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[august_leo]

A legitimate UK-based television channel is planning a programme on underwater basketweaving and wants to include some tv appropriate "studies" that the programme would itself run. I've been asked about designing such studies, etc.

At some point, I think this will be taking up enough time that it will be appropriate to ask about being paid a consulting fee. I have no idea what the ball park for that would be in the UK (or anywhere else, actually). I'm early career (lecturer less than 5 years) in a soft science for sake of something to call it. ETA: can someone suggest a range for me to start considering?

My father (industry) told me I should get a contract about intellectual property/confidentiality too. But this isn't really getting into what I'm currently researching....

Help?

[qrypt]

Surely your university has an office that deals with this sort of issue.  It would be foolish not to use them: they'll take a cut, but they'll help you work out a reasonable fee, help with contract issues, and (most importantly) provide insurance.

[august_leo]

Thanks. I know we have policies (e.g., how many hours/week we can consult), but I am not certain we actually have an office for this. I'll go ask the senior colleague who I think would know which office and person in that office to contact if we do have one.

[wegie]

Does your place have an office like ISIS at Oxford or UCL Enterprise that commercialises university research? If so, they are the people to talk to. If they're anything like ISIS, they'll even have contract templates for consultancy and a list of local lawyers who've worked for academics in the past.

[scotia]

As qrypt and wegie say, I would be amazed if there is not a department in the institution that is responsible for this (may be called Commercialization Office, or External Relations, or [insert variant on title here]).

Where I have worked, the rate has depended on the grade of the person doing the consulting, the nature of the client (lower rate for charities than big corporates), the length of time required (so there may be a reduction in the rate per day for longer jobs), the subject (some subjects are able to command a premium), any additional benefits/prestige/weather (ok, maybe not the weather).  There are a number of different variables involved.

[august_leo]

Thanks, everyone. We have an office like that. They have always explained their jobs as to help us if we invent something, start a company or have an idea we could sell to a company to create, so I didn't think about them. I'll ask someone there too.

[scotia]

Thanks, everyone. We have an office like that. They have always explained their jobs as to help us if we invent something, start a company or have an idea we could sell to a company to create, so I didn't think about them. I'll ask someone there too.

Despite what they say (our office gives out a similar message) I find that they start to forget their obsession with hard science as soon as I mention potential income.

[mingus]

Thanks. I know we have policies (e.g., how many hours/week we can consult), but I am not certain we actually have an office for this. I'll go ask the senior colleague who I think would know which office and person in that office to contact if we do have one.

You are going to ask a "local" person who might know how your uni handles such things?  Excellent idea; don't know why I didn't think of it before!

[august_leo]

Thanks. I know we have policies (e.g., how many hours/week we can consult), but I am not certain we actually have an office for this. I'll go ask the senior colleague who I think would know which office and person in that office to contact if we do have one.

You are going to ask a "local" person who might know how your uni handles such things?  Excellent idea; don't know why I didn't think of it before!

I actually thought I'd get advice faster on here (and possibly better advice), that's why I tried here first (it was much faster). I was originally hoping for more concrete answers, but I have the information I need now anyway.

Thanks everyone.

[drspouse]

I've just been asked to come up with a consulting fee for a very large scale project looking at an intervention to improve basketweaving in a developing country, where I'd create a measure to assess basketweaving ability as that's what I do. I asked the member of my department who does most of this kind of thing (he tends to consult for large governmental organisations, but mine is more of a research project, so he suggested I go for the lower end of the scale since I'll also get access to the data on basketweaving ability).

Apparently if I do this as an official University activity they take half the money (but insure me). I think I'll have to do it that way, though I can charge more anyway.

My next challenge is to work out how long it will take me, I will definitely need to spend at least a week there (sadly it's not on a beach like last time I went to that country) but it's the time before/after I'm not sure about.

[scotia]

My next challenge is to work out how long it will take me, I will definitely need to spend at least a week there (sadly it's not on a beach like last time I went to that country) but it's the time before/after I'm not sure about.

The way I do this - not sure if it is the best way by any means - is to break the project down into tasks and estimate the length of each task. I then use PERT (which involves estimating the optimistic and pessimistic times) to get at an estimated time. Then I put it away for a week or so, and let my brain mull over whether I am being realistic. Then I multiply the time by a fudge factor depending on whether I think I was being too optimistic (rarely) or too pessimistic (usually) when I estimated the project time. So far I have not had any real disasters with this method, though I did come close once when a server crash meant I had to redo a lot of analysis towards the end of one project.

I have been advised independently by a number of people that getting the university to insure me is advisable because it removes potential complications surrounding death in service payments if I am sat on by a dinosaur, or eaten by cannibals, or whatever other nasty fate awaits me.

[august_leo]

DrSpouse: sounds like a cool project and one that might actually help people in need.

[science_expat]

At my place, and I suspect many others, engaging in consultancy without involving the university can be a disciplinary matter.

[scotia]

At my place, and I suspect many others, engaging in consultancy without involving the university can be a disciplinary matter.

A previous U used to allow about 10 days per year for consultancy that did not involve the university. I am not sure what is permitted now, and I haven't investigated here.

[totoro]

The rules seem to be completely different everywhere. At some places consulting is highly encouraged but you must do it through your academic unit and it is all about generating income for their budget. At one place I was you got to keep a 1/3 for your own research budget. You couldn't keep any money for yourself. This wasn't a university rule, just a local one. Others are happy for you to do any consulting you like for one day a week but to compensate the university if you use any of their resources (that I think is our set up where I am now) and everything in between or more extreme.