Business Services FAQs

Business Services and Grants Services are both part of the Research, Enterprise and International Division led by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research, Enterprise and International). Business Services, together with Launch Pad, sits within the Enterprise portfolio, whereas Grants Services is embedded in the Research portfolio. Both teams are working closely together to offer seamless support on all research matters.

Business Services is part of the Enterprise Portfolio and connects business, government and the community with Western Sydney University by establishing external linkages and identifying partnership opportunities for contract research, professional consultancy, commercialisation opportunities, access to intellectual property and expertise, and to the University's cutting-edge research facilities.

The immediate team consists of Industry Partnership Adviser, Dr André Urfer; Business Development Adviser; Nathanael Small and Senior Administrative Officer; Laura Robinson. Business Services works closely with colleagues from across the wider Research Services team.

Visit our website or contact BusinessServices@westernsydney.edu.au to discuss your specific needs and interests with our team of dedicated business support professionals.

In close consultation with researchers and external partners, Business Services can help frame up projects and associated deliverables to maximise benefits for all involved. We help with the budget to charge appropriately for the project at hand. Business Services will formalise contracts and forward instructions to Research Services to manage project set up and invoicing for projects. Business Services can help bring together our researchers and potential partner organisations and provide advice on relevant funding programs that may be accessible.

By engaging early with Business Services, we can:

• Provide a relationship framework to support academics and partners from industry, government, community and other research organisations
• Add value during the project scoping stage by:
  • Considering contract research vs Consultancy models
  • Investigating co-funding opportunities, including government schemes directed at industry collaboration
  • Considering research support, e.g. Higher Degree Research students, post-docs, research assistants
  • Promoting research outcomes
  • Maximising impact opportunities
  • Generating retained earnings (see Q15)
• Navigate the WSU administration by:
  • Reviewing proposals
  • Pricing projects
  • Securing internal approvals
  • Assisting in contractual negotiations
• Identify appropriate partners and opportunities, primarily through industry networking.

Grants Services provides support for competitive or sponsored grants. Examples include the major project funding by the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), and extends to grants offered by a wide range of foundations and public sector organisations. Central to competitive grants are a number of specific core criteria:

• Publicly available selection criteria
• Project developed primarily by the researcher(s)
• Peer or expert reviewed applications
• Publicly available rules for the conduct of assessments
• A set of requirements that recipients must fulfill

Business Services does not normally provide support for these types of projects. Please contact Grant Services for enquiries.

Note that some of these criteria can also apply to industry-oriented projects supported by Business Services, such as competitive tenders. Business Services and Grants Services will coordinate internally how to best support projects appropriately.

Strong relationships are the foundation for successful collaborations. Building and nurturing relationships with industry takes time and requires commitment from all parties. Researchers that are most successful in developing ongoing research partnerships are those that invest resources in knowing their industry and making contacts. At the core is a deep understanding of the challenges that potential partners face and the ability to offer timely, well-tailored solutions. Business Services can assist in many aspects of this process but is also reliant on researchers to work in partnership with us to develop and maintain relationships. Business Services:

• Reaches out to Institutes and Schools to understand the capabilities and interests of our researchers in order to be able to promote them more effectively
• Can support academic attendance at industry events
• Networks broadly with industry representative bodies and associations to identify trends and opportunities
• Can initiate industry focused training for researchers
• Provides administrative support – scoping, budgeting, contract negotiation and signing, project administration (as distinct from project management, which is the responsibility of the academic project lead)
• Encourages academics to network in their field of knowledge and to share common interest with partners without the need to enter into commercial discussion on how to do business with the university
• Does not regularly source partners for individual projects

For all projects, managed by Business Services we will coordinate and manage administration on behalf of the University. We will ensure a streamlined process through:

• Close consultation with all researchers contributing to the project throughout the planning and negotiation stages. Business Services will be active in negotiations as required
• Advice regarding models by which to conduct the project and for the disbursement of funds. Options include completion of work within load (standard) or above ordinary workload, and associated disbursement of funds via the School/Institute or as additional salary direct to the researchers (if approved above load by Dean/Director)
• Review and processing of online Clearance Form for approval by Dean/Director
• Establishment of a flexible account by Research Services to roll funds over between calendar years
• Provision of template documentation for budgeting and contracting
• Assistance with budgeting in accordance with the University pricing principles

To set up a project, Business Services requires the following paperwork (completed in order):

1. A short project proposal/description
2. An agreed internal budget complying with University pricing principles
3. An online clearance form (login required) approved by the relevant Dean(s)/Director(s) (see Q11)
4. Executed contract with the external partner(s), either using the University’s contract template or the partner’s contract. Business Services will facilitate signing of contract by the University’s delegated Officer on behalf of the School or Institute

These documents are often only finalised following ongoing discussion with a partner. Business Services will work with researchers to compile this documentation.

Pricing contract research or consultancy projects should aim to properly value the researcher's expertise at market rates and cover institutional costs of projects. Because contract research and consultancy projects are charged at market rates, there is often an opportunity to build a premium into the budget that is then made available to the team to support future projects. Pricing should not, without good reason, undercut the prices that would be charged for comparable work by competing contractors or consultants, so as not to contravene the "NSW Government Policy Statement on the Application of Competitive Neutrality" (2002).

Prices should be presented to the client as a total value that will include all salaries and on costs (see Q7), annual leave loading (see Q8), the premium the researchers place on their expertise, approved percentages for indirect costs (see Q9) plus GST (see Q10). Where appropriate, a budget can be broken down to show individual line items (for instance salaries, consumables, travel), though salary on-costs and indirect costs will be spread across those items rather than displayed as standalone items.

The latest Academic and Professional Staff Rates for 2024 can be found here

Where the funding available is less than the full costs (including indirect costs), the project should be fully priced and the approved in-kind contributions shown on the quotation.

Business Services will assist in creating a detailed internal budget for all contract research and consultancy, which is a confidential internal document and should not be disclosed to the client. Business Services will assist in re-formatting that budget to make it appropriate for an external audience.

The following table highlights the difference between Cost and Price.

In addition to salary costs, Western Sydney University is liable for payment of costs covering Payroll Tax, Workers Compensation, Superannuation and Long Service Leave. These on costs must be factored into the total cost of all contracts. Ongoing and fixed-term employees receive 17% employer superannuation contributions. On costs for permanent, temporary and casual staff are summarised in the table below.

Refer to on costs for more details.

The amount of on costs is confidential and should not be disclosed externally.

Academic and professional staff employed on an ongoing or fixed-term basis are entitled to an annual leave loading equivalent to 17.5% of four weeks’ base rate of pay for each full year worked, equal to 1.3415% of base rate of pay. Annual leave loading for academic staff is capped at the loading applicable to Level B, Step 3, equal up to 1.3415% of base rate of pay. Annual leave loading for casual employees is incorporated into the casual loading of 25%.

The amount of annual leave loading is confidential and should not be disclosed externally.

Indirect costs refer to ongoing expenses incurred by organisations that are not related only to a particular project, such as insurance, lighting, cooling, heating, electricity, water, gas, computers, printers, telephones, paper, office supplies, equipment, internet, WiFi, rent and other extras. Indirect costs are also referred to as overheads, levies, infrastructure costs, administrative costs or fees.

Indirect costs are a genuine cost of doing business and must be included in all budgets unless a specified exception applies.

To make allowances for these indirect costs, projects set up through Research Services, either by Business Services or Grants Services, attract indirect costs of 35% if project exceeds $100,000 pa (based on total direct costs pa).

The 35% indirect costs are made up of three components and are subject to periodic review by the University:

• University (15%);
• School/Institute (15%); and
• Research Services Commercial Development Fund (5%).

Indirect Cost variations apply under the following circumstances:

• For projects of $100,000 pa or less (excluding GST, based on total direct costs pa), the University’s 15% indirect costs are waived, with total indirect costs  of 20% applicable;
• For projects with registered charities, all indirect costs are waived and total indirect costs are 0%;
• For scholarships, all indirect costs are waived and total indirect costs are 0%; or
• Funding rules are in place that stipulate specific indirect costs requirements.

Indirect costs can only be varied with written approvals, including justification for proposed variation from:

• Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research, Enterprise and International) for University’s 15% indirect costs;
• Dean/Director for School/Institute 15% indirect costs; and
• Executive Director, Research Services for Research Services 5% Commercial Development Fund.

The amount of indirect costs is confidential and should not be disclosed externally.

The goods and services tax (GST) is a broad-based tax of 10% on most goods, services and other items sold or consumed in Australia. WSU is required to charge GST on supplied goods and services, including contract research and consultancies.

GST is not payable on overseas funding for research that is carried out in Australia, provided that the results are being supplied to someone outside Australia, and are being 'consumed' outside Australia. The research is classified as a GST-free supply for export.

GST is payable if overseas researchers undertake the work at WSU and then take the research results back to their country. The researchers are personally undertaking the work here and the results are being provided to them while they are in Australia. Even though the results will be used overseas, GST applies.

GST does not apply if research donations are made through the University, and given as a donation, endowment or gift, provided that the donation: (a) is made voluntarily; (b) does not provide a material benefit to the donor; and (c) arises from benefaction, and results from detached and disinterested generosity. A donation to conduct a specific piece of research and then provide a report to a business or company is subject to GST as the donor is receiving a material benefit. If the donation is provided to conduct research into a field, where the results will be published in academic journals, then it is not subject to GST. Donations are administered by the WSU Office of Advancement.

The Australian Taxation Office (opens in new window) website has more GST information.

An online Clearance Form is required for all projects administered by Business Services (or Grants Services), including contract research, consultancies, tenders, competitive grants, etc. The clearance form can be accessed online. A WSU Office 365 account is required, using your staff email (StaffNumber@westernsydney.edu.au) and your password to log in. The purpose of the form is to create an online record for the project and present the Dean/Director with all the important project information before they approve the project.

Tips to complete the clearance form:

• Click the "+ New" at the top left to start a new form
• Address all compulsory questions (indicated with a *), including project title, estimated % of research (100% is the default), project summary, your School/Institute/Centre, start and end dates, name of external organisation, project value (excluding GST component), details of project team members (Staff ID/name, employment status, FTE spend on project, share of income, above load payment), research details (activity type, field of research (FoR), socio-economic objective (SEO)), and ethics and biosafety considerations
• Attach the internal budget, project proposal and any other relevant documents
• Select a Business Services team member as support person
• Click the "SAVE AND SUBMIT" button at the bottom right to start the workflow
• The "SAVE PROGRESS" button saves the information entered, but it does not start the workflow

The nominated Business Development person will review the clearance form, including relevant attached documents, and then submit for Dean/Director's approval. The researcher will receive an email notification once the clearance form has been approved by their Dean or Director.

Research Services assesses all projects for their research component. Any certified research income is included in the Australian Government's Higher Education Research Data Collection (HERDC). Research income is allocated to one of four categories:

1. Australian Competitive Grants (Category 1): Income received from funding bodies for R&D schemes and programs registered on the Australian Competitive Grants Register (e.g. ARC, NHMRC)
2. Other Public Sector Research Income (Category 2): Income received from the Australian public sector that is not eligible for inclusion as Category 1 income
3. Industry and Other Research Income (Category 3): Income received from the private sector, philanthropic and international sources that are not eligible as Category 1 or Category 2 R&D income
4. Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) Research Income (Category 4): Income from a Cooperative Research Centre (CRC)

Yes. The Researcher Portal provides access to information about WSU researchers, including: publication history, research and consultancy projects, ethics protocols and details of research activity. Projects set up by Business Services will appear on the Researcher Portal (opens in new window) subject to confidentiality considerations requested by the funding party.

There is often only a fine line between contract research and consultancy. Both contract research and consultancy involve an external organisation accessing the skills and expertise of University staff, University equipment or facilities to work on a specific project. The difference is that consultancies have no research component. Whether a project includes research is assessed by reference to an ARC definition relating to whether the project generates new knowledge:

Research is defined as the creation of new knowledge and/or the use of existing knowledge in a new and creative way so as to generate new concepts, methodologies, inventions and understandings. This could include synthesis and analysis of previous research to the extent that it is new and creative. This definition of research is consistent with a broad notion of research and experimental development (R&D) as comprising 'creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man [human-kind], culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications – ARC Research Impact Principles and Framework (opens in new window)

It is Research Services role to work with academics to make sure project documentation properly reflects any research that will be conducted. Most projects have some research component and are considered contract research.

By way of example for strict consultancy projects, previous WSU projects have been with Government, industry and community partners in areas such as product and process testing and development, commissioned reports and peer review, expert witness statements, delivery of customised short training courses, and mathematical and computing modelling.

Key aspects of the various engagement models (research, contract research and consultancy) are summarised in the following table:

Retained funds are any funds remaining within a project, once all direct costs (salaries of contracted staff, above load salary payments, stipends, general expenses, etc.), salary on-costs and indirect costs are met. The salary of researchers covered by the operating budget, less recovery of any teaching backfill, forms part of the retained funds.

A well-priced project will have a balance of funds at the completion of the project that the researcher can access and invest in future research and research related activities. Retention of these funds provides an incentive for researchers to not only pursue contract research and consultancy but to ensure the appropriate pricing of his/her work. The availability of retained funds will allow the researcher to continue to invest in research activities that are not covered by external research income.

Retained funds can be used to pay for conferences, publication costs, research assistant employment, HDR support, pilot studies, small equipment costs, collaboration costs, proof of concept development, teaching relief in pursuit of a research project and other research related expenditure as approved by the Dean/Institute Director. All applications to expend retained funds must be approved by the School Dean/Institute Director. Retained funds should not be used for personal income or items of personal use, and support of teaching activities or related expenditure.

Retained funds should be spent by the end of the following year (31st December). For example, funds received during 2024 must be spent by 31 December 2025.

Business Services is responsible for the management of Intellectual Property (IP) generated by University staff. This entails working closely with individual academics, schools, institutes and research centres, and the Office of General Counsel. The Business Services team delivers professional services to protect and commercialise IP following an invention disclosure. The team also engages with the University community to deliver IP training and develop awareness of IP. In doing this, we encourage the commercial development of Intellectual Property for the benefit of the University, inventors and the wider community.

Easy Access IP (EAIP) is the preferred model for the commercialisation of IP at Western Sydney University. EAIP principles and tools serve as a mechanism to increase the breadth and depth of mutually-beneficial industry partnerships and more effective transfer of University knowledge for public benefit. The University's Intellectual Property Policy ensures that our researchers, schools and institutes also receive benefit from any commercial outcome which enables and encourages them to continue their innovative work.

Discussing potential projects often involves the disclosure of commercially sensitive information. A key role for Business Services is to facilitate the setup of confidentiality agreements. This is a legally binding document that outlines confidential material, knowledge, trade secrets or non-public information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wish to restrict access to or by third parties. It is a contract through which the parties agree not to disclose information covered by the agreement. These documents are signed by the Executive Director, Research Services for the University, as University employees do not have delegation rights to sign legally binding documents.

FastLane is a self-service pack for smaller contract research and consulting projects. FastLane allows researchers to self-administer the paperwork to expedite the project setup process. Once completed, the pack can be submitted to Business Services for approval and signing. Suitability of FastLane should be discussed with Business Services first.

The FastLane pack consists of:

1. FastLane budget calculator (download XLSX, 66.67 KB); and
2. FastLane contract (download PDF, 140.99 KB)

Whilst all projects are different, early and effective communication is critical to address the issues and the success of any project. This flow chart (PDF, 25.36 KB) (opens in new window) aims to provide a succinct summary of the various steps involved:

The diagram (PDF, 111.54 KB) (opens in new window) below provides handy tips for researchers on how to partner with industry.

The Research Canvas (PDF, 20.06 KB) (opens in new window) can be used to communicate "who, what, why, when, how and the benefits" of projects. The tool is an aid to help ensure clear thinking, identification, needs and rationale for research.