DBIA Seeks Research Proposals
DBIA has entered a alliance with the Charles Pankow Foundation, which will soon bring integrated delivery know-how together with an organization that can move the research forward, enhancing publication opportunities and act as a conduit for new research regarding integrated delivery. DBIA is developing “research opportunity announcements” to solicit recommendations from industry and spark interest in research activities. Rebekah Gladson, 2007 DBIA chair and 2006 Brunelleschi Lifetime Achievement Award winner, is the liaison between the foundation and DBIA as part of an advisory council to consider future research proposals. To better introduce this evolving process and give readers a better idea about future opportunities for DBIA members, DATELINE spoke with Rik Kunnath, Charles Pankow Foundation president, last month. For periodic updates, please visit www.dbia.org.
DATELINE: What do you see as the overall mission for these alliance grants that you’re doing in conjunction with DBIA?
Rik Kunnath: Let me just change that ever so slightly to say that … the concept of alliances in general was a recognition on the part of the Charles Pankow Foundation, that while it had resources and it had organization and it had a mission, it was becoming clear that while all that was good, what we really needed was to have inputs. We needed to figure out what were the compelling needs of the industry in those various areas in which we participate.
So, without an organization like DBIA and its constituency and membership, how are we going to figure out what the compelling problems in the integrated delivery world are? And DBIA understood the problems. They knew research was needed. They were very close to the issues but didn’t have the organization or the resources in order to conduct the kinds of research that they would otherwise like to have. So, on one hand we have, if you would, “knowledge,” and [on] the other hand we have process and ability and resources. And the two needed to come together cooperatively so that both groups, frankly, could be successful.
D: If someone is interested in applying for a research grant, can you run down some key things that they need to have in mind when they think they have an idea to propose?
RK: I would answer [that] in a couple of ways. The first one would be that we’re not getting enough of that — and what do I mean by “that”? I believe we started assuming that with a little bit of advertising and a little outreach to various kinds of groups, that we would have a flow [of proposals]. It would kind of be like if you were a book publishing company, and if you believed it was going to be great simply to let the would-be authors find you. And then you just kind of read this stuff and pretty soon you’d have plenty of good things to publish, and life would be good and off you go. [But] it didn’t work that way because, number one, so much of what you otherwise would get would be way off the mark from what we’re interested in — a narrow area of interest.
So the first thing we did, we published on our Web site [www.pankowfoundation.org] the criteria for both our areas of specialization, the process for submission, how it works, and it would be a better answer than I could give you off the top of my head. Even then, we were not getting [enough]. The funnel has to be pretty darned big, because what comes out the other end after all the filtering and all the other considerations is pretty small, and we were not getting enough in the top of the funnel. That may be a roundabout way of saying why we developed the alliances. Because now there’s almost an obligation on the alliance partner to absolutely generate well-vetted research ideas that are most likely to come through the funnel. The idea that independent people are going to submit ideas? It happens occasionally, but it doesn’t happen with enough regularity or dependability in order to frankly give us enough stuff to do. We need to spend more money than that. Again I use the book publisher stuff, 90 percent of what you get you’re not going to get what you’re interested in.
D: What’s the first thing someone should do if he or she has an idea?
RK: I think the best thing to do would be first of all, read the Web site and understand the kinds of things Pankow is involved in. If they’re a DBIA member it’s much easier because now there’s [an advisory council] who have no purpose other than collecting and moving forward those really good ideas. So the first filter would be really at that level. And it’s probably again, for integrated delivery-related research. With that alliance in place, the likelihood that we would take one off independently suggested research goes down — it was always low, but now it’s really low. We’re looking for DBIA, and DBIA is looking to us to really work together as partners
Our foundation in particular, we’re not about spending money, we’re about producing results. Even if it’s a good idea, but isn’t likely to produce results that will change the industry in a positive direction, it’s not going to be something we’re interested in.
Enter DBIA’s Award Competition
It’s time to submit your successful design-build project(s) and nominate individuals who have demonstrated their dedication to integrated project delivery for the 2008 National Design-Build Awards competition.
Completed entries and entry fee payments must arrive at the DBIA national office in Washington, D.C., no later than May 30, 2008.
To be considered for a National Design-Build Award, projects must demonstrate successful application of design-build principles, including collaboration in the early stages of the project and the acceptance of single-entity risk. The project must be completed on time, on budget and without litigation. Winning projects are honored for their advanced and innovative application of total integrated project delivery and finding unique solutions for project challenges.
Project submissions may be awarded a National Design-Build, Design-Build Excellence or Design-Build Merit Award in one of 13 categories. To be eligible, projects must have been completed between March 31, 2005, and March 31, 2008. This year, all project entries are also automatically eligible for a “Best Overall” award competition.
Nominations for the Brunelleschi Lifetime Achievement Award should be for individuals who have an entire body of work that reveals their commitment to design-build, have used design-build in a new application and who have displayed vocal and written advocacy for design-build among other qualifications.
DBIA Distinguished Design-Build Leadership Award nominees should have demonstrated leadership in advancing design-build practices and design-build as the project delivery method of choice.
Judging for all awards will take place at DBIA in June 2008 by a jury of industry experts, including DBIA members, owners and design-builders.
Award presentations will occur during the 2008 Design-Build Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, November 3-5, 2008. Visit www.dbia.org/about/awards/ to enter.
Buckle Up for Transpower ‘08
If you want to save at least $100 on registration, don’t wait any longer to register for the 2008 Design-Build in Transportation conference: “Transpower ‘08.” From April 16-18, you will have the opportunity to meet with transportation planners, economic development professionals, state agency representatives, contractors and exhibitors from around the country for more than two days of learning new and noteworthy practices, networking with peers and hearing about emerging issues in design-build as it pertains to roads, ports airports, rails and more.
In addition, DBIA is still accepting nominations for the 2008 Transportation Owner of the Year awards. These will be given to those who have made significant contributions in advancing awareness, understanding and use of the design-build project delivery method.
Visit www.designbuildtransportation.com to register. March 14 is the last day to take advantage of discounted registration rates.
Exhibit space and sponsorship packages are still available. But time and space are limited. Contact Patrick Wilson at pwilson@dbia.org or 202-686-6614.
Each exhibit and sponsorship package contains one full conference registration and two exhibit badges. Packages start at only $2,200. In addition, conference and exhibit sessions do not overlap – so you can attend all events and still have outstanding networking opportunities and recognition for your company.