Research and Development (R&D)
R&D is creative and systematic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge – including knowledge of humankind, culture, and society – and to devise new applications of available knowledge. R&D covers three activities defined below – basic research, applied research, and experimental development.
Research and Development (R&D) Activity Types:
| BASIC RESEARCH |
APPLIED RESEARCH |
EXPERIMENTAL DEVELOPMENT |
|
| Definitions: |
Research undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge without any particular application or use in mind. | Research conducted to gain the knowledge or understanding to meet a specific, recognized need. | The systematic use of the knowledge or understanding gained from research directed toward the production of useful materials, devices, systems, or methods, including the design and development of prototypes and processes. |
| Examples: | A researcher is studying the properties of human blood to determine what affects coagulation. | A researcher is conducting research on how a new chicken pox vaccine affects blood coagulation. | A researcher is conducting clinical trials to test a newly developed chicken pox vaccine for young children. |
| A researcher is studying the properties of molecules under various heat and cold conditions. | A researcher is investigating the properties of particular substances under various heat and cold conditions with the objective of finding longer-lasting components for highway pavement. | A researcher is working with state transportation officials to conduct tests of a newly developed highway pavement under various types of heat and cold conditions. | |
| A researcher is studying the heart chambers of various fish species. | A researcher is examining various levels of a toxic substance to determine the maximum safe level for fish in a stream. | A researcher has a contract with the U.S. government to design a new stream monitoring system that will incorporate the latest research findings on toxicity levels for fish. | |
| A researcher is studying the social dynamics between captives that are being illegally trafficked. | A researcher is looking into the effects of human trafficking in developing nations. | A researcher is using past research results to design an international online alert system for human trafficking. | |
| A researcher is studying the factors that go into deciding compensation for higher level management in companies. | A researcher is analyzing CEO compensation with stock performance of Fortune 500 companies to do determine if there is any relation. | A researcher is creating an educational program on human resource factors that influence stock performance for young companies. | |
| A researcher is studying how tax laws have developed over the years. | A researcher is studying how changes in tax law have affected people in different socioeconomic classes | A researcher is working with government officials to develop new measures on how tax laws will impact constituents. | |
| A researcher is identifying causes of abnormalities in posture. | A researcher is studying how different posture abnormalities can be treated with physical therapy. | A researcher is working with a hospital to diagnose and correct abnormalities in posture. | |
| A researcher is studying how the brain identifies and reacts to different musical patterns. | A researcher is studying the impact of musical instrument instruction on the neuropsychological development of toddlers. | A researcher is using music as a way to communicate and teach mentally deficient toddlers. | |
| A researcher is reviewing a court ruling and the decision behind it. | A researcher is studying how a court ruling affected a whole generation of people. | A researcher is developing a program to anticipate how different populations may be affected by future court rulings. | |
| A researcher is changing the curvature of the wood on a string instrument and how it impacts sound. | A researcher is redesigning a wooden instrument so that it can better project sound. | A researcher is developing an undergraduate class to teach string wood instrument design and sound optimization techniques. | |
| A researcher is studying how archeological files have been historically maintained throughout time. | A researcher is preserving newly found archeological files based on best practices as identified in previous research. | A researchers is developing a digital repository that will house and maintain archeological files from around the world. |
Chart source: ASU Research Administration