ASHRAE Journal - October 2014 - 89

2013 - 2014

ASHRAE Research Report
BY MICHAEL VAUGHN, P.E., MEMBER ASHRAE, MANAGER OF RESEARCH/TECHNICAL SERVICES

Research Plan

ASHRAE research is guided in part by the ASHRAE Research
Strategic Plan. The purpose of the plan is to identify key
HVAC&R research needs and provide that information to
ASHRAE technical committees as guidance while they develop
research projects, and to the Research Administration
Committee as it approves and funds research proposals. The
Research Plan is not meant to take the initiative for research
development from the technical committees within ASHRAE.
Rather it is to use input from ASHRAE members to identify
strategic research needs that are appropriate for many committees to collaborate on, that may require larger budgets, and for
which additional outside funding may be available to supplement ASHRAE's budget. The most recent version of the plan
was developed over a three-year period with input provided
by chapter members, technical committee members, research
fund contributors, and representatives from HVAC&R industry
organizations. The plan provides eleven strategic goals that
address technical challenges that limit our ability to maximize
building performance, energy efficiency, and indoor environmental quality. Minor updates to the plan will be made as
required over the next five years so that it remains pertinent
in a rapidly changing HVAC&R research environment and the
next major update will begin in the summer of 2015.
Complementing the Society's Research Strategic Plan is the
Society's Research Implementation Plan, which documents all
technical committee research topics that support the research
strategic plan or are tactical in nature (updates and new
information for handbook and standards, etc) and have been
approved for further development into ASHRAE research projects. The implementation plan currently includes 40 projects
in various stages of development. The estimated dollar value of
these projects is $6.7 million. This, when coupled with the cost
of projects already under contract, exceeds ASHRAE's current
annual budget for research. ASHRAE hopes, however, to implement most of these projects in the near future.
Details about ASHRAE's research plans, active research projects, completed projects, currently available requests for proposals and guidelines for submission can be reviewed on the
"Research" page of the ASHRAE website (http://www.ashrae.
org/standards-research--technology/research).

Stewardship
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 utilizes an extensive unpaid volunteer network of
technical committee members to prepare work statements,
select projects, select contractors, and monitor research projects to ensure that maximum benefits accrue from ASHRAEsponsored research. Additionally, the Research Administration
Committee plans the research program, evaluates and approves
the projects and ensures that results are properly presented. In
summary, ASHRAE research gets a lot of bang for its bucks.
Expenditures for projects and grants-in-aid for FY 2013-2014
were almost $3 million. 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.

Research Projects
ASHRAE, under the leadership of the Research
Administration Committee, initiated 20 new research projects
and completed 16 projects during fiscal year 2013 - 2014 (ending
June 30, 2014). The average cost right now of an active ASHRAE
project is approximately $169,000. Eight technical papers and
three seminars based on ASHRAE research projects were presented at Society meetings during the past year and another
seven were published this past year in the ASHRAE publication,
International Journal of Heating, Ventilating, Air-Conditioning
and Refrigeration Research.
ASHRAE research projects result from work statements initiated by the Society's technical committees, or from unsolicited
proposals submitted by organizations interested in conducting
research for ASHRAE. Any research that advances the arts and
sciences of heating, ventilation, refrigeration, air conditioning
or the allied arts and sciences, and related human factors, is
eligible for funding; this is ASHRAE's mission.
Work statements originating from technical committees,
after approval by the Research Administration Committee,
are offered to prospective bidders for proposals. The bidders'
list includes universities and agencies that have a history of
cooperative research with ASHRAE or have indicated an interest in ASHRAE research. If you wish to add your name to the
bidders' list and receive automatic e-mail notification when
projects are released for bid, typically twice per year, please go
to http://www.ashrae.org/resources--publications/periodicals/
listserves-terms-of-use.
Unsolicited proposals are accepted from organizations
interested in conducting ASHRAE-related research from
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ASHRAE JOURNAL

ASHRAE Journal - October 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - October 2014