• Section 1 - Purpose and Scope
• Section 2 - Principles and Key Requirements
• Part A - Establishment and Operational Principles of CRPs
• Part B - Operational Principles of UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activities
• Part C - Transitional Arrangements
• Section 3 - Roles, Responsibilities and Accountabilities
• Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation)
• Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research Infrastructure)
• CRP Director or UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activity Director
• Section 4 - Monitoring, Review and Assurance
• Section 5 - Appendix
• Definitions

Section 1 - Purpose and Scope

(1) The University of Queensland (UQ) invests in Collaborative Research Platforms (CRPs) and UQ-Hosted National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) Infrastructure to enable UQ research excellence and impact by providing:

1. Access to cutting-edge capabilities beyond the ability of individual organisational units;
2. Efficiencies in research infrastructure investment through shared academic leadership and equitable access to UQ researchers, avoiding fragmentation and duplication of capabilities across UQ organisational units;
3. Partner engagement through the delivery of capabilities to external partners; and
4. Innovation in research technologies, methodologies, and techniques, and their dissemination.

(2) The purpose of this policy is to outline the framework and operational principles for the establishment, governance, reporting, review and disestablishment of CRPs and the principles for the governance and reporting for all UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activities.

(3) This policy applies to Collaborative Research Platforms (CRPs) and UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activities.

Section 2 - Principles and Key Requirements

Part A - Establishment and Operational Principles of CRPs

(4) The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) (DVCRI) approves the establishment of a CRP on the recommendation of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research Infrastructure) (PVCRI).

(5) The operational principles for CRPs are outlined below:

1. Organisational Structure:
   CRPs are central administrative supervisory units positioned within the Research and Innovation Portfolio under the management of the PVCRI.
2. Research:
   CRPs do not host academic research programs but facilitate the academic research of staff in Schools and Institutes. UQ staff employed in CRPs may:
   1. Participate in research using CRP facilities in collaboration with researchers from Schools and Institutes. These research projects must be led by researchers employed in UQ organisational units other than the CRP. These projects must also be hosted and administered in such units.
   2. Lead research and technique development to support innovation in the activities of CRPs. This includes, application of instrument/infrastructure, technique development and improvement, and seeking infrastructure-specific competitive funding, to ensure CRPs operate at the forefront of new technologies and techniques. Where these activities are not funded from external sources, it must be approved by the PVCRI.
3. Teaching:
   CRPs are ineligible to host coursework programs or subjects. CRP staff may contribute to teaching programs through guest lectures, provision of access to facilities for teaching purposes, and research training.
4. Staffing:
   CRPs typically employ specialist academics and professional staff. Joint appointments of specialist academics with a relevant School or Institute are encouraged where staff have substantial research activity.
5. Higher Degree by Research (HDR) Candidates:
   CRPs do not enrol HDR candidates.
6. Finance:
   Establishment of a CRP involves the creation of a cost centre in the University finance system (UniFi). CRPs are not directly funded under the UQ budget model and are ineligible for direct secondary returns from HERDC. At the request of a CRP Director, a proportion of external income generated by a CRP, in excess of a minimum operating cost recovery target, may be made available to that CRP for reinvestment in CRP infrastructure with PVCRI approval and at the ultimate discretion of the DVCRI.
7. Governance:
   The PVCRI is responsible for implementing the processes for the establishment, governance, reporting, review and disestablishment of CRPs.
8. Academic Advisory Committee (or equivalent):
   The CRP governance structure must include an Academic Advisory Committee (or equivalent) established by the CRP Director and whose membership and Terms of Reference must be approved by the PVCRI.
9. Commercial Principles:
   All CRPs must have a Schedule of Pricing used for the different CRP capabilities and different users of the platform, as approved by the PVCRI. The PVCRI has responsibility for allocating a minimum budget operating cost recovery target for each CRP.

Part B - Operational Principles of UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activities

(6) The PVCRI is responsible for overseeing the processes for the governance and reporting of UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activities which will accommodate NCRIS requirements regarding fair and equitable user access.

(7) The operational principles for UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activities are outlined below:

1. Governance:
   All UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activities must operate under one of the following governance arrangements, as agreed by the PVCRI.
   1. Type 1 – Host CRP: 
      The UQ Activity is hosted by a CRP and the UQ Activity Director is either the Host CRP Director or is supervised by the Host CRP Director. The UQ Activity Director must provide annual reports to the Host CRP Academic Advisory Committee (or equivalent) in accordance with the Collaborative Research Platform and UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activity Procedure.
   2. Type 2 – CRP Virtual Host: 
      The UQ Activity is hosted by a Faculty/Institute and the UQ Activity Director is supervised within a Faculty/Institute. The PVCRI will nominate a CRP to which the UQ Activity is aligned, and this CRP will become the ‘CRP Virtual Host’ for the UQ Activity. The UQ Activity Director must provide reports to the CRP Virtual Host Academic Advisory Committee (or equivalent) in accordance with the Collaborative Research Platform and UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activity Procedure. The UQ Activity continues to be hosted by the Faculty/Institute and the UQ Activity Director continues to be supervised by the local area
   3. Type 3 – PVCRI Office Virtual Host:
      In cases in which the PVCRI is unable to identify an aligned CRP which is suitable as a ‘CRP Virtual Host’, the PVCRI Office will operate as a virtual host of the UQ Activity. The UQ Activity Director must provide reports to an Academic Advisory Committee (or equivalent) established by the PVCRI in accordance with the Collaborative Research Platform and UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activity Procedure. The UQ Activity continues to be hosted by the Faculty/Institute and the UQ Activity Director continues to be supervised by the local area.
2. Commercial Principles:
   Subject to any external contractual obligations, all UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activities must have a Schedule of Pricing used for the different UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activity capabilities and different users of the facility as approved by the PVCRI. The PVCRI has responsibility for allocating a minimum budget operating cost recovery target for all UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activities.
    

Part C - Transitional Arrangements

(8) An implementation plan will be developed by the PVCRI and approved by the DVCRI to transition all existing CRPs and UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activities under this policy during the Transition Period.

Section 3 - Roles, Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation)

(9) The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) is responsible and accountable for:

1. Approving the establishment and disestablishment of CRPs.
2. Approving any external agreements relating to the establishment of, or investments in CRPs.
3. The allocation of annual budgets to CRPs.
4. Approving any external agreements relating to investment in or establishment of UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activities.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research Infrastructure)

(10) The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research Infrastructure) is responsible for:

1. Making recommendations to the DVCRI for the establishment or disestablishment of CRPs.
2. Making a recommendation to the DVCRI regarding approval of external agreements relating to the establishment or investment in CRPs or UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activities.
3. Overseeing the processes for the establishment, governance, reporting, review and disestablishment of CRPs.
4. Overseeing the processes for the governance and reporting of UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activities and nominating UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activity Governance Type 1-3 for each UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activity.
5. Establishing a UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activity Advisory Committee (or equivalent) for Type 3 UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activities and approving the Academic Advisory Committee membership and terms of reference for CRPs.
6. Approving a Schedule of Pricing for all CRPs and UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activities.
7. Nominating a minimum budget operating cost recovery target for all CRPs and UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activities.

CRP Director or UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activity Director

(11) CRP Directors and UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activity Directors are responsible for:

1. The operational management of staff and facilities
2. The development of a Schedule of Pricing
3. Establishing Academic Advisory Committees (or equivalent) except for Type 3 UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activities
4. Working in collaboration with the Academic Advisory Committee (or equivalent) on improving user experience, and planning for future capability enhancements
5. Providing reporting on operations and strategy

Section 4 - Monitoring, Review and Assurance

(12) The monitoring and review of UQ CRPs and UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activities will occur in accordance with this policy and the UQ Collaborative Research Platform and UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activity Procedure and is the responsibility of the PVCRI.

(13) The operating cost recovery target and Schedule of Pricing will be reviewed on an annual basis for CRPs and UQ-Hosted NCRIS Activities, subject to any external obligations.

(14) As central administrative supervisory units, CRPs will be recorded in UQ’s Organisational Database.

Section 5 - Appendix

Definitions