Services designated as COI undertake both a research role and a dissemination role in partnership with a research associate. For each designated COI, the Ministry of Education enters into 2 contracts - one with the ECE service for action research services related to their innovative learning and teaching and one with the provider of research support and mentoring services.
Designated COI services are contacted by the ministry to:
- Research and further develop their existing innovative practice; and
- Disseminate information about their innovation and the outcomes of their research.
Research associates are contracted by the ministry to provide research support services to their teacher-researcher partners.