Tag Archives: Research money

10/13/2011: The administrative cleanup continues. From new VP for Research Kim Espy:

Professors Stormshak and Phillips join the Office of Research, Innovation and Graduate Education

Patrick Phillips, Professor and Department Head of Biology, joins the RIGE team as Associate Vice President for Research.  Patrick,  a member of the Institute for Ecology and Evolution, will oversee the emerging Research Development unit which includes Faculty Development activities, large-scale interdisciplinary center and institutional grant opportunities; oversight of the Office for Veterinary Services and Animal Care; liaise with the scientific community; and with the Vice President and her executive team provide guidance and oversight for Research Centers and Institutes.  Patrick’s research interests are in empirical and theoretical studies of evolutionary genetics, ecology and behavior.

Beth Stormshak, Professor of Counseling Psychology in the College of Education and Director of the Child and Family Center, joins the RIGE team as Associate Vice President for Research.  Beth will oversee research compliance issues primarily in the areas of human subjects and conflict of interest with a focus on policies and procedures.  She will also work on large-scale interdisciplinary center and institutional grant opportunities that relate to professional school researchers and act as a liaison to the professional school researchers and groups.

This is not very clear. Is Phillips a new position or a replacement? Rumor has it Stormshak will take over from Lynette Schenkel. HS compliance has not been well run. This announcement could certainly be clearer about what’s going on. Why should the faculty have to resort to rumors to find out who is running HS compliance and COI? We shouldn’t, but given that we do, comments are open. Meanwhile, here’s the most recent org chart:

10/9/2011: Moira Kiltie of the VP for Research and Faculty Development office announces UO’s 2012 Summer research award program:

The purpose of the SRA program is to stimulate research by providing
faculty with sustained time for scholarly and academic endeavor.
Proposals may be submitted by faculty who meet the eligibility criteria.
Up to twenty awards in the amount of $5,500 each will be granted.
Awardees will be notified on or about February 15, 2012.

This could be as much as $110,000 – for a faculty that numbers 660. Wow, that’s more than $150 each! Meanwhile UO has increased spending on police by about $1 million a year. We are paying $150,000 for the NCAA investigation. The athletic department spends $120,000 on free cars for the assistant coaches. Etcetera, ad nauseam, gag me.

8/1/2011: This job posting from UO’s new VP for Research, Kim Espy, creates some hope that UO’s research priorities are going to move away from Provost Bean’s oversold “5 big ideas” towards something more like, uh, research. Not that we have anything against trying to base our AAU status on doing benefit-cost analyzes of LED lighting for Salem, or green-washing for the kleptomaniacal President of Gabon.

The position of Associate Vice President for Research (AVPR) works directly with the Vice President for Research and Innovation.  The intent is to appoint an individual for a three year period with the possibility of reappointment for a second three year term after review and discussion with the Vice President.  The position will initially be a part time appointment but may increase in effort over time dependent on work load and the wishes of the individual in the position.  The issues addressed during each three year period may change significantly depending on circumstances.  In the AY2012 through the AY201 period, the emphasis will be on setting strategic priorities for the Office of Research and Innovation; seeking enhanced opportunities for large-scale, cross disciplinary, externally sponsored research projects and initiatives; and assistance in the oversight of Centers and Institutes. …

6/14/2011: From the UO press office today:

University of Oregon research on human physiology — particularly blood flow’s role in helping to maintain the stability of internal organs — is getting a boost from a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense for the purchase of state-of-the-art monitoring equipment. …

Researchers on the grant are Paul van Donkelaar, Li-Shan Chou, Hans Dreyer, John Halliwill, Andrew Karduna, Andrew Lovering and Christopher Minson, all in the department of human physiology, and Scott Frey in the psychology department.

Actually, Frey and van Donkelaar are both leaving UO this summer – for Missouri and Canada, respectively.

5/23/2011: According to all the data, what UO needs most to keep our AAU status is more GTF/GRA positions. But instead we are going to spend the money on another administrator. I love the responsibilities part. “Develop a strategic communications plan.” What the fuck does this have to do with being a research university? Here goes the rest of our ICC F&A money.

Coordinator of Communication, Fellowships, and Events
Graduate School
Posting: 11152
Location: Eugene
Closes: Open Until Filled

RANK & SALARY RANGE: $43,000-$48,000, commensurate with training and experience.

PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT: 12-month, full-time appointment

STARTING DATE: July 1, 2011

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Coordinator will work to enhance graduate education and research by working collaboratively with Graduate School leadership and other staff in three areas: communications, events and the management of fellowships. The coordinator reports to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies and the Associate Dean of the Graduate School.

Communications: The Coordinator will develop and implement a strategic communications plan to effectively use a variety of media to engage diverse audiences, …

6/9/2011: Over the last decade UO’s research ranking dropped by 4, to #128. From the Chronicle of Higher Ed report issued yesterday, based on “federally financed research funding”.

One possible reason for the fall is our minuscule “institutionally financed research expenditure” In theory, these funds can act as seed money for federal grants. Provost Bean’s “5 pet ideas” was an attempt to do this, the jury is still out.

The main reason is that the number of tenure track faculty at UO just has not grown over this period – despite all the new students. We do have lots of well paid administrators, but they are a cost center, not a revenue center. Does the administration have a plan for adding new principal investigators? It seems unlikely. Provost Bean has repeatedly said he believes UO is “under-administered” and he’s been hard at work hiring more assistant vice provosts of this and that, instead of professors.

In other news, rumor is that VP for Research Rich Linton’s retirement sinecure job will be running the UO/PeaceHealth research consortium. No word on how the salary will compare to his current $197,280 – presumably they’ll launder it through a 501(c)(3). Meanwhile, one of the key professors on that project announced last month he is leaving UO for another university – and taking his grants with him.

reports Frances Dyke is searching around for a scapegoat to stick the ORSA collapse / Huron boondoggle on. Uh, that’s your name on the contracts, Ms Dyke.

4/14/2011: Last week I asked Liz Denecke for a copy of the Huron consulting report – which the contract amendment says was to be complete by 3/15. Turns out Dyke and Huron mutually agreed to put it off until the end of June.

OK, I’ve now asked for copies of any reports that actually were prepared by Huron. 

4/13/2011: This just in from Bean. Excellent news, she was the search committee’s top choice. And this was a real national search with real faculty on the hiring committee.

Dear colleagues,

I am pleased to announce the hiring of Kimberly A. Espy as the University of Oregon’s new Vice President for Research and Innovation and Dean of the Graduate School, effective July 1 …