Ramping Up Research and External Funding at GMU CEHD - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Ramping Up Research and External Funding at GMU CEHD

Robert E. Floden

June 2012Slide2

Purpose Structure of Visit

Purpose: Review and

comment

on George Mason University College of Education and Human Development operations

and policies for

supporting

research and securing external funding

Structure of Visit:

Meetings with Dean, Associate Dean for Research, CHED Research Support Staff, Executive Team, Leadership Team, College of HHS Associate Dean for Research, Staff from Office of Sponsored Programs, Groups of CEHS faculty

Review of information on CEHD web site

Discussion of initial comments with Executive Team and Leadership TeamSlide3

General Questions Addressed in Meetings

What are structures, procedures, and policies that have been helpful in supporting research and securing external funding? Are there ways in which these should be strengthened or expanded?

What are issues or challenges in conducting research or securing external support that need to be addressed? What changes in structures, procedures,

and policies might help to address these?Slide4

Important Contextual Factors

The press for increased emphasis on research has come recently; many faculty were hired and tenured when research productivity was less important

GMU general fund budgets are tightly coupled to production of student credit hours, increasing the importance of in making decisions about faculty hiring and faculty load

Most GMU CEHD doctoral students are part-time; graduation rate is low

Faculty in GMU CEHD are located on more than one campusSlide5

Comments

Comments are addressed to the issue of

support for doing research and securing external funding

; in considering these comments, the college community will also need to consider how these interact with other college goals and missions.

Consequently, “strength” should be taken to mean “strength in support for research and external funding”; likewise for “recommendations”

Some comments take the form of specific recommendations; others identify options to consider, or issues that deserve discussion within CEHD communitySlide6

Strengths

Emphasis on likely success in research or gaining external funding in recent faculty searches; having faculty with strong interests in these areas is key

Availability of editors and reviewers for proposals

Recent addition of staff to provide post-award assistance

Indirect cost return and salary savings return policies that provide incentives for faculty to secure outside fundingSlide7

Strengths (continued)

Informative research office web site, including policy statements, descriptions of procedures, links to funding sources

Research office provides some help with initial proposal and budget development (better than nothing, but this is an area where additional investment would be helpful)

Overall level of external funding reasonably good, given that emphasis on research and external support is a recent change in policySlide8

Recommendations and Areas for Discussion -1

Continue to emphasize likely contributions in research and external support in faculty searches

Consider a range of approaches to increasing number of senior faculty with excellent records of research and grant getting

Targeted hires at senior level

Stronger incentives and professional development for current senior faculty to increase research activity

Nurture research-active junior faculty & prepare them to take leading rolesSlide9

Recommendations and Areas for Discussion - 2

Consider how to make

strategic use

of full range of resources to promote increases in research. Strategic use implies

selection of investments based on likely payoff

in excellent research or successful grant applications. Decisions about criteria for investment will likely affect results. Resources include:

Indirect cost return and faculty salary savings – including both what is currently available centrally and what currently goes to faculty

General fund support for graduate assistants

General fund resources to support faculty travel

Develop multi-year plan for increasing research activity, including, but not entirely driven by, plans for student credit hour productionSlide10

Recommendations and Areas for Discussion - 3

Organize discussions and communications to clarify goals and trajectory for increases in research and external support

To strength research enterprise, goals should push for increase in

research that will build faculty careers and visibility

, not merely increasing amount of external funding (But note that this may require some faculty adjustments in focus, in light of possibilities for external support)Slide11

Recommendations and Areas for Discussion - 4

Consider the role of doctoral programs and doctoral students in research

Research-oriented doctoral students can be valuable part of faculty research projects

Full-time students have more flexibility to work on research projects than part-time students

Competing for top doctoral students probably requires multi-year commitments of support that allows students to go full timeSlide12

Recommendations and Areas for Discussion - 5

Consider where faculty leadership for research will be located.

A large and diverse college requires having several senior faculty providing leadership, rather than placing all responsibility for support and mentoring with one person

Leadership includes mentoring and advice, but also includes targeted encouragement to pursue opportunitiesSlide13

Recommendations and Areas for Discussion - 6

Possible locations for faculty leadership

Division directors

Center directors

Research associate dean

OtherSlide14

Recommendations and Areas for Discussion - 7

Some smaller scale, but important, recommendations

Follow through on plans, supported by OSP, to have more pre-award support in the college. The rationale here is facilitate communication with PI as proposal is prepared and submitted

Encourage faculty to start earlier in proposal preparation

Encourage faculty to meet with funder program officers, as appropriate