The following questions are the ones most often asked by academics when they talk to UniQuest about consulting and contract research. If you question is not addressed here, please contact us.

Does the University endorse academics taking on consulting and contract research?
The Handbook of University Policies and Procedures (HUPP) contains information regarding the official policies and procedures of the University approved by Senate. http://www.uq.edu.au/hupp/

Can I work under an ABNⁱ?
Yes, if you undertake a project as a private individual (i.e. not on behalf of UQ). You should advise UniQuest at the start of each project that you would like project funds to be paid to you via your ABN.  Upon completion, you will need to send a tax invoice to UniQuest for your portion of the project funds.  Please be sure to include UniQuest’s project number and your ABN on this invoice. 

For information on how to obtain an ABN and additional helpful information relating to other tax matters, please visit the Australian Taxation Office’s website.

Why do I need to send a tax invoice to UniQuest?
UniQuest cannot release funds until we receive a tax invoice which matches the disbursement amount.  If required, UniQuest can provide academics with a tax invoice template which will detail what information should be included for our purposes.

Why does my Head of School need to approve outside work?
It is a requirement of the UQ policy that an academic‘s supervisor (e.g. Head of School, Head of Department, or Executive Dean) will sign their approval of the academic’s intention to dedicate time to outside work.  The amount of time that academics are allowed to spend on outside work is restricted by UQ Policy.  Please refer to the policy for more information

UniQuest’s Letter of Offer & Acceptance, which is sent to the academic at the start of each project, facilitates this approval. 

This process is beneficial because it means academic supervisors stay abreast of the number of hours spent by their staff on external projects; and it can minimise problems or conflicts which may arise regarding the use of any equipment or resources being utilised for an external project that may also be required for teaching or other research.

Why doesn’t UniQuest transfer money directly into my Source 6 account?
While disbursements are detailed clearly on a project pricing spreadsheet at the beginning of a project, UniQuest’s responsibility is to transfer funds received to the respective School.   It is then the responsibility of the School’s Finance Officer to apportion the disbursements within their School/Faculty.

When can I expect payment from UniQuest?
When clients pay their UniQuest invoice, UniQuest is then able to disburse the funds to project teams.  Unfortunately, clients do not always make payment promptly; however, UniQuest does have a proactive debt collection process to minimise payment delays.

In all cases, it is important that UniQuest raises invoices to clients as soon as possible.  You can prompt this action by notifying UniQuest when milestones have been achieved or when the project has been completed.  This will trigger UniQuest’s system to raise an invoice to the client. As soon as funds are received from the client, UniQuest will contact the academic/s and request a tax invoice to facilitate disbursement of funds as per the project pricing spreadsheet.

To minimise any delays in receiving final payment from clients, we try to negotiate a deposit to be paid by the client upon signing the contract and, where applicable, request milestone payments during the course of the project.  On this basis, academics can expect partial payments and are not disadvantaged should the final instalment be delayed. Only when a milestone has been achieved can a milestone payment be invoiced.

What insurance cover do I need?
UniQuest confirms that, as an employee of UQ, academics are covered under the following insurance policies:

• Public Liability
• Professional Indemnity
• Workers’ Compensation

These policies cover current staff members and past academics of UQ. The policies do not cover students.

Can I publish if I undertake external projects/consultancies?
UniQuest is dedicated to ensuring that material created throughout the course of commercial projects will not restrict your ability to publish.  If you are concerned about publishing on a particular project you should talk to your MICD and flag this with your UniQuest Project Coordinator at the very start of your discussions about the new project.

How is student involvement managed?
Student Intellectual Property:
The UQ Policy, with regard to ownership of IPⁱ which is created by students, states that students will own IP that they create during the course of their enrolment at UQ. However, UQ may request assignment of the IP (not including copyright in theses or publications arising from their studies) in the following situations:

• If UQ is required to as part of a contract with an external party
• If IP is jointly created by a student and a student’s advisor or other staff.

Commercial benefits are shared in the same way as with staff, when assignment is given to UQ.  Further information can be found on UQ’s website.

Insurance for students:
Students are not covered by the insurance policies maintained by UQ which relate to outside work.  For more information, please talk to your UniQuest Business Manager.