Research Council Meeting

Monday, October 24, 2022

Members Present: Fatima Toor, Yasar Onel, Ariel Aloe, Lin, Anny Curtius, Constance Berman, Paul Dilley, Kailey Cash, Rebecca Taugher, Jenna Yang, Bojin, Amanda Haes, Anthony Panos, Jason Rantanen

Members Absent: David Drake, Natalie Denburg, Grad Student (no replacement named), Sai Kumar Ramadugu

Others in Attendance: Marty Scholtz, Lauren Galliart, Mike Weaver, Kristy Nabhan-Warren, Bob Kirby, Jen Lassner, Ali Salem

Call to Order

• • Meeting was called to order at 3:34 PM
  • Minutes from the September 9, 2022 meeting were accepted with no edits

Item 1: Updates from OVPR (Scholtz)

• • Awards are up 55% this fiscal year (12% not including the large TRACERs project). New proposals are up significantly as well. While these are positive numbers for research at the University overall, it puts additional strain on the underlying research infrastructure, which is already struggling to hire new staff and lacks the resources needed in many offices. VP Scholtz would like to start a campus conversation on how to fund the enterprise to support these growing challenges. P3 program funding is not a good source as it is meant to be one time funding, not recurring. UICA can add dollars to the overall funding base, but it is difficult to get donations directly to institutional administration. The campus needs to think about this as a function of ongoing growth.
  • P3 Preliminary Proposals are due October 31^st. There will be $15 million available for selected proposals. Proposals should align with a part of the institutional strategic plan.

Item 2: Discussion of the survey responses (Toor)

• • Fatima Toor discussed the results of the Qualtrics survey on the perception members have of the Research Council in general. So far, around half of the council members have responded to the survey. The survey will remain open for those who have not had a chance to respond. Most responses are from new members and view campus visibility as the biggest limitation of the council. We could increase engagement with the on-campus research leaders, such as the Associate Deans for Research, the Graduate College, Departmental Executive Officers, etc., Infrequent meetings have also been noted as a limitation to the council’s effectiveness.
  • Issues the council has addressed in the past include harassment in research settings, human subjects research, and delays in proposal submission and protocol approval. Historically, there have been more targeted subcommittees with different areas of focus. Traditionally, there has been an emphasis on discussing and reviewing proposed policies, but it has been difficult to take things from discussion to actionable results.
  • Another issue discussed was the relatively small size of the council and lack of representation from each of the university’s colleges.  

Item 3: Summary of discussion with Prof Jian Cao, Chair of the Office for Research Advisory Council (ORAC), Northwestern (Toor)

• • Professor Cao recommended that the council decide on two or three tangible goals and deliver on those goals. This will help the council to stay focused throughout the year. The council will need to balance between being reactive to things brought to them and being proactive on issues they would like to take on.

Item 4: Next steps and potential items for the council

• • Scholtz indicated that the strategic plan would be a good place for the council to engage given the number of groups currently working on it on campus. Specifically, OVPR needs help identifying strengths and emerging areas of distinction at UI.
  • Research Track Faculty and research scientist policies have been brought up by IIHR. They would like P&S research scientists to have more ability to conduct research related activities.
  • Conflict of Interest – contributions from Research Council are being considered in the Human Resources redraft of the policy. Lassner will share the current version at a future meeting.
  • Postdoc issues – postdocs would like to have a centralized office to handle postdoc affairs. Several groups around campus are working on this and it would be good to coordinate these efforts. There are no staff dedicated to handling postdoctoral affairs (tracking students, retention, career development). There was a suggestion to designate an HR representative to postdoc issues. Specifically, regarding what happens after a grant ends or continuity of health insurance.
  • Important to disseminate announcements and deadlines.
  • Engagement with Associate Deans for Research

Meeting adjourned at 4:56