Research Council Meeting

Friday, September 9, 2022

Members Present: Fatima Toor, Natalie Denburg, Mihaela Bojin, Paul Dilley, Anny-Dominique Curtius, Jason Rantanen, Ariel Aloe, Queena Lin, Kailey Cash, Rebecca Taugher-Hebl, Amanda Haes, David Drake, Jenna Yang, Anthony Panos, Yasar Onel

Members Absent: Madeline Wilson, Sai Kumar Ramadugu,

Others in Attendance: Marty Scholtz, Richard Hichwa, Jennifer Lassner, Aliasger Salem, Jan Waterhouse, Trevor Glanz, Bob Kirby, Michael Weaver

Call to Order

• The meeting was called to order at 9:01 AM
• Fatima Toor (Chair) introduced herself and outlined her vision for a more active and impactful Research Council

Item 1:  Review Research Council Charge

• Toor reviewed the charge and mission of the Research Council (https://rcouncil.research.uiowa.edu/)

Item 2:  University of Iowa Strategic Planning

• Vice President Scholtz provided an overview of the institutional strategic planning process, committee structures, and the background for how it was created. The Council discussed the plan’s implementation, specifically goal two, which focuses on Research and Discovery (https://strategicplan.uiowa.edu/innovative-research-and-creative-discovery). There is currently a need for working groups to provide input from across campus on how the plan’s tactics can be implemented and tracked. The plan is set out for five years, so it will be an ongoing effort. The Council discussed how teams will be built to work on the Objectives and Strategies. Part of these teams’ mission will be to build the process as well as supporting the plan’s strategies. This will be an ongoing discussion for the Research Council

Item 3: P&S Policy Changes

• Jan Waterhouse and Trevor Glanz from University Human Resources joined the meeting to discuss proposed changes to the Operations Manual for Professional and Scientific Staff. Revisions to the policy started several years ago with a committee inclusive of Human Resources and Shared Governance leadership. Waterhouse shared an overview of the draft changes. These changes have already been presented to both Staff Council and Faculty Senate. The final implementation will follow review from the President’s Office. Waterhouse expects that the changes will be finalized by the end of the fall semester.

Item 4: Planning for future Research Council Meetings

• Toor would like for the Council to meet monthly at rotating times, preferably in person. Members indicated that, in their experience, one meeting per month may not be enough to accomplish aggressive goals. Toor would prefer to start at once per month and potentially charge subcommittees to meet more frequently between meetings. There was support for starting at once per month with the potential to meet more frequently as the year progresses.

Item 5: Other Items for Discussion from the Council

• Toor would like to explore increasing the size of the Research Council. This would allow for contributions from colleges that have not always had representation on the Council at all times.
• Rantanen noted that there has been ongoing work by the council on various compliance issues including restricted research and foreign influence.
• Weaver will reach out to the council to start scheduling future meetings.

Meeting adjourned at 10:07 AM