Research Project Communication Plans

The EPA have published guidelines for research project communication plans.  Communication is a vehicle for demonstrating the value of a research project and soliciting feedback from stakeholders to improve the quality of a research project.

  • Research Project Communication PlansFormal communication plans allow a project team to foster an understanding of the research project and its benefits to all stakeholders at every stage of the project.
  • An effective communication plan can avail of opportunities throughout the project where information could be exchanged, events could be organised, and stakeholders could be engaged in the project to strengthen its impact.

Communication Objectives Define the need or motivation to communicate each task/deliverable to stakeholders. These should be SMART objectives – i.e. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time driven.

One of the main goals of the EPA Research Strategy 2014 – 2020 is to increase communications and awareness of the work funded by the Research Programme.

  • The EPA has included the need to prepare a Communications plan as part of new projects and fellowships funded from the 2015 research call onwards and should be submitted alongside the first technical progress report at the end of July.

Source: EPA