KCA would like to invite anyone associated with the transfer of knowledge from a research organisation to contribute to the first self-driven study to identify the skills and expertise required to take new technologies and ideas from universities and research institutions to market. We would like to gain insights from both the facilitators on the research side, as well as the recipients of new knowledge on the business side, and would appreciate insight from those employed in a variety of roles within each organisation so we can characterise the full breadth of skill sets required to execute the task.

Forums to workshop through the required skill sets will be facilitated Australia wide and we welcome your contribution.

The aim of these forums is to speak with experienced practitioners to unravel the knowledge, skills and experience needed within the Australian research commercialisation sector to effectively put research to use.  We do not want to assume anything and would very much appreciate first-hand accounts of what such a role entails.

The information gathered from these forums will be used to develop a sector specific state of play covering the following themes:

• A sector specific professional development framework
• An overview of sector roles and the development of sector specific position description templates
• Defined skills sets and competency requirements for new hires to the sector
• Suggested sector related career paths
• A synopsis of what industry needs from our sector professionals

There are 5 workshops Australia wide.

If you would like to attend please click on the RSVP link. We encourage you to extend this invite to your industry partners so that the project benefits from a diverse array of perspectives..

5 reasons why you should attend:

• Your input will help shape the profession of tomorrow and increase its effectiveness
• Your input will clarify who we are and what we do as a sector
• Your input will define our roles and improve hiring
• Your input will earn you a complimentary copy of the final report
• You’re a member of a broader community which benefits from research being effectively put to use

About the project: Knowledge Transfer in Australia – Is there a Route to Professionalisation?

A study to identify the skills and qualities required to successfully put research to use via commercialisation was awarded $98k grant funding from the Professional Standards Council (PSC).

The year-long study will be run by Knowledge Commercialisation Australasia (KCA) – the peak body for Australian organisations and individuals in knowledge commercialisation and exchange between public sector research organisations, business and government – and gemaker – a company specialising in commercialising technology.

The key objective of this study is to provide a clear understanding of what it really takes to get new ideas generated by Australian publicly funded research organisations into society and the marketplace.

Overall the study will provide insight into the different technology transfer models used across Australia and the mechanism used to equip people with knowledge of skills required by industry and research. The primary goal is to look at the skills and competencies required on both the research and business side, to undertake a skills gap analysis, and to begin to assemble a framework for professional development across the Australian research

Special Offer for new KCA Members

To say thank you to all of those organisations that take the time to help out with this research project, KCA would like to extend a special invitation to those entities that have not been a member previously to take out half price Associate Membership* for the 2015-16 subscription period.

As a KCA member you will:

• Have access to the growing network of professionals, network with the top tier knowledge transfer professionals in Australia
• Be eligible for member discounts on all KCA events and those of our international counterparts ASTP-Proton and PraxisUnico
• Be eligible to apply for Registered Technology Transfer Professional (RTTP) status through the Alliance of Technology Transfer Professionals (ATTP)
• Be eligible to apply for scholarships and the 2015 KCA innovation awards**
• Benefit from the hard work undertaken by volunteer committees that facilitate national commercialisation changes in relation to:
  • Advocacy – an integral part of bringing about change to our sector
  • Professional Development – designing and developing content to be delivered to educate
  • Industry & Investor Engagement – leveraging network connections to market technologies
  • Regional – New South Wales and South Australia – localised platforms from members can launch and drive initiatives
• Receive free copies of the research project report on skills framework

*Associate Membership is available for any organisation, such as: government department, semi-government body, professional body, approved consortium, industry or business) which contributes to the fostering of commercial links with tertiary education institutions and the public research infrastructure. This includes Cooperative Research Centres.

**Please note conditions apply

Please let us know at the workshops if you are interested in taking up this offer.