RESEARCH@MMU

ABOUT RICE DIVISION

BACKGROUND

The Research, Industrial Collaborations and Engagement (RICE) Division, led by Vice President (RICE), was established in early 2008 to spearhead and manage research activities in Multimedia University (MMU). Prior to the establishment of the RICE Division, the responsibility to plan, coordinate, implement and monitor all R&I activities as well as postgraduate programmes in MMU was placed under Centre for Research and Postgraduate Programmes (CRPP). In addition to the above-mentioned core functions, the new RICE Division also plays an important role to synergise the development of Research-Innovation-Commercialisation (R-I-C) nexus in all research activities.

The primary objective of the RICE Division is to chart further direction of university R&I, manage and take proactive action to achieve university mission and vision. Amongst important strategies is to instill a strong research culture in the university in order to generate quality research output. The mission is accomplished by providing effective support and services to the research community in MMU, ensuring quality postgraduate programmes and facilitating internal as well as external collaboration to promote research excellence. Entrepreneurship and commercialisation of university R&I outputs is greatly emphasised so as to benefit the economy and society more directly and explicitly of university R&I activities. In this regard, the RICE Division works closely with the faculties and academic centres in MMU as well as companies and other institutions to promote research, academic, and entrepreneurship excellence.

Specifically, the functions of the RICE Division are as follows:

• To plan and strategise policies to materialise the vision and mission of the university

• To inculcate a strong research culture among academic and support staff

• To streamline research activities in niche and high impact areas

• To promote R&I collaboration

• To monitor research performance and postgraduate studies in the university

• To administer R&I funds and other operational activities related to research

RICE STRUCTURE

To deliver its functions and responsibilities, the RICE Division is organised into three major sub-divisions, namely:

1. Research Management Centre (RMC)
2. Technology Transfer Office (formerly known as Collaboration and Innovation Centre (CIC))
3. Industrial Collaborations and Engagement Centre (ICEC)

1. RESEARCH MANAGEMENT CENTRE (RMC)

Research Management Centre (RMC) plays a role to help intensify R&I activities at the university. RMC also serves as depository and management centre for research grant and as information centre for statistics related to the R&I activities in MMU. RMC reports to the Vice President (Research and Innovation) and serves as the secretariat for the University R&I Committee.

2. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OFFICE (TTO)

(FORMERLY KNOWN AS COLLABORATION AND INNOVATION CENTRE (CIC)

The primary aim of the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) is to implant and nurture the culture of innovation and commercialisation of research among MMU staff and students. It is also committed to inculcate effective and ethical research culture through building research innovation collaboration, capacity and capability in the university. We are now enhancing support for technology transfer matters by strengthening our functions and realigning the centre as follows:

3. INDUSTRIAL COLLABORATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT CENTRE (ICEC)

Formerly known as Research Program & Collaboration Center (RPCC), ICEC is a one-stop centre which handles matters pertaining to:

1. Research Impact Management
2. Research Roadmap
3. Research Collaboration

ICEC plays a role to support industrial collaborations and engagement activities in MMU, especially on driving the research programs under the Digital Futures Research Roadmap and establishing research collaborations.

ICEC Scopes of Work:

• Strategically plan, monitor and streamline research programs under the Digital Futures Research Roadmap
• Drive and inculcate strong research collaborations with external institutions, local and foreign, universities, government agencies and industries.
• Strategically plan, drive and monitor the research impact resulting from the Digital Futures Research Roadmap

The initiatives and processes under ICEC include:

• Annual preparation of Research Roadmap
• Driving the research proposal funnel
• Collaboration related processes
  • MOU/MOA vetting
  • Collaboration Progress Monitoring
  • MSC Relations
  • Collaboration Visit Scheme
  • Research based Exchange Program (RBSE)
  • Inbound Visiting Academics
• Research Impact related processes
  • Stakeholder engagement
  • Social Innovation
  • Knowledge Transfer Program
  • Policy paper