLUSTER

Health FundamentalHealth System

Darker arrow shades indicate level of current accomplishmentof each team

EVALUATION POLICYTo ensure smooth transition of R-D-C, all Research platform evaluation committees must consist of individuals with the following capabilities to address issues on :address issues on :

EthicsSocial aspects Cultural aspects Innovation aspectsAdditional members are domain experts

The committee will also advise if the grant proposal need to beThe committee will also advise if the grant proposal need to be submitted to the animal or human ethics committee and biosafetycommittee

RU RUC d RUT t ill b l t d b th U i it E l tiRU, RUC and RUT grants will be evaluated by the University Evaluation Committee via cycles (every 3 months; Mac, June, Sept and Dec) to ensure evaluation is thorough and grants can be disbursed on time

All RU grants can be submitted at any time but the evaluation exercise will occur in the cycles determined.

RESEARCH UNIVERSITYRESEARCH UNIVERSITY KEY PERFORMANCE

INDEX (KPI) GUIDELINE FOR RESEARCHERFOR RESEARCHER

1. Research University (RU) KPI categorized as follows:

Section B: Quantity and Quality of ResearchersS ti C Q tit d Q lit f R hSection C: Quantity and Quality of ResearchSection D: Quantity of PostgraduatesSection E: Quality of PostgraduatesSection F: InnovationSection F: InnovationSection G: Professional Services and GiftsSection H: Networking and Linkages

2.  Researchers are advised to fill individually the ASSESSOR’S REPORT FORMthat had been developed by Bahagian Pembangunan Lestari dan Korporat (BPLK) for RU grant application only.

3.  The ASSESSOR’S REPORT FORM is an online system which can calculate automatically the marks of each section in RU KPI once the user key in the d / l bl h // ddata/input. It is available at http://ernd.usm.my

4. Researchers need to print out the marks and attach it with the Grant Application Form before submitting to School Research Committee (JKPTJ) or University Evaluation Committee (JKPU). Only applications that meet the minimum requirement of RU KPI will be considered.

5 Addressing the RU KPI as required in the Grant Application From:5.  Addressing the RU KPI as required in the Grant Application From:

i. RU‐Individual – minimum of 10 marks for RU KPI Means that the total marks of the Principal Investigator (PI) and his co‐researchers MUST at least achieve a minimum of 10 marks

ii.RU‐Team – minimum of 25 marks for RU KPIMeans that the total marks of the team members for the yearMeans that the total marks of the team members for the year evaluated (PI and co‐researchers) This is to encourage formation of new teams MUST at least achieve a minimum of 25 marks.

iii RU Cl i i f 50 k f RU KPIiii. RU‐Cluster – minimum of 50 marks for RU KPIMeans that the total marks of the cluster (PI and co‐researchers for  at least 3 years) MUST at least achieve a minimum of 50 marks

6. For further information please contact the Science Officers of the respective Research Platforms.