Primary Aims of the Program

Research Leadership

 For college and university personnel seeking to lead research offices, the pathway to achieve this goal can be daunting. Aspiring senior research officers at institutions of higher education must develop expertise in an ever-expanding range of competencies, including management of sponsored programs offices and pre- and post-award processes, compliance with institutional and funder regulations, Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) oversight, and familiarity with patenting and licensing agreements, just to name a few.

Although professional development opportunities such as national conferences exist for those seeking this specialized knowledge, many colleges and universities lack financial resources needed for registration and travel. Furthermore, personnel who would benefit from additional training often face prohibitive time constraints, especially those working for institutions with limited research office staff. However, creating a robust pipeline of senior research leaders is critically important, not only for continued research productivity at colleges and universities, but also the larger impact of external funding on the economic growth of the region and nation.