Final Reports

Final Report Preparation

Stage 1

The Research Provider will deliver to the FRDC a single copy of the draft final report. This draft must be an accurate representation of the Final Report, and must incorporate feedback obtained from any peer review undertaken. It is not necessary to have the draft final report bound.

The following information outlines the required layout of your draft final report. However, for detailed instructions on completing your final report and access to FRDC logos, you will need to download a copy of the Final report design standard (MS Word format, 148k).

Final Report Layout

The Final Report will include the following minimum content. It must also include specific discussion of the extent to which each project objective has been achieved.

Cover Page
Include a cover page consistent in design with the FRDC Corporate Cover Design Standard. Photographs or diagrams may be included on the cover page as background. The FRDC logo is available in the final report design standard document (or sent via email) for inclusion on the cover page. The title must include the word draft before the title in the Project Agreement unless otherwise approved by the FRDC.
Title page
Include the title, author details, date, publisher, copyright statement, disclaimer (if required), ISBN or ISSN
Table of Contents
Include a table of contents for the report including page numbers.
Non-technical Summary
Provide a lay person's summary of no more than two pages. This summary is also to be presented in stand alone form which will be used to convey the results of the research and development to beneficiaries and the general media, Non Technical Summary: Pro-Forma.
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgment of any financial support or other work that enhanced the findings of the project. This must include any partnership arrangements with other institutions.
Background
Provide an introduction based on the background provided in the original application updated to reflect the final project, and any other relevant introductory material.
Need
Summarise the need as described in the original application incorporating any approved modifications.
Objectives
State the objectives as they appeared in the original application, or as otherwise approved. Highlight any changes to the original objectives.
Methods
Describe the methods used in the research. Include any discoveries in methods that may benefit other related or unrelated research.
Results/Discussion
Detail results for each logical component of the project with an accompanying discussion section. If appropriate, in conclusion, incorporate an overall final discussion section for the project. It is important to include raw data where ever possible. This can be included as an appendix.
Benefits
Identify the sector(s) of the industry and/or community that will benefit directly from the research. Quantify the difference in terms of prices (eg quality, market penetration, user satisfaction), costs (eg productivity), non market benefits and/or catch that the adoption of the research results will make. State how benefits and beneficiaries compare with those identified in the original application.
Further Development
Recommend any appropriate activities or other steps that may be taken to further develop, disseminate, or to exploit commercially the results of the research.
Planned outcomes
Describe how the project's outputs have contributed to the planned outcomes.
Conclusion
Summarise the outcomes of the project, detailing the objectives, whether they were met and any outcomes. The conclusion should not be longer than two pages.
References
Provide a list of all references cited in the report.
Appendix 1:
Intellectual Property Identify the intellectual property and/or valuable information arising from the research.
Appendix 2:
Staff List all staff that have been engaged on the project.
Appendix 3:
Any other relevant material including eg raw data.

Stage 2

The FRDC will review the Draft Final Report and provide written advice on any concerns about the technical content, and report format. The author will incorporate those recommendations, or discuss and resolve any discrepancies in the final draft Report with the FRDC. The FRDC may request a subsequent draft final report.

Stage 3

The author will arrange an ISSN or ISBN library code for the final report, and it will be included in the publication. The Final Report will be submitted within 1 month of the FRDC's approval of the draft final report. The FRDC Statement of Receipts and Expenditure must also be submitted at this time (if not previously), but must not be included in the Final Report.

The Final Report will be available for sale through the FRDC, unless intellectual property protection prevents its sale and distribution. Similarly, where the Final Report contains valuable information, the Final Report will not be published or otherwise made available to the public without the consent of both parties, such consent will not be unreasonably withheld. The parties may agree to produce an edition of the Final Report in a form suitable for general distribution.

Distribution of Final Reports

The Research Provider will provide 5 bound copies of the Final Report to the FRDC, plus one double sided unbound copy. The final report and the non technical summary must also be provided as separate files on CD.

The Research Provider must (subject to any agreement to protect intellectual property) also distribute a copy of the Final Report to:

1. each of the Fisheries Research Advisory Bodies and other industry organisations acting for the beneficiaries identified in B7 Flow of Benefits of the original FRDC research and development Funding Application which forms part of the Project Agreement.
2. the authorities responsible for managing those fisheries identified in B7 Flow of Benefits.
3. The Librarian, CSIRO Division of Marine Research GPO Box 1538 Hobart Tasmania 7001, the National Library - Legal Deposit Unit, Canberra ACT 2600, and any other relevant parties such as state libraries and research institutions that the researcher deems to be appropriate.

The distribution list to accompany Final Reports sent to the FRDC, must include all relevant contact details, including postal address for those parties indicated in (a) and (b) above who have been sent a final report.

By agreement additional copies may be made available, either free or by sale, by either party, at their own cost.

Final Report Review

On completion of the research and development component of the project by the Research Provider, the FRDC will review the project to ensure that all reporting requirements have been satisfied, funds provided for the research are acquitted, and final payment made. The FRDC will assess the final report for the project including its consistency with the Agreement, technical content as well as format.

Penalty Schedule

Unless otherwise agreed by the FRDC, a (draft) final report will be considered overdue if:

• The draft final report has not been received within 3 months of the completion of the research, or
• The final report has not been received within 31 days of the FRDC's approval of the draft final report.

Penalties for overdue final reports include the following:

• No further payments will be made on the project;
• No agreement for any recently approved project you may have with the FRDC will be signed nor any payment made until the final reporting commitments for the above project have been met;
• No new project applications involving {insert PI name} will be evaluated;
• No Project Agreements for any recently approved projects from your research organisation will be signed by the FRDC nor any payments made; and
• No new project applications from your organisation will be evaluated.

What happens to your final report?

The FRDC advertises final reports availability and undertakes various activities to communicate research results to project beneficiaries.

Research Providers are able to publicise the results of their research in any way, for example, articles in academic or industry journals.

If the project involves the creation of a publication or product, the research provider must also implement the extension/communication plan committed to in the project agreement.