project-meeting-ops

Research Project Meeting Operations

What This Does

Run regular research project meetings, kickoffs, progress review meetings, and pre-evaluation meetings in a way that leaves decisions and next actions documented. This is not just minute-taking; it supports everything from clarifying the purpose before the meeting, scheduling, requesting materials, managing discussion points on the day, to following up on unresolved matters after the meeting.

• Target users: URA, research support staff, project managers, PIs, departmental administrative staff
• Problems to solve: Meetings end with only information sharing, and who will do what by when becomes unclear
• Expected effects: Reduce progress delays, missed confirmations, unsubmitted materials, and items left unattended until the next meeting

Required Inputs

• Purpose of the meeting: Kickoff, monthly progress, budget confirmation, evaluation preparation, contact with collaborating institutions, etc.
• Participants: Name, affiliation, role, distinction between required/optional attendance
• Candidate dates/times and constraints: Candidate dates, deadlines, time zones, unavailable times
• Matters to decide: Items that should be decided at the meeting
• Information to share: Progress, budget, outcomes, risks, requests
• Previous ToDos(Optional): Owner, deadline, completion status
• Meeting materials(Optional): Application forms, acceptance notices, budget tables, progress tables, evaluation materials, etc.

What It Produces

1. Scheduling message: A request message including candidate dates/times, response deadline, and required participants
2. Agenda: Fields for purpose, discussion points, time required, owner, and decisions
3. Minutes template/minutes: Separate decisions, unresolved matters, ToDos, and items to confirm next time
4. Follow-up message: A confirmation email sent to participants after the meeting
5. Absentee sharing memo: A summary that allows absentees to catch up at a minimum

Procedure

1. Confirm whether it is necessary to hold a meeting

First, write the purpose of the meeting in one sentence. If the purpose is only "information sharing," check whether email or a shared document would be sufficient.

今回の会議目的:
- 決めること:
- 相談すること:
- 共有だけでよいこと:

Typical cases where a meeting is necessary:

• A decision is needed regarding the research plan, budget, contract, ethics, safety, or intellectual property
• Agreement is needed across multiple departments or collaborating institutions
• Progress confirmation is needed by working backward from evaluation, reporting, or application deadlines
• There are risks or delays, and a response policy needs to be decided

2. Separate participants and roles

Organize participants by role, and separate required participants from those who only need information sharing.

Role	Typical examples	What is expected at the meeting
Decision-maker	PI, principal investigator, department head	Policy decisions, priority judgments
Practitioner	URA, administrative staff, PM, secretary	Procedures, deadlines, document preparation
Specialized departments	Accounting, contracts, intellectual property, ethics, safety, information infrastructure	Confirmation of systems and regulations
Partner institutions	Co-researchers, companies, contractors	Division of roles, deliverables, contract terms

3. Coordinate the schedule

When coordinating the schedule, do not simply ask about available times; set a response deadline calculated backward from the deadline.

件名: [日程調整] {プロジェクト名} {会議目的}

{会議目的} のため、下記候補で打合せを設定したく存じます。
恐れ入りますが、{回答期限} までに参加可否をご返信ください。

候補:
- {候補1}
- {候補2}
- {候補3}

主な論点:
- {論点1}
- {論点2}

事前に確認いただきたい資料:
- {資料名}

4. Create an agenda

Divide the agenda into "decide," "confirm," and "discuss," rather than "report."

Time	Topic	Type	Owner	Expected output
5 min	Review previous ToDos	Confirm	URA	Organize completed/incomplete items
15 min	Progress and delays	Discuss	PI/person in charge	Response policy
10 min	Budget execution	Decide	PI/accounting	Whether ordering is possible, whom to confirm with
10 min	Work until next time	Decide	Everyone	Owner and deadline

5. Create minutes

Minutes should not be a transcript of remarks, but a management table that allows action later.

# 議事録

- 会議名:
- 日時:
- 参加者:
- 欠席者:
- 作成日:

## 決定事項
| No | 決定事項 | 根拠/背景 | 影響範囲 |
|----|----------|-----------|----------|

## ToDo
| No | タスク | 担当 | 期限 | 確認先 | 状態 |
|----|--------|------|------|--------|------|

## 未決事項
| No | 未決事項 | 何が不足しているか | 確認先 | 期限 |
|----|----------|--------------------|--------|------|

## 次回会議
- 目的:
- 候補時期:
- 次回までに必要な資料:

6. Send post-meeting follow-up

Within 24 hours after the meeting as a guideline, send only the decisions and ToDos briefly.

件名: [共有] {会議名} 議事メモとToDo

本日の打合せの決定事項とToDoを共有します。
認識違いがあれば {確認期限} までにご連絡ください。

決定事項:
- {決定事項}

ToDo:
- {担当者}: {タスク}（期限: {期限}）

未決事項:
- {未決事項}: {確認先} に確認

Judgment criteria

Judgment item	Points to check	Action
Necessity of the meeting	Is there anything to decide on the spot?	If not, share by email
Participants	Are decision-makers, practitioners, and specialized departments all present?	Clearly state required participants
Records	Are decisions, ToDos, and unresolved items separated?	Separate them using a minutes template
Deadlines	Are they consistent with external and internal deadlines?	Put deadlines in ToDos

Common mistakes and countermeasures

Mistake	Countermeasure
The agenda becomes only "progress sharing"	Write down the items to decide and the items to discuss first
The minutes become a transcript of remarks, and no ToDos remain	Make a table of decisions, ToDos, and unresolved items
Absentees do not receive the context	Create a memo for absentees with only the conclusions and requests
Confirmation with specialized departments is postponed	Turn the confirmation contacts and deadlines into ToDos during the meeting
No one acts until the next meeting	Send a follow-up within 24 hours after the meeting

Quality Standards

• The meeting purpose, decisions to be made, and matters to be discussed are distinguished
• Decisions, ToDos, unresolved matters, confirmation contacts, and deadlines remain recorded
• Even absentees can understand the minimum necessary judgments and requested actions by reading it
• The RA is not making unilateral decisions on points requiring specialized departments
• The purpose and preparation items for the next meeting are clearly stated

Available Tools

• Read: Loading progress tables, previous minutes, budget tables, application forms, and acceptance notices
• Write: Creating scheduling messages, agendas, minutes, and follow-up messages
• WebSearch / WebFetch: Confirming the latest deadlines and meeting requirements for public calls, FAs, and institutions
• Bash: Formatting ToDo tables, participant tables, and deadline tables