Developing Infrastructure Julie B. Cole Wake Forest University NCURA PUI Conference

Differences Between Larger and Smaller Institutions l Institutional Expectations of Faculty l Institutional Environment and Infrastructure Supporting Research l Number of Individuals and Departments Dedicated to Specific Areas of Research

Traditional Impediments to Research and Proposal Development l Heavy Teaching Loads l Academic Impositions on Faculty Time l Lack of Internal Recognition l Unclear Messages from the Administration l Lack of Program Focus l Limited Resources ($, Facilities, Equipment, Students) l Lack of External Institutional/Faculty Credibility l Non-Supportive, Service- Oriented Structures

Incentives: A Two-Way Street l Building the Right Infrastructure l Administrative Buy- In l Faculty Interest l Support and Service from OSP l Strong Advocacy from Faculty Leadership

Building the Infrastructure l Develop a Team Approach to Institutional Capacity for Research

What Resources Do You Need to Encourage the Research Enterprise? l Adequate Start-Up Funds l Readily Accessible Matching Resources l Faculty Time for Research l Adequate Facilities l Good Students l Sympathetic, INFORMED Administration l Service-oriented Support Structures l Advocacy Groups

Convincing the Administration: Why Stimulate the Climate? l Institutional Reputation Building l Attracting the Brightest & Best Students and Faculty l Remaining Competitive in Your Own Category l Move Up in Category l New Programs, New Equipment, New Opportunities

Strategies: How to Make a Difference l Identify an Advocacy Group l Target Specific Disciplines l Articulate The VALUE l Compare to Other Institutions as Competitors l Elevate the Visibility of Faculty Research l Employ Recognition Strategies l Hitch to a STAR!

Strategies: Advocacy Groups l Can You Use the Faculty Senate or Senate Subgroups? l Research Advisory Councils l Sympathetic Administrators l Ad Hoc Faculty Focus Groups (Interdisciplinary Efforts?) l External Constituencies as Advocates: Boards, Councils, Fellow Presidents, etc...

Strategies: Articulating the VALUE: Money Talks! l Draw consistent/Persistent Correlation Between Funding & Alleviating Institutional Budgets l Actively Demonstrate Relationship of Funded Projects to Institutional Mission l Develop/Disseminate Regular Reports Linking Funding to Student Needs, Facility Improvement, Institutional Reputation l Stress Competitive Nature of Funding, the Applaud Faculty Success

Strategies: Compare to Others l Stress Program Advances as well as Dollars Received l Demonstrate Visibility Afforded Other schools Through External Support l Intensify Measurement Scales Used by Faculty and Student Constituencies to Develop Peer Group of Institutions for Comparison (Are You Comparing Yourself with the Right Group?) l Appeal to Institutional/Donor Vanity

Why Faculty Write Proposals: l Promotion & Tenure l Keep Currency in Their Field l Maintain Employability l Sincere Interest in Academic Improvement l Interest in New Avenues and New Programs l Publication l Access to Additional Resources l Salary

Building Faculty Interest l Understanding the Motivation and Concerns l Basketball and Soccer l Limited Skills and Experience l Fear of Rejection

Strategies: Targeting Specific Disciplines l Focus on Strengths l Focus on Specific Needs of Key Areas: Space, Start-Up, Matching, Time, etc... l Focus on Stated Institutional Missions: Teaching Enhancement, Undergraduate Research, Technology, Other? l Press the Issue on a Small Scale, then Extend to the Larger Community

Strategies: Visibility & Recognition l Develop “Lay” Project Abstracts for Internal/External Use l Utilize Display Boards and Pictures l Create a New Publication or Enhance Existing Ones l Profile Funded Projects in Your Newsletter l Hold Receptions & Award Functions l Stress Peer Review and National Voice in Succeeding

Strategies: Hitch to a Star! l Mentors and Colleagues l “Junior/Senior” Functions l Cross-Campus and Inter-Departmental Pilot Funds

Money Matters? l Indirect Costs as Incentives l Strengthening Internal Research Funds l Development as an Asset

Indirect Costs as Incentives l To the Department l To the PI l To the College/Division/ Schools l As Leverage for the Sponsored Programs Office

Internal Research Funding as an Incentive for External Dollars l Limit Use to “Seed Funding” for Larger Projects l Use Process as Training Program for Better Proposals l Use Process as Training Program for Peer Review l Use Process as Training Program for responsible fiscal management l Use results as a means of elevating visibility of good research

Development as an Asset l Generating Matching Funds “Pool” l Identifying “Faculty Development” Support l Corporate “Sponsor” for Special Programs on Funding (Roundtables?)

Faculty Incentives in Proposal Development l Technical Support Staff l Travel Funds to meet with Sponsors/Collaborators l Proposal Development Costs l Released Time l Compensation (Is It Legal?) l Promotion & Tenure Policy Adjustment

OSP Services as Incentives l Budget and Form Preparation l Editing l Copying and Mailing l Meeting Organization

OSP Supports as Incentives l “Thank You” Letters to Faculty l Award Letters from Senior Administration l Public Affairs Liaison l Special Presentations by Sponsors

Together…….. l It’s a Team Effort l Administrative Buy- In l Faculty Recognition and Reward l Services and Support