Ten technical papers based on research projects were presented at Society meetings during the past year.ĪSHRAE research projects result from work statements initiated by the Society's technical committees and task groups, or from unsolicited proposals submitted by organizations interested in conducting research for ASHRAE.
The average cost of new projects was approximately $120,000. Under the leadership of the Research Administration Committee, ASHRAE initiated 30 new research projects and completed 14 projects during fiscal year 2007-2008 (ending June 30, 2008). In addition to the research project and grant-in-aid expenditures, ASHRAE joined with government and private agencies to fund and support special projects of mutual benefit, including expediting standards, producing technical publications and conducting research. In summary, ASHRAE research gets a lot of bang for its bucks.Įxpenditures for projects and grants-in-aid for fiscal year 2007-2008 were almost $2. Additionally, the Research Administration Committee plans the research program, evaluates and approves the projects and ensures that results are properly presented. ASHRAE uses an extensive unpaid volunteer network of TC and TG members to prepare work statements, select projects, select contractors and monitor research projects to ensure that maximum benefits accrue from ASHRAE-sponsored research. The members of the Research Administration Committee (RAC) maintain stewardship of the funds entrusted to ASHRAE by careful planning and oversight of the research program. ASHRAE hopes, however, to implement most of these projects in the near future.ĭetails about ASHRAE's research plans, active research projects, completed projects, requests for proposals and guidelines for submission can be reviewed on the "Research" page of the ASHRAE Web site (Stewardship This, when coupled with the cost of projects already under contract, exceeds ASHRAE's current annual budget for research. The estimated dollar value of these projects is $7.2 million. The implementation plan currently includes 55 projects in various stages of development.
The most recent update to this plan began in July 2007.Ĭomplementing the Society's Strategic Plan for Research is the Society's Research Implementation Plan, which documents all TC/TG research topics that support the strategic plan and have been approved for further development into ASHRAE research projects. The plan will be updated every five years so that it remains pertinent in a rapidly changing HVAC&R research environment. Developed over a three-year period with input provided by grass root members, technical committee/task group (TC/TG) members, research fund contributors, and representatives from outside HVAC&R-related organizations, the plan provides outcome-based goals, which means rather than specifying the exact type of research that should be conducted, the performance outcomes are specified. The major goals of the ASHRAE research program are presented in the Society's 2005-2010 Strategic Plan for Research, which helps guide the development of research topics so that the greatest benefit is achieved for our members and society in general.