15 OKR examples for Research And Development
What are Research And Development OKRs?
The Objective and Key Results (OKR) framework is a simple goal-setting methodology that was introduced at Intel by Andy Grove in the 70s. It became popular after John Doerr introduced it to Google in the 90s, and it's now used by teams of all sizes to set and track ambitious goals at scale.
Formulating strong OKRs can be a complex endeavor, particularly for first-timers. Prioritizing outcomes over projects is crucial when developing your plans.
We've tailored a list of OKRs examples for Research And Development to help you. You can look at any of the templates below to get some inspiration for your own goals.
If you want to learn more about the framework, you can read our OKR guide online.
How to edit and track OKRs with Tability
You'll probably want to edit the examples in this post, and Tability is the perfect tool for it.
Tability is an AI-powered platform that helps teams set better goals, monitor execution, and get help to achieve their objectives faster.
With Tability you can:
- Use AI to draft a complete set of OKRs in seconds
- Connect your OKRs and team goals to your project
- Automate reporting with integrations and built-in dashboard
Instead of having to copy the content of the OKR examples in a doc or spreadsheet, you can use Tability’s magic importer to start using any of the examples in this page.
The import process can be done in seconds, allowing you to edit OKRs directly in a platform that knows how to manage and track goals.
Step 1. Sign up for a free Tability account
Go tohttps://tability.app/signup and create your account (it's free!)
Step 2. Create a plan
Follow the steps after your onboarding to create your first plan, you should get to a page that looks like the picture below.
Step 3. Use the magic importer
Click on Use magic import to open up the Magic Import modal.
Now, go back to the OKR examples, and click on Copy on the example that you’d like to use.
Paste the content in the text import section. Don’t worry about the formatting, Tability’s AI will be able to parse it!
Now, just click on Import from text and let the magic happen.
Once your example is in the plan editor, you will be able to:
- Edit the objectives, key results, and tasks
- Click on the target 0 → 100% to set better target
- Use the tips and the AI to refine your goals
Step 4. Publish your plan
Once you’re done editing, you can publish your plan to switch to the goal-tracking mode.
From there you will have access to all the features that will help you and your team save hours with OKR reporting.
- 10+ built-in dashboards to visualise progress on your goals
- Weekly reminders, data connectors, and smart notifications
- 9 views to map OKRs to strategic projects
- Strategy map to align teams at scale
Building your own Research And Development OKRs with AI
While we have some examples available, it's likely that you'll have specific scenarios that aren't covered here. You can use our free AI generator below or our more complete goal-setting system to generate your own OKRs.
Our Research And Development OKRs examples
You'll find below a list of Objectives and Key Results templates for Research And Development. We also included strategic projects for each template to make it easier to understand the difference between key results and projects.
Hope you'll find this helpful!
1. OKRs to accelerate and enhance pharmaceutical R&D processes
ObjectiveAccelerate and enhance pharmaceutical R&D processes
KRStreamline R&D decision-making process by reducing unnecessary stages by 25%
Implement the new streamlined process- Develop a simplified decision-making workflow
- Identify redundant stages in the current R&D process
- KRIncrease the number of successful drug trials by 20%
- Enhance the selection process for trial participants
- Invest in more advanced research equipment and techniques
- Provide additional training for research staff
- KRReduce research inefficiencies by implementing 2 new automation technologies
- Identify 2 promising automation technologies for research processes
- Train research staff on utilizing the new technologies efficiently
- Install and integrate the selected automation technologies
2. OKRs to develop innovative pharmaceutical products
- ObjectiveDevelop innovative pharmaceutical products
- KRDevelop and test 2 prototypes with satisfactory patient outcomes
- Conduct patient outcome tests on prototypes
- Identify key components for prototype based on patient needs
- Build and refine two prototype designs
- KRConduct research to identify 3 potential active pharmaceutical ingredients
- Identify key drugs suitable for pharmaceutical component research
- Conduct thorough research on potential active ingredients
- Document findings for each potential ingredient
- KRSecure regulatory approval for 1 new pharmaceutical product
- Respond promptly to regulatory feedback and additional information requests
- Conduct rigorous clinical trials for safety and efficacy
- Develop and submit detailed dossier to regulatory authority
3. OKRs to enhance service delivery through innovation and benchmarking
- ObjectiveEnhance service delivery through innovation and benchmarking
- KRCreate and implement 2 innovative solutions to transform existing services
- Develop prototypes of the 2 selected solutions
- Implement and test these innovative solutions in live services
- Brainstorm new, innovative ways to enhance current services
- KRBenchmark against 5 industry leaders to identify and implement best practices
- Analyze their best practices and methodologies
- Identify top 5 industry leaders for benchmark comparison
- Incorporate identified best practices into our operations
- KRIncrease service delivery efficiency by 30% using new technological advancements
- Investigate latest technology advancements in service delivery
- Monitor and evaluate tech system effectiveness regularly
- Implement new tech systems to streamline service processes
4. OKRs to enhance understanding and application of copyright laws
- ObjectiveEnhance understanding and application of copyright laws
- KRComplete a certified online course on copyright laws by securing at least 85%
- Review thoroughly to achieve a minimum score of 85%
- Register for a certified online course on copyright laws
- Dedicate regular study hours to comprehend course material effectively
- KRAttend 3 copyright-related webinars or workshops to deepen contextual understanding
- Attend and participate in all chosen activities
- Register for selected webinars or workshops
- Research and identify 3 copyright-related webinars or workshops
- KRApply learned theories by reviewing and updating 5 copyright agreements per week
- Review weekly assigned copyright agreements
- Submit revised agreements for approval
- Apply learned theories to update agreements
5. OKRs to drive business expansion through innovative strategies
- ObjectiveDrive business expansion through innovative strategies
- KRSecure two strategic partnerships for innovation collaboration
- Reach out initiating discussions for collaboration
- Negotiate and finalize partnership agreements
- Identify potential partners aligned with our innovation goals
- KRIncrease innovation portfolio returns by at least 20%
- Expand business partnerships for diverse insights
- Invest in research and employee training programs
- Implement new technologies to optimize processes
- KRDevelop and initiate 3 new high-impact innovative projects
- Formulate project plans detailing the execution strategy
- Initiate the projects by gathering necessary resources
- Identify potential areas for high-impact innovative projects
6. OKRs to improve business acumen through literature
- ObjectiveImprove business acumen through literature
- KRWrite a succinct summary after each read to cement learning
- Immediately after reading, jot down key points from the material
- Create a concise summary using the jotted points
- Review your summary to ensure it's accurate
- KRConsume 20 industry-specific articles weekly
- Locate and bookmark 20 industry-related articles each week
- Summarize key insights gleaned from each article
- Devote daily time to read four articles
- KRRead at least 3 business-related books completely
- Select three business-related books to read
- Finish reading all three books
- Schedule regular time slots to focus on reading
7. OKRs to improve understanding of OKRs
- ObjectiveImprove understanding of OKRs
- KRRead at least two books or articles about OKRs to deepen understanding
- Research top books on OKRs and make a list of two to read
- Set aside dedicated time every week to read and focus on OKR materials
- Discuss key takeaways with colleagues or mentors to enhance comprehension
- Take notes while reading to summarize main concepts and ideas
- KRAttend a training session on OKRs to gain foundational knowledge
- Attend and actively participate in the OKR training session
- Prepare a notebook or document to take notes during the training session
- Research online for a reputable training session on OKRs
- Register for the chosen training session on OKRs
- KRCreate and successfully implement a personal OKR to apply knowledge gained
- KRDiscuss OKRs with at least three colleagues to gather different perspectives
- Engage actively in conversations with colleagues to understand their perspectives
- Take notes during discussions to capture different insights on OKRs
- Schedule a meeting with colleagues to discuss OKRs
- Prepare a list of questions to prompt discussion on OKRs
8. OKRs to broaden understanding of agent's role in business operations
- ObjectiveBroaden understanding of agent's role in business operations
- KRAttend two professional seminars or webinars focused on the agent's role in the business
- Register for two chosen professional seminars or webinars
- Attend and actively participate in these webinars
- Research upcoming webinars focused on the agent's role in business
- KRConduct informational interviews with five business agents to gain first-hand information
- Schedule and conduct interviews with selected agents
- Identify five business agents relevant to the project
- Draft insightful questions to ask during interviews
- KRComplete three agent case studies with cross-industry analysis by quarter-end
- Identify three agent cases from diverse industries for study
- Compile findings and complete final report by quarter-end
- Perform a detailed cross-industry analysis on chosen case studies
9. OKRs to evaluate ozonation's effect on biofiltration process
- ObjectiveEvaluate ozonation's effect on biofiltration process
- KREstablish a link between ozonation levels and biofiltration effectiveness in 75% of tests
- Develop a standardized testing method
- Conduct and analyze tests on biofiltration effectiveness
- Study previous research on ozonation and biofiltration
- KRConduct 10 experiments to identify specific ozonation impacts on biofilter microbiomes
- Define parameters for specific ozonation impacts
- Analyze and record the results after ozonation
- Set up 10 different biofilter microbiome experiments
- KRPublish a comprehensive report analyzing and proposing enhancements to the ozonation-biofiltration setup
- Conduct research on existing ozonation-biofiltration technologies
- Analyze and draft improvements for current setup
- Compile and publish comprehensive final report
10. OKRs to enhance product-market fit by conducting customer research and implementing user feedback
- ObjectiveImprove product-market fit by leveraging customer research and user feedback
- KRMeasure the impact of the improvements on product-market fit by tracking user metrics
- KRConduct in-depth interviews with 50 potential and existing customers
- KRImplement the top 3 product improvements within 3 weeks
- KRAnalyze user feedback and identify the top 3 product improvements
11. OKRs to enhance service efficiency and transformation via innovation and benchmarking
- ObjectiveEnhance service efficiency and transformation via innovation and benchmarking
- KRBenchmark our services against 3 industry-leading competitors to identify improvement opportunities
- Identify 3 industry-leading competitors relevant to our services
- Analyze and benchmark our services against these competitors
- Identify and document possible improvement opportunities
- KRIncrease service process efficiency by 25% through the use of lean techniques
- Monitor, review and adjust new processes regularly
- Analyze and eliminate inefficiencies in current processes
- Implement lean techniques training for service process teams
- KRImplement 2 new innovative solutions that transform our services and add value
- Research and identify two innovative solutions for services
- Evaluate and measure added value post-implementation
- Develop implementation plans for chosen innovations
12. OKRs to elevate understanding in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)
- ObjectiveElevate understanding in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)
- KRComplete an advanced M&E online certification course with a final score of 85+%
- Dedicate time daily for course content and study
- Enroll in an advanced M&E online certification course
- Score 85%+ on all assessments and the final exam
- KROrganize and lead a knowledge-sharing session in M&E for colleagues
- Identify relevant M&E topics to cover in the session
- Schedule a meeting date, time, and location
- Prepare and distribute informative materials for the session
- KRConduct two insightful case studies related to M&E methods by end of quarter
- Conduct research and data collection for both case studies
- Analyze data and write up both case studies
- Identify relevant research topics for M&E methods case studies
13. OKRs to foster and demonstrate out-of-box thinking
- ObjectiveFoster and demonstrate out-of-box thinking
- KRConduct 2 workshops on creativity and unconventional problem-solving strategies
- Advertise workshops to relevant audience groups
- Identify suitable topics for creativity and problem-solving workshops
- Arrange logistics such as location, materials, and guest speakers
- KRDevelop 3 unique, innovative solutions to existing business challenges
- Identify key challenges limiting business growth
- Evaluate feasibility and uniqueness of solutions
- Brainstorm innovative solutions for each challenge
- KRSuccessfully apply an unorthodox approach to improve an underperforming process by 20%
- Research unorthodox approaches to improvement
- Implement a new strategy, measure its impacts
- Identify weaknesses in the current process
14. OKRs to become an expert in large language models
- ObjectiveBecome an expert in large language models
- KRDemonstrate proficiency in implementing and fine-tuning large language models through practical projects
- Continuously update and optimize large language models based on feedback and results obtained
- Complete practical projects that showcase your proficiency in working with large language models
- Create a large language model implementation plan and execute it efficiently
- Identify areas of improvement in large language models and implement necessary fine-tuning
- KRComplete online courses on large language models with a score of 90% or above
- KREngage in weekly discussions or collaborations with experts in the field of large language models
- Schedule a weekly video conference with language model experts
- Document key insights and lessons learned from each discussion or collaboration
- Share the findings and new knowledge with the team after each engagement
- Prepare a list of discussion topics to cover during the collaborations
- KRPublish two blog posts sharing insights and lessons learned about large language models
15. OKRs to enhance strategic decision-making skills
- ObjectiveEnhance strategic decision-making skills
- KRGather and analyze feedback on decision efficiency from 5 colleagues
- Collect and analyze the returned surveys
- Identify five colleagues to provide feedback
- Develop and distribute an efficiency feedback survey
- KRImplement learned strategies in 3 real-life scenarios successfully
- Utilize learned strategy in first identified scenario
- Identify 3 real-life scenarios where strategies can be applied
- Document the success of each strategy implementation
- KRComplete a decision-making course with at least 85% score
- Consistently attend classes and complete all assignments
- Register for a reputable decision-making course
- Study regularly to achieve at least 85% score
Research And Development OKR best practices
Generally speaking, your objectives should be ambitious yet achievable, and your key results should be measurable and time-bound (using the SMART framework can be helpful). It is also recommended to list strategic initiatives under your key results, as it'll help you avoid the common mistake of listing projects in your KRs.
Here are a couple of best practices extracted from our OKR implementation guide 👇
Tip #1: Limit the number of key results
The #1 role of OKRs is to help you and your team focus on what really matters. Business-as-usual activities will still be happening, but you do not need to track your entire roadmap in the OKRs.
We recommend having 3-4 objectives, and 3-4 key results per objective. A platform like Tability can run audits on your data to help you identify the plans that have too many goals.
Tip #2: Commit to weekly OKR check-ins
Don't fall into the set-and-forget trap. It is important to adopt a weekly check-in process to get the full value of your OKRs and make your strategy agile – otherwise this is nothing more than a reporting exercise.
Being able to see trends for your key results will also keep yourself honest.
Tip #3: No more than 2 yellow statuses in a row
Yes, this is another tip for goal-tracking instead of goal-setting (but you'll get plenty of OKR examples above). But, once you have your goals defined, it will be your ability to keep the right sense of urgency that will make the difference.
As a rule of thumb, it's best to avoid having more than 2 yellow/at risk statuses in a row.
Make a call on the 3rd update. You should be either back on track, or off track. This sounds harsh but it's the best way to signal risks early enough to fix things.
How to track your Research And Development OKRs
Quarterly OKRs should have weekly updates to get all the benefits from the framework. Reviewing progress periodically has several advantages:
- It brings the goals back to the top of the mind
- It will highlight poorly set OKRs
- It will surface execution risks
- It improves transparency and accountability
We recommend using a spreadsheet for your first OKRs cycle. You'll need to get familiar with the scoring and tracking first. Then, you can scale your OKRs process by using a proper OKR-tracking tool for it.
Tability's Strategy Map makes it easy to see all your org's OKRsIf you're not yet set on a tool, you can check out the 5 best OKR tracking templates guide to find the best way to monitor progress during the quarter.
More Research And Development OKR templates
We have more templates to help you draft your team goals and OKRs.
- OKRs to achieve desired goal through strategic methods and monitoring
- OKRs to improve Security Operation Centre Incident Response
- OKRs to implement diverse payment methods for customers
- OKRs to boost brand awareness through strategic social media marketing
- OKRs to enable smooth first country's rollout through comprehensive hypercare
- OKRs to enhance spendability for improved customer satisfaction