R&D Expert Sourcing Checklist
Use this checklist to scope expert needs before an R&D project stalls. It helps innovation, procurement, and technical teams align on the question, expert profile, decision timeline, and collaboration workflow.
What the checklist covers
- How to define the technical question before outreach begins.
- Which academic or industry credentials matter for the project.
- How to identify signals of expert fit and avoid broad-match consultants.
- What to clarify around IP, contracting, payment, and project workflow.
- When to use advisory calls, literature review, technical reports, or collaborative research.
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R&D expert sourcing checklist
- Write the decision the expert will help your team make.
- Define the domain, subdomain, and evidence needed.
- List required credentials, publication areas, industry exposure, or instrumentation experience.
- Clarify confidentiality, IP, and collaboration constraints before outreach.
- Decide whether the engagement should be a call, report, review, workshop, or longer research collaboration.
- Set success criteria so the output can influence the next R&D milestone.