Minutes - May 7, 2013

Date of Meeting: 

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Research Council

Council Members Present:

Kyle Oskvig, Gary Gussin, Miriam Landsman, Jane Gilotti, Colin Gordon, Leddy, Colvin, Tom Rice, Kirby, Ricketts, Grainne Martin, Cheryl Reardon, Neil Segal, William Haynes, Patricia Gillette, Ed Gillan, Rob Ketterer
 

Item 1: Applying for the Carnegie Community Engagement classification

Colin Gordon, Professor, Department of History: Professor Gordon discussed the University’s plans to apply for the Carnegie designation as an engaged institution. Professor Gordon is leading the University of Iowa’s application, which is due in 2014. Reapplication is required approximately every five years. 
 
A working group of 10-12 people, which may expand, will parcel application and reach out to groups on campus to help with specific sections of application
 
Proposed activities in the next 6 months – 1 year include: establishing a coordinated web presence of our community engagement efforts, utilizing eCV records to obtain community engagement data, utilizing ICON to let partners across campus contribute to Carnegie application, and identifying examples of collaborative research projects with community. 
 
Members of the Research Council discussed inviting the Faculty Senate to jointly sponsor a workshop for faculty on how to incorporate public engagement in their research and scholarship
 
For more information on the Carnegie Classification as an Engaged Institution, please see http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/descriptions/community_eng....
 

Item 2: New Interim Associate Provost for Outreach and Engagement, Public Engagement in the new Academic and Professional Record

Tom Rice, Associate Provost for Faculty, Provost Office: The Provost Office has announced Linda Snetselaar as the new interim Associate Provost for Outreach and Engagement, starting June 1. This new role will identify metrics for measuring and reporting engagement, rewarding engagement, incorporating students in community engagement, tracking activities, and will coordinate constituencies across the campus (Center for Teaching, public engagement website, student engagement activities, and other units.)
 
One goal of the new Academic and Professional Record (APR) project is to capture and track the UI’s publicly engaged activities.  The Provost Office is hiring a coordinator and programmer to help implement the database and reporting consistently across the colleges.  The database will allow partners on campus to find and coordinate with others who are doing work in the same communities, and will also allow UI to better communicate our impact in communities across the state.
 

Item 3: Publication Waiver Subcommittee updates

Johna Leddy, Associate Professor, Chemistry: The Publications Waiver Subcommittee has witnessed a growing number of contracts with language that requires their review.  Some federal contracts (e.g. Department of Defense, Homeland Security) include language that allows the sponsor to review all publications prior to publication in order to maintain security constraints. 
 
The subcommittee expressed concern that these constraints could create scenarios where students may not be able to publish their dissertation research. 
 
The subcommittee proposed the following to address the evolving contract language: 
  1. Flexibility will be needed to allow contract language that differs from what we have seen in the past.
  2. Federal agencies need encouragement to create an independent oversight board so the appearance of a pending perpetual publication embargo is lifted.
  3. Currently, students are paid on TA half time. Can an analogous Technical Specialist Assistant (SA) be created to allow students to be paid half time on these contracts, leaving the remainder of their time for research? The proposed SA appointment would contribute to the student’s professional development.

 

Item 4: OVPR&ED Administrative Faculty Fellowships, Research Awards, and Strategic Funding Initiatives

Cheryl Reardon, Assistant Vice President for Research: The Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development (OVPR&ED) is accepting applications for administrative research fellowships. 
The fellowships provide an opportunity for faculty members to explore administrative roles and acquire skills and knowledge that will better prepare them to serve in academic administration in the future, and assist the OVPR&ED with special projects across the research enterprise. In addition to working on mutually identified projects, the fellows will participate in meetings of the OVPR&ED senior staff, the Research Council, and other governance groups. Applications are due June 7. 
A subcommittee is developing a proposal for Research Awards program. They will present proposal for the Research Council to review at the first Research Council meeting in the fall.
 
Changes to the OVPR&ED strategic funding initiatives will be implemented July 1, including a streamlined electronic process and quarterly submission and review. The Research Council is encouraged to provide feedback on these changes to Vice President for Research Dan Reed.