About Consultancy Services
Consultancy Services provides advice, guidance and support throughout the life-cycle of your project. Consultancy is defined as the provision of expert advice, or testing, which draws upon and applies existing knowledge and expertise. The work should have clear and well-defined deliverables. The client organisation would expect to own the results of the work.
Consultancy is important for developing research with industry and achieving early stage impact. It can also generate longer term research collaborations. The University recognises and encourages consultancy activity, as it contributes to its aim of promoting external engagement, enterprise and innovation.
See the policy and procedure document including Q&As on the new Consultancy Services Policy which came into effect from 1 August 2024.
Examples of consultancy
- Expert witness work
- Routine analysis, testing and validation work
- Expert advice and opinion
- Feasibility and scoping studies
- Professional practice work, such as accounting, architecture, or social work
- Market research and technology audits
- Aligning products and technology with business and marketing strategies
- Advising on protocols for clinical trials
- Reviewing policies and procedures
Benefits of consultancy
- Enhancing academic and professional disciplines
- Being covered with University contracts for confidentiality, indemnities, or conflicts of interest
- Having staff professional indemnity insurance
- Financial contributions to your KA account, supporting research and conferences
- Financial management of your National Insurance and tax, through payroll
- Fully funded studentships
- Software Licence Agreements
- Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
- Research collaboration agreements
- Academic publications
Make a consultancy proposal
Complete the Consultancy Contract Proposal Form if you want to undertake a consultancy project.
Costing your consultancy
Consultancy policy
- University Consultancy Policy for academic staff engaging in consultancy projects
Private consultancy
If you are undertaking private consultancy, the University must minimise the likelihood of conflicts of interest. Both the consultant and their clients must be clear that the University has no liability for work carried out privately.
For private consultancy there must be:
- Disclaimer of Liability for Private Consultancies, signed by the consultant and countersigned by the client
- Please refer to the University Consultancy Policy
Notification of private consultancies to your Head of Department must be consistent with the University’s Ordinance 18: External Work. Your statement on Conflict of Interest, in your standard contract of employment, must also be consistent.
The University owns the Intellectual Property generated by members of staff at the University. Therefore private consultants cannot, as part of any agreement they sign with a client, give rights to any University of Bath IP.
News
Examples of consultancy work between the University of Bath and external organisations:
- New University of Bath Consultancy Policy - from 1 August 2024
London Inclusion Charter launch underpinned by University of Bath research - consultancy work undertaken by our Department of Education informed the first City-wide charter of its type launched by the London Mayor
University signs agreement with the Home Office to address public safety and security challenges - the consultancy agreement was led by our Institute for Mathematical Innovation (IMI)
Add iron-trapping extracts to sunscreens to make them truly effective - a new paper from a Reader in the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology for consultancy with ASEA Corporate
Does living a simpler life mean living a happier life? New TV series co-designed by GW4 experts explores - including consultancy from Research Associate in Department of Psychology
Most improbable wins of the Emirates FA Cup Third Round - consultancy project between the The FA and the Institute for Mathematical Innovation (IMI)
'Great Minds Don't Think Alike' - a report co-authored by Scottish Widows and the School of management on why cognitive diversity is critical to the long-term success of companies
Our academics talk Consultancy
Professor Randy Mrsny, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, talks about Consultancy Services
Dr Rana Jawad, Department of Social and Policy Sciences, talks about Consultancy Services
Dr Philippe Blondel, Department of Physics, talks about Consultancy Services
Professor Chris Jennison, Department of Mathematical Sciences, talks about Consultancy Services