University of Iowa Research Council

As stipulated in the operations manual, the Research Council is charged to 

1. Advise in the formulation, review and application of policy and guidelines for University research and its funding both from within and without the University;
2. Advise on questions concerning the compliance of research with University policies;
3. Advise in developing methods for informing University members about research opportunities and for stimulating, evaluating and rewarding good research;
4. Provide a forum to which faculty and students may refer questions and recommendations concerning University research policies and procedures.

The Research Council met eight times in AY 2005/2006. Specifically, the council met on 9/19/05, 10/10/05, 11/09/05, 12/08/05, 1/19/06, 2/16/06, 3/23/06 and 5/11/06. A summary of some of the events and discussions are given below. The details of each of these issues can be found in the minutes on the Research Council website.

• At the first meeting a Publication Waiver Sub-committee was formed to review requests from researchers throughout the year (sub-committee members: Johna Leddy, Michael Flatte and Richard Hichwa).
• In a later meeting, Research Council formed a second sub-committee to review four of the Internal Funding Initiatives (BSFP, MPSFP, SSFP and IREU). The subcommittee (Vicki Grassian, Johna Leddy, Michael Chibnik, Jeffrey Denburg and Michael MacKay) prepared a report that was shared with the entire council on the last meeting of the year and presented to Vice President Hay. View the report of the review of the four IFIs.
  As chair of Research Council, Vicki Grassian was asked to Chair a task force to advise the Vice President Meredith Hay and Dean Keller on the issue of shared credit and interdisciplinary research. 
• RC members were asked to serve as liaison to the internal funding initiatives review process. The liaisons for this year were George Malanson – SSFP; Alan Sener – AHI; Jeffrey Denburg – BSFP; Johna Leddy – MPSFP; and Michael Flatté – IREU.Vice President Meredith Hay regularly updated RC on the activities of the office and asked the opinion of RC members on issues related to activities of the office including the job description for the new Associate Vice Presidents for Research in the Arts and Humanities and the Associate Vice President for Research in the Mathematical, Physical and Biological Sciences.
• RC members participated in interviews for the three new Associate Vice President for Research Positions (AVP in the Arts and Humanities, AVP in the Mathematical, Physical and Biological Sciences and AVP in Economic Development).
• Research Council met with Dean John Keller to discuss graduate student stipends.
• Research Council met with Pam York, Executive Director for University of Iowa Research Foundation (UIRF), who prepared a presentation for Research Council on the activities of UIRF
• Research Council met with Provost Michael Hogan to discuss issues related to the Strategic Plan – The Iowa Promise as well as faculty and staff compensation.
• Research Council met with Dr. Richard Kerber, Chair of the Committee to Review the Office of the Vice President. He discussed the ongoing review and gave an overview of the process involved.
• Research Council met with several other individuals including Jack Lillian (DEO, Biological Sciences), Jane Holland (Human Resources, Organizational Effectiveness), John Nelson (Director of Honors Program), Bob Kirby (Assistant Director of Honors Program) David Wynes (Assistant Vice President for Research and the Director of Research Services Administration) and Steve Fleagle (Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer). These individuals shared important information with Research Council on issues related to undergraduate research (Nelson and Kirby), research computing on campus (Fleagle and Boyd), animal care (Wynes), staff surveys (Holland) and an overview of the current review of the biological and natural sciences on campus (Lillian).

In summary, the year was a productive one for Research Council and included overseeing the preparation of two written reports (shared credit task force report and review of IFIs) for the VPR.

Finally, Research Council would like to thank the entire staff of the OVPR for their facilitation of scheduling meetings, interacting with RC members and in providing administrative support. The Research Council Chair would especially like to thank Cheryl Reardon for her guidance and administrative help over the past year. Research Council would also like to thank Vice President for Research Meredith Hay for an exciting first year on the job that included developing several new positions in the office and starting a number of new initiatives. 

 

Respectively Submitted on Behalf of Research Council,

Vicki H. Grassian,

Chair, Research Council