Established in 2009, the role of the Research and Development Administration Office (R&DAO) is to coordinate and promote academic and scientific related research activities of UM. The R&DAO aims to assist the top management and the Research Committee in the definition and implementation of the most adequate policies; that will contribute to UM’s ambition of engaging in productive research with recognized international standards and significant local impact.

As an academic support unit, the R&DAO serves to:

	Set, review and execute policies devoted to basic and applied research;
	Provide information, advices and effective supports to R&D projects;
	Set up and maintain mechanisms for project selection, funding and monitoring;
	Promote the University's achievements and excellence in research;
	Devise the research fund, negotiate with institutions, authorize research/consultancy contracts and manage patent and trademark applications.

We will try our best to provide practical and efficient services to our academic and research colleagues in their activities related with R&D.

Functions in Details

1. Internal Research Grants (with single-year and multi-year project applications):
@ University-level in several UM key research areas;
@ Faculty-level for any project usually presented and selected in the Faculties.

This function includes inviting and reviewing internal research grant applications (in direct collaboration with the RC), ensuring compliance with the University’s rules and regulations, administering and coordinating the progress/report of the projects, facilitating  leave requests for academic staff involved in the projects, and coordinating  the assessment exercise to the key areas.
2. External Research Grants (with applications to Macao Science & Technology Development Fund)

This function includes inviting and reviewing external research grant applications to the Science & Technology Development Fund (and other funds), ensuring compliance with the Fund’s rules and regulations, arranging for institutional endorsement and submission, as well as  administrating and coordinating the progress/report of the projects.

3. Conference Grants (with well-defined different academic-levels & competences delegated to the Faculties)

This function involves managing funds attributed annually to each Faculty for this activity, monitoring compliance with the University’s rules and regulations in the area, analyzing conference leave requests in coordination with the Faculties, and preparing the documentation for final approval.

4. Graduate Studentships (at Master and Ph.D. levels)

This function implies managing funds through a number of quotas assigned annually to each Faculty for supporting graduate students; and ensuring compliance with the University’s rules and regulations in the area. This activity is performed in close collaboration with the Registry.

5. Book Publications (with Research Grants results)

This function involves managing funds related to Book Publications —  in close collaboration with either UM’s Publications Center or with the researchers involved in the publication through regional or international publishers— and assisting in the application of external funding e.g. from the Macao Foundation.

6. Patent Applications (with Research Grants results)
This function includes managing funds related to Patent Applications, collaborating with the Faculty of Science and Technology and the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, and setting-up a Patent Review Panel that will analyze and approve proposals for submission to the R&DAO. This activity comprises also liaison with the appropriate external operators in the area that includes Lawyers and Patents’ offices (regionally, nationally and internationally), ensuring the adequate coordination of the processes in close cooperation with the researchers.

7. Information Services and Management (of research results and project execution)

This function involves the collection of data and maintenance of all information related to the results obtained from research projects.

8. Consultancy Projects and Contracts (with Government and Companies)

This function, currently managed by the Faculties along with FO and AHR, should be gradually integrated inside the operation activity of the R&DAO, in order to allow a more comprehensive approach to its overall management, monitoring and coordination with well-established rules and regulations that would ensure the balanced involvement of our academic colleagues in outside practice.

9. Conference Organization Proposals (in collaboration with Faculties and Macao Foundation)

Presently, this function is handled by the Faculties (in collaboration with FO) and needs the approval of the Rector before submission of applications to the Macao Foundation for support. It requires the R&DAO to coordinate this activity in close cooperation with the Faculties, by handling the proposals that should be presented for analysis and decision to a “reinforced” Research Committee for final endorsement by the VR Research.

10. Liaison with Interface Institutions (where UM is a partner member)

This function involves UM’s participation in different Interface Institutions, namely the IDQ-Macau, INESC-Macau, CERT, UMTEC, LECM and IEEM, with the VR Research acting as an overseer.

11. Academic Editing (presently through outsourcing)

This function involves proofreading, editing and advising on structure of presentation, for grant applications and research papers.