The complete research process involves a large part of the Department's organization and its employees. Some roles - project definition, monitoring, and evaluation - fall within the scope of individual projects and are primarily the responsibilities of the sponsoring program office and the Technical Liaison or Project Panel assigned to the project. Other duties (e.g.: project prioritization, funding approval, and direction of implementation) have Department-wide impact and require the involvement of Senior Leadership, R&D staff, and other Department managers. General roles and responsibilities for key groups involved in the research process are described in the following sections of this chapter. Additional details can be found in the chapters that describe the specific phase of the process.

Organizationally, the Office of Research & Development (R&D) is within the Division of Planning. The Division of Planning reports to the Assistant Director of Planning and Production. (See Figure 2.1 for the ODOT Table of Organization.)

The roles and responsibilities of R&D are as follows:

• Developing, administering, and marketing the research program.

• Coordinating all research activities for the Department, including research funded without SP&R monies.

• Coordinating all of the Department's activities with TRB and the AASHTO Research Advisory Council (RAC).

• Facilitating the exchange of research information with other agencies, researchers, State DOTs, and interested parties.

• Developing strategies for technology transfer in conjunction of sponsoring offices.

• Formulating strategies for implementing innovative technologies and procedures.

• Developing public and private research partnerships.

• Initiating strategies to ensure proper evaluation of new products and emerging technologies resulting from research projects.

• Monitoring national and international research for potential application.

• Preparing periodic status reports on unusual or unique and high impact (flagship) projects in conjunction with the program offices.

• Initiating requests for research proposals.

• Developing and issuing all research contracts.

• Preparing contract packages for Controlling Board review.

• Preparing contract packages for Controlling Board review.

• Reviewing proposals and selecting researchers for projects as a member of the Research Selection Committee.

• Reviewing and paying research invoices.

• Approving all contractual changes (related to project scope, budget, time extensions, etc.).

• Monitoring the general progress of research, including implementation.

• Scheduling annual research review sessions. (Technical Liaisons/Project Panels may schedule additional review sessions when needed, but should include R&D on the invitation list).

• Distributing all research documents/reports.

R&D also maintains project files for all research studies. Each project file contains the proposal, the contract, other general correspondence relating to the project, quarterly progress reports, and copies of all invoices with backup material. These files are kept active until a study is closed, then moved to a holding area for approximately two years, and finally microfilmed and kept indefinitely.

The support of Senior Leadership is crucial to the success of the Department's research program. The following is quoted from NCHRP Synthesis 280 - Seven Keys to Building a Robust Research Program (Thomas Deen and Barbara Harder, 1999):

"[Assistant Directors] have a responsibility to fulfill their roles as agency leaders, setting the strategic direction for research to ensure alignment with departmental goals, communicating this strategy to stakeholders, providing resources to accomplish the research required, and giving their personal influence and support for appropriate research."

The role of the Assistant Directors includes:

Responsibilities of Deputy Directors who sponsor research projects include:

District Deputy Directors can also sponsor research projects. However, all projects that might result in changes to standards, specifications, or Statewide policies and procedures must be cosponsored by the appropriate Central Office Deputy Director.

The Administrator for each program office that sponsors a research project has responsibility and accountability for the following functions:

Technical Liaisons assist with and/or perform many tasks involved in developing and overseeing a research project. They should have the expertise to adequately evaluate and manage the technical aspects of the research. They also should devote sufficient time to maintain full familiarity with the details and progress of the work throughout the life of each project.

If a project involves several functional areas or requires special expertise, a team of technical experts may be appointed. This group comprises a Project Panel and performs functions similar to those of a Technical Liaison. Panels may include representatives from ODOT, FHWA, universities, industry, trade associations, and/or other institutions with related interest.

Panel members cannot individually consult with or advise research agencies. Any communication with a research agency shall be with the complete Panel; however, the Panel may elect a chairperson to handle correspondence, contacts, etc. on behalf of the entire Panel. Any representative from a university or the industry accepting membership to a Panel is prohibited from submitting proposals on projects under the Panel's jurisdiction. However, other researchers within the same institution or agency may submit a proposal.

A representative from the Office of Application Services, Division of Information Technology (DOIT) may serve as a Panel member on any project that involves the purchase or development of any hardware/software products.

Recommendations for Technical Liaisons and Project Panel members are made cooperatively by the respective Office Administrators of the functional areas involved in the research. Deputy Directors over the involved Offices must confirm these appointments. The Research Selection Committee approves the final recommendations and has the authority to modify them if needed.

The Technical Liaison or Project Panel may have responsibility for the following functions:

• Conducting preliminary literature reviews for proposed projects to prevent duplication of effort and ensure the quality of the work performed.

• Developing problem statements, requests for proposals, and preliminary cost estimates for assigned projects.

• Reviewing proposals and making recommendations for selection of research entities.

• Helping in the identification of field test locations or sections by coordinating with Districts.

• Maintaining regular contact with researchers to monitor progress and facilitate the resolution of problems or delays.

• Providing technical advice and guidance.

• Reviewing invoices and quarterly reports for validity (e.g., assessing whether or not an invoice amount is commensurate with the work completed, etc.).

• Making recommendations to Office Administrators and R&D regarding project scope, budget and time modifications, and continuation of studies.

• Reviewing and evaluating interim and draft reports to assess the accomplishment of project objectives and suitability for report publication (in coordination with R&D), and reviewing final reports to ensure compliance with comments.

• Recommending an implementation plan of favorable research results; and coordinating and assisting in     implementation activities.

Expert task groups consist of representatives from ODOT, academia, and industry with technical expertise in the focus area. Members are named by Deputy Directors with input from sponsoring Office Administrators and the R&D Administrator. Expert task groups are used on an as-needed basis for the development of broad research needs in a specific area and for some complex or high-profile (flagship) projects. The group primarily provides assistance to ODOT in the form of proposal development and evaluations and reviews of reports. The group also may be called upon to assist in implementation activities.

While Expert Task Groups may be involved in the development and management of multiple research projects related to specific focus areas, technical advisory committees (TACs) are typically convened for a specific project. They are used for pooled fund studies, OPREP projects and other research projects that may require the input of individuals from multiple areas or agencies.

The Research Selection Committee is a standing committee whose members are appointed by the Assistant Directors to conduct the following activities:

The business of the committee is conducted if a simple majority of the voting members are present. For a list of current members, please visit the ODOT Research website.

The role of a District Research Liaison is to:

For a list of current members, please visit the ODOT Research website.

Figure 2.2 contains a listing of ODOT contacts for various program areas with research involvement. Specific names of individuals have been omitted, but can be obtained by contacting R&D.