The Advisory Committee to the Vice President for Research (AC/VPR)

Norman/Tulsa Campuses

Summary of the

General AC/VPR

Meeting

November 23, 2009 from 3-5 pm

University of Oklahoma, Norman Campus

Present: Kelvin Droegemeier, Morris Foster, May Yuan, Jeff Stout, Fred Beard, Heather Basara, Bob Houser, Andrea Deaton, Bob Palmer, Amy Cerato, Emily Meazell, John Antonio, Dave Stensrud, Marlys Lipe, Musharraf Zaman, Chan Hellman, Mary Margaret Holt, Shawn Snidow

Document Distributed: External Research Review Final Report (hard copy)

Awards for Service:Dr. Droegemeier began the meeting by presenting Dr. Jizhong Zhou with an award for service to the VPR Advisory Committee. Awards for service will be delivered to Drs. Doug Elmore, Jody Worley, and Mary John O’Hair. Each former member of the Advisory Committee provided valuable service and advice to the Vice President for Research.

New Members and Rotation Schedule: After the last meeting of the AC/VPR, a formal membership rotation schedule was developed and implemented (see previous email for more details). The AC welcomed Drs. Heather Basara (non-faculty Ph.D. researcher, CASR), Jeff Stout (Faculty Senate, Health and Exercise Science), and Dave Stensrud (Federal Government, NOAA), who each introduced his or herself.

Proposal Development Center: Dr. Droegemeier provided an update on the progress of the Proposal Development Center (see past meeting documentsfor a description of the center).

  • A nation-wide position announcement garnered 20 applicants for the directorship of the center and 177 applications for the staff assistant. Drs. Droegemeier, Foster, Risser, Cerato (CEES), Eodice (Writing Center) and Ms. Deaton are in the process of reviewing the applications.
  • The Proposal Development Center will initially focus on developing and increasing the success of proposals for large multi-investigator projects and in areas identified for strategic investment.

Faculty Survey: The OU - Scholarly Environment Survey has been approved by the IRB and will be distributed to faculty at the beginning of the Spring semester. Ms. Snidow will distribute the survey to the AC in the following weeks and asked that members test the functionality of the web platform, particularly the save and logoff feature, in addition to providing feedback about the length of time it took to complete, when fatigue became a factor, and other major issues.

External Review Team Report: The External Research Review Final Report was distributed and reviewed.

  • The handout distributed during this meeting is a reorganized summary of the report that was given the President Boren. The Research Cabinet office restructured the report based on major aspects of the recommendations made by the External Review Team.
  • Drs. Droegemeier and Risser will brief the Norman Campus Deans on this report December 2. It has not yet been widely distributed to the OU community so that the Research Cabinet will have sufficient time to develop possible actions.
  • President Boren has shown particular interest in the notion of cluster hires in areas of strategic importance. Dr. Droegemeier noted that the term “cluster” can have a variety of meanings, ranging from a group of new faculty in the same discipline to those in multiple disciplines centered around a specific theme.
  • Dr. Palmer noted that the key to making cluster hires successful is to actually hire the entire cluster at the same time and to locate them in close physical proximity.
  • Third Degree Marketing Group has prepared a marketing campaign to showcase OU Research, which is ready to be launched once the budget and timing allow for it.

First Days as VPR: Dr. Droegemeier provided information about his activities since assuming the Vice Presidency.

  • He has made a point approach the position of Vice President for Research with a fresh perspective as if he were new to OU. To do this, he has and intends to continue to meet with other Vice Presidents and the Deans and tour facilities. The purpose of these meetings is to get to know the people he will be working with, to allow them to get to know him, and to listen and learn.
  • The VPR Office is currently understaffed relative to the amount of work that needs to be done to support faculty scholarship. Dr. Droegemeier intends to hire staff for new positions and to move the current staff forward in their careers.
  • The VPR Office continues to work on various projects such as the Proposal Development Center, the engagement with Patton Boggs on stimulus funding, developing the Research Campus, strengthening relations with private industry, and assessing campus-wide research space and facilities.

VPR Budget: Dr. Droegemeier overviewed the budget of the VPR Office.

  • The VPR Office currently has a deficit that was a planned debt and that will, in order to pay down, require fiscally conservative policies regarding cost-sharing and limited IDC recovery.
  • Grant activity for the Norman campus is strong despite the decrease in The College of Continuing Education’s numbers related to the loss of the FAA contract.
  • Being only four months into the new fiscal year, the following numbers are compared to last year:
  • The awards budgets have increased 60%, with over $10 million coming from ARRA (roughly 35 awards from 110 proposals).
  • Expenditures have increased by approximately $3 million.
  • F&A recovery has increased by $700,000.
  • It is possible that the office is looking at $1.5 million in additional IDC.
  • Dr. Cerato noted that IDC should be used to maintain facilities and existing spaces, to relieve colleges and departments of that burden would improve the work climate.
  • Dr. Droegemeier is in the process of developing a plan, for consideration by the AC, for returning IDC to colleges, departments, and PIs that will better engage these groups in sponsored research.

University Budget: The University of Oklahoma is facing tight budget.

  • State level speculation is that the economic crisis may already be in recovery.
  • OU received about $10 million in stimulus funds in FY09 and will receive around $7 million for FY2011, but must plan for a fiscally tighter FY2012.
  • Tuition increases and other measures are expected to manage the State budget shortages.

Aspire 2020: Aspire 2020 is the name of the strategic plan that will be developed by faculty and University leadership starting next spring.

  • This will be a decadal plan that builds on the strategic planning framework created this past year.
  • Dr. Droegemeier explained that the VPR Office and Research Cabinet have a clear idea about what needs to happen in the next few years, but wants to incorporate OU community input regarding the implementation of programs and opportunities for growth.
  • Implementation of the plan will consider budget realities and be prioritized as such.
  • The plan focuses on three major requirements (pillars) for success:
  • High Expectations: for bold and innovative ideas, highest quality output for proposals and execution in all endeavors, and administrative support for such endeavors.
  • Broad Incentives and Rewards: for stimulating research, recognizing achievement, and rewarding differential productivity.
  • Full Participation: of all disciplines in planning and executing Aspire 2020, including effective leadership and accountability and substantive State, Federal, and private sector engagement.
  • A major goal is to create culture change on campus regarding research. Faculty will be expected to become more engaged in the research mission of the university.
  • While the VPR Office will facilitate the development of the plan, the AC will continue to be a valuable resource and discussion forum for the plan’s content and implementation.

Ad Hoc Committees:Ad hoc committees will focus on making policy recommendations to the VPR regarding a specific topic. Each ad hoc committee will have relatively short duration and a membership of AC members (and possibly other members of the university community) with strong interest or expertise related to the topic. A one-page terms of reference document will be created at the commencement of each committee that will specify goals, questions, and outcomes expected to be addressed by the committee.

The following are three new topics for ad hoc committees.

  • Internal Funding Opportunities: This ad hoc committee will review the OVPR funding portfolio and Research Council awards and develop recommendations for improving the capabilities of these resources.
  • Membership of this committee consists of the three members of the AC who have served as Research Council Chair: Drs. Beard, Houser, and Rodgers.
  • Ms. Snidow has gathered and distributed information about the internal funding resources of other Big 12 schools for consideration.
  • The timing of this committee and potential for creative change are propitious and useful for strategic planning.
  • SRI Distribution for Centers and USOs: This ad hoc committee will review the distribution of SRI related to the faculty appointments of USOs and Centers.
  • The situation: Most faculty do not have formal appointments with their Centers and USOs, which means that SRI for Center or USO projects is directed to the academic department of the PI. Currently, each department is able to determine the allocation of SRI funds as it sees fit, which creates many different practices related to the distribution of SRI. Specifically, this policy can severely handicap Centers and USOs who have PIs in departments that keep all SRI in a central pool and do not redistribute it to the Center or USO.
  • The committee for USO directors is considering this topic, but Dr. Droegemeier would like a separate evaluation conducted by the AC.
  • Ensuring that SRI is returned to the Centers is important to helping them grow.
  • Dr. Droegemeier mentioned a possible idea of creating Sponsored Research Support (SRS), which might set what is currently called SRI at its current levels to support M&O and return additional IDC above and beyond SRS as SRIwith set proportional distribution of that money to PIs and other entities as a true incentive for sponsored research.
  • Drs. Palmer, Antonio, and Basara expressed interest in participating in this committee.
  • Incentives and Rewards: This ad hoc committee will address the topic of providing rewards and incentives for differential productivity, a topic the AC has recommended the Office address.
  • The findings of this ad hoc committee will address one of the three aspects of Aspire 2020.
  • Dr. Foster has developed some excellent ideas related to the ways, in which a reward policy may be implemented.
  • To some extent, this committee will work with the USO & Centers SRI Distribution committee regarding the role of SRI as incentive.
  • It will be important that the committee consider faculty in Tulsa, too.
  • Drs. Stout, Cerato, Meazell, Hellman, Baron and Stensrud expressed interest in participating in this committee.

Action Items:

  • Ms. Snidow will develop terms of reference for each ad hoc committee and distribute them to AC members who expressed interest in serving on each respective committee.
  • Ms. Snidow will poll AC members for Spring semester meeting dates.
  • Ms. Snidow will send AC members the link and solicitation for the faculty survey (OU-SES) for testing its functionality.
  • Any AC members who have not yet expressed interest in serving on an ad hoc committee and are interested in doing so should contact Ms. Snidow.

Next Meeting: TBA