Expanding Research Horizons- A Comprehensive Plan

1. Expanding Research Horizons-A Comprehensive Plan Presented by the Campus Faculty Research Council To the Faculty Assembly October 10, 2003 Rodger Ziemer M. Karen Newell Zbigniew Celinski Tom Pyszczynski Dorothea Olkowski L. Ken Saunders Jenenne Nelson Sue Byerley Thomas Huber Robert Camley

2. The Significance of Research to the Campus • Research Goals for the Campus • Recent Funding Progress • The Research Strategic Plan • Strengthen the research culture • Leverage critical capabilities • Provide high-profile leadership • Provide sustainability • Discussion Outline

3. The Significance of Research to the Campus • Research is fundamental to any university. It involves the creation of knowledge. • Research and teaching are inexorably intertwined. • Having students directly involved in research enhances the student’s educational experience (e.g., it makes them better problem solvers) • All research contributions, whether funded or not, are valued.

4. Sponsored Research • Sponsored research • Enables discovery • Funds graduate and undergraduate education, • Funds laboratory expansion, • Provides faculty freedom, and • Helps cover many real costs of campus operations. • In the reality of today’s political and economic environment, • Significant growth in State funding cannot be anticipated. • CONCLUSIONS: • Research Is Critical to the Campus • External Funding is Critical to Growing Research on Campus • Caveat: The pursuit of sponsored programs will be consistent with the • educational role and mission of the campus – • The pursuit of funding merely for the sake of money is not the goal.

5. Peer Comparison (97-98 Data) UCCS 97-98 UCCS 2001

6. Sponsored Research Goal • Historic Level of Funding ~$2 - 3M annually • Places us Last in Our Peer Group, in $$/TTFTE • To Get us Even With No. One Peer, need • $15M Annual Awards • 2010 Goal - $15M Annual Awards • 2010 Campus Goal - #1 Comprehensive Regional • Research University

7. External Funding Progress

8. Funding Progress, cont’d Note: ~250 TTF

9. Assessment • Good Progress is Being Made • But, to Reach Goal of $15M, Need a Comprehensive • Strategic Plan • Plan Must be Embraced Across the Campus • Only 28%of TTF Now Submitting Proposals

10. What Happens If We Reach The Goal ? ($15M) • $15M in Awards – • ~ $12M to cover direct costs – e.g., new lab equipment, grad • students, etc. • ~ $3M in ICR annually • $1.2M to the Colleges (Dean and department support) • $0.9M to VCAF (New buildings) • $0.6M to VCAA (New research initiatives, new faculty) • $0.3M to Library (New holdings and services) • New research initiatives (Funded by deans and VCAA) • Double CRCW awards • Fund new equipment • Funding for chair professors • Etc.

11. Cost of Continuing with Status Quo • Campus Put at Significant Risk, Since This Would Lead to: • Difficulties in justifying new graduate programs • Difficulties in justifying new role and mission (Blue Ribbon Comm.) • Difficulties in justifying significant increases in merit pool • Difficulties in justifying CU system re-allocations • Difficulties in justifying additional state support & tuition • Etc.

12. Outline of Proposed Strategic Plan • Strengthen the campus’s research culture • Leverage critical capabilities • Provide high-profile leadership • Provide sustainability • Position campus for funding opportunities • Target fundraising priorities

13. Strengthen the Campus’s Research Culture • Campus Does Not Have Strong History (Culture) • of Encouraging Sponsored Research • Effect Culture Change Through - • P&T process and criteria • New policies • Mechanisms to recognize non-funded research

14. P&T process and criteria • Expand the discussion beyond sponsored research • Encourage far-reaching dialog on activities valued through the P&T process • Promote P&T criteria that do not undervalue the pursuit of appropriate • research funding. • iv. Initiate through revised P&T policy discussions currently underway • b. New policies • PI incentives – salary augmentation funded via grants • F&A waivers – when, how much • Course buy out (encourage college discussions) • Funding of small campus research awards from ICR • P&T criteria (as in 1.a above) • Hiring new tenure-track faculty on soft moneys • c. Mechanisms to recognize non-funded research • Expand campus CRCW research awards • Support small summer research stipends – perhaps funded by ICR • Faculty participation in the new Austin Bluffs Center for R&D - open to all Strengthening the Culture

15. Increase research capacity of grant-active faculty • Grant-funded hiring of instructors • Differentiated workload • Identify and acquire additional research space • b. Hire more senior grant-experienced faculty • c. Continue mentoring program for faculty – especially new • d. Expand capabilities of campus research offices – • additional faculty associates for research and additional staff • e. Expand and strengthen graduate programs as appropriate • f. Mentor and off-load new faculty to allow establishment • of their research program • g. Think about reducing teaching loads generally on campus Leverage Critical Capabilities

16. Involve Chancellor’s office appropriately • i. Make case for broad-based (ie, funded and non-funded) • research initiative • ii. Promote approval of comprehensive new policies and • organizational structure • (consider combining pre and post award offices + functions) • iii. Help explain integrated research plan • b. Establish Campus Research Officer position – Assoc. VCAA Research • Office responsible for implementing campus research agenda • (to begin as a ½ time position – extension of • Faculty Associate for Research and Dean of Grad School) • c. Assoc. VCAA Research to serve on campus Executive Team • d. Heighten deans’ awareness of the need for advancing research. • Meet periodically with research council. • Hold deans accountable for advancing the research agenda • in their colleges. Provide High-Profile Leadership

17. Provide Sustainability • Create mentoring system for research leadership • b. Have faculty associates affiliated with research office • c. Get the right people involved, and in responsible positions.

18. Position Campus for Opportunities • Identify and pursue funding targets of opportunity – • Review federal funding agency initiatives • b. Define campus research strengths – Assessment • Match strengths to opportunities • Encourage participation – e.g., Recent Homeland Sec. research forums • Capitalize on opportunities – e.g., AFA CRADA (Research labs) • f. Develop and articulate integrated research plan - “connecting the dots”

19. Suggested Fundraising Priorities(no particular order) • Research space • Rewarding grant active faculty (e.g., endowed chairs) • Graduate student funding • Out-of-state tuition for grad students on research grants • Research fellowships for students working with grant-active faculty • Funding to allow hiring of more senior grant-active faculty • Funding to off load new faculty to establish their research programs • Research equipment donations • Sponsorship of research seminar series (campus wide and disciplinary specific) • Sponsorship for graduate programs • (funding to allow offering of low enrollment but critical graduate-level courses)

20. DiscussionReactionsRecommendations