CII Research Teams: What They Are and How to Get Involved

What Is a CII Research Team?

A CII Research Team (RT) is how CII's member-driven research actually gets done. Each RT pairs a group of industry volunteers — typically 15 to 20 people — with an academic research team to investigate a specific, member-identified challenge in capital project delivery. Projects usually run one to two years and are led by two industry volunteers who serve as Chair and Vice-Chair, working alongside a principal investigator who brings academic rigor and methodology to the effort.

Every CII member company can put someone forward. Once on a team, industry members contribute by attending team meetings (2–3 in-person meetings a year plus roughly biweekly online calls), supporting data collection, weighing in on results and direction, and helping shape the final tools, practices, and publications that come out of the project.

Why People Join

Members who've served on Research Teams point to a few consistent reasons it's worth the time:

• Direct influence — you help shape the best practices and tools the rest of the industry will eventually use, instead of just adopting what already exists.

• Professional development — serving on an RT, and especially leading one as Chair or Vice-Chair, is a recognized growth opportunity, particularly for developing future leaders within a member organization.

• A working network — RTs put you in regular contact with peers across owner and contractor organizations, plus academic researchers, all working the same problem.

• Early visibility — team members see emerging practices well before they reach the broader industry.

This holds up in the data, not just the pitch: in CII's most recent Research Team member satisfaction survey (Spring 2026, 43 respondents across six active teams), 91% said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their team's research direction, and 81% found team meetings well organized and engaging.

Current Status

As of September 2026: CII is not currently forming any new Research Teams, and there is no open call for nominations at this time.

What's Next: The 2027 Request for Nominations

CII's next Request for Nominations (RFN) — the call inviting industry volunteers to join newly approved Research Teams — is expected to open around February 2027.

To receive notification about new research teams, make sure you have an active CII account.

Ongoing Research Teams

Even outside an open RFN cycle, CII's existing Research Teams are active, and in some cases can still bring on new members mid-cycle with Board of Advisors approval from the member's company. See the current list and status of each team here:

If you are interested in a specific ongoing team, reach out to CII Research staff to ask about availability.