Continuing and Increasing Excellence: My Vision for Serving as AVPR J. A. “Drew” Hamilton, Jr., Ph.D. Director, Auburn Cyber Research Center and Alumni Professor Computer Science & Software Engineering Industrial & Systems Engineering Management
Outline My Background Today’s Challenging Funding Environment MSU Strategic Plan Cyber Research My view of the role of the AVPR Faculty, the Engine of Research External Relations ORED Offices Research Ethics Restricted Research Sponsored Research Centers and Institutes Conclusions
My Background Texas Tech University University of Southern California BA Journalism (Public Relations option) University of Southern California MS Systems Management (Mgt. Information Systems option) Vanderbilt University MS Computer Science Texas A&M University PhD Computer Science 22 years of Federal Service Directed two multi-million dollar program offices Ada Joint Program Office Joint Forces Program Office
12 years at Auburn University Director, Auburn Cyber Research Center Professorship endowed by Auburn Alumni Assn. Appointed in Computer Science & Software Engineering Joint Appointments Industrial & Systems Engineering Management Immediate Past Chair, ACM Special Interest Group, Simulation Past President, Society for Modeling & Simulation, International $8M+ extramural funding in past 12 years
My Current Research Grants in Force $122,451.00 NSF #1254976 Supplement to: “SFS Scholarship: Auburn-Tuskegee-Albany State-Western New Mexico Scholarship Partnership” PI Hamilton (85%), Co-PI Imsand (10%) and Co-PI Chang (5%) (Oct 2011 – Sept 2015). $24,948.00 NSF #1241370 Supplement to: CI-TEAM Implementation Project. Collaborative Project: A Digital Forensics Cyberinfrastructure Workforce Training Initiative for America's Veterans, (Aug 2008 – Aug 2013), PI Hamilton 50%, Co-PI Qin 20%, Co-PI Ku, 20%, Co-PI Chang 10%. $61,000.00 DOD University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) / Stevens Institute of Technology, “Graphical CONOPS Demonstrator for ARDEC,” (Sept 2012 – June 2013) PI Hamilton (100%) (Through DOD UARC Contract #: H98230-08-D-0171). $120,935.00 DOD Information Assurance Program Grant from the National Security Agency “HBCU/HSI Outreach and Mentoring,” and “DOD Transitions.” PI Hamilton (65%), Co-PI Umphress (30%) and Co-PI Chang (5%), (Aug 2012 – Aug 2014). $1,376,769.00 NSF #1140214 SFS Scholarship: Auburn-Tuskegee-Albany State-Western New Mexico Scholarship Partnership, PI Hamilton (85%), Co-PI Imsand (10%) and Co-PI Chang (5%) (Oct 2011 – Sept 2015). $120,000.00 2010 MDA Phase II SBIR with RAM Laboratories and Auburn University, “Real-time Application Security Analyzer,” (Sept 2011 – March 2014) PI Hamilton (100%). Budget Negotiations Completed/Award Pending: $135,528.00 NSF#1303430 Collaborative Project - SFS CB: Establishing the New Mexico Digital Forensics Academy – PI Hamilton $136,585.00 DOD Information Assurance Program Grant from the National Security Agency – “Digital Forensic Outreach” and “Outreach to Maxwell AFB.” Summary $1,826,103 grants in force, $272,113 pending, $2,098,216 total
Challenge #1: Current Funding Environment
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Cyber Outreach to Minority Institutions CNSS Certifications: Alabama State University Albany State University North Carolina A&T Tuskegee University Western New Mexico University Outreach Strategy: Teach Cyber Security Based Courses on campus Joint research projects across campuses. Cyber Security Exercises Use CAE IAE criteria as roadmap for program growth “demonstrates how majority institutions and minority serving institutions can effectively build mutually beneficial partnerships which will increase diversity in the IA community.” Diana Burley, NSF Program Director
My vision of the MSU AVPR Role 1/2 Serving as #2 in the Research Office Implementing the VPR’s vision Ensuring the smooth operation of ORED Allow VPR to focus on strategic direction Supporting and communicating the VP's vision and direction Oversee and assist the activities of several research centers including HPC2, High Performance Computing Collaboratory nSPARC, National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center I2AT, Institute for Imaging and Analytical Technologies Center for Science, Mathematics and Technology Center for Safety and Health Mississippi State Chemical Lab Research Curriculum Unit
My vision of the MSU AVPR Role 2/2 Advising the VP in the areas of strategy, congressional relations, and funding Execute the required staff work Working with the Associate Deans for Research to understand their challenges and help them with solutions Oversee several offices reporting to the VP Sponsored Programs, Research Security, Regulatory Compliance, Safety, and Animal Research (University Veterinarian). Work closely with the Associate VP for Economic Development in the areas of technology transfer and RTC Work closely with the Assistant VP in the statewide EPSCoR proposal, funding opportunities, and new faculty orientations.
Mississippi State University Strategic Goals 2012 - 2017 Overarching To be consistently ranked among America's top public universities Strategic Goals Foster Teaching and Learning Promote Research and Creativity Expand Outreach and Engagement Encourage Globalization Enhance Institutional Culture and Environment
Research and Scholarship at Mississippi State University in 2013 Goal 1 - Increase the quantity and quality of PhD students and doctoral programs to emulate nationally recognized peer institutions. Goal 2 - Effectively promote and recognize faculty scholarship to enhance the national reputation of the university. Goal 3 - Identify and support institutional research focus areas that have a statewide, regional, and national priority. Goal 4 - Increase total university research funding to a level in excess of $200M sustained over a three-year period.
ORED Priorities MSU must continue to enhance its reputation through a strengthened focus on the highest quality scholarly activities. High-caliber faculty are the essential element of an internationally recognized research university. Mississippi State University must continue to expand its role as the economic engine for the state of Mississippi and the Southeast. As a land-grant institution, MSU has a unique role in the State of Mississippi; it must fully recognize and embrace this role. MSU must work to better balance its portfolio, placing added focus on competitive funding. The university must embrace the parallel development of strong academic colleges and strong research centers. To achieve its potential, the university must place a priority on leadership development in its research program.
Faculty – the Engine of Research Aligning MSU Research Focus Areas with faculty hiring Environment and Energy Health and Education Knowledge Management Systems International Development Mobility Systems and Materials Research Faculty are key to growth Faculty are key to moving forward on the 4 strategic goals. AVPR must support faculty
External Relations: Communicating MSU Research Carnegie Foundation Ranking: RU/VH: Research Universities (very high research activity) #6 in Agriculture Research Expenditures #34 in Engineering Research Expenditures #31 in Comp. Sci. Research Expenditure NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations Great job Dave Dampier & team! MSU NSF Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Computational Field Simulation
Research Ethics Honor is not negotiable Big difference between acts of commission and acts of omission Excellent MSU Research Ethics Policy at: http://www.msstate.edu/dept/audit/PDF/8002.pdf PI and ORED responsibilities Conflict of Interest Human Subjects, Animal Subjects, Lab Practices Mentor/Mentee Responsibilities Collaborative Research with Industry Peer Review Data Acquisition Research Misconduct Authorship and Publication
Regulatory Compliance Human Subjects Animal Care and Use Risk Management Safety Environmental Conflict of Interest “Starkville City Jail” - Johnny Cash
Restricted Research (Research Security) Top Secret Clearances Classified Research Zero defect environment Breaches must be reported Considerable research funding available Export Controlled International Traffic in Arms Control (ITAR) State Department Export Administration Regulations (EAR) Commerce Department Office of Foreign Assets Controls (OFAC) Treasury Department ITAR SCIF NOFORN FOUO Compartmented
Sponsored Programs Administration Research Funding Agencies Missile Defense Agency Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Agency (IARPA) DHS Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) Pre-Award Support Close coordination with sponsored programs accounting Contract Vehicles Administration F&A Policy Cost Sharing
Centers and Institutes “The university must embrace the parallel development of strong academic colleges and strong research centers.” Centers and Institutes foster interdisciplinary research Exceptions to the rule are the norm Performance reviews should play a role in helping a center or institute move forward
Promises to Keep Transparency Ethical Behavior ALWAYS Teamwork Strong focus on winning Extramural funding often takes more than one try Never ask a faculty member to do something I would not do myself. Personally engage in competing for grants
Conclusions Looking to the Future Support faculty – internal grants Travel to funding agencies Face-to-face with as many funding agencies as possible (NSF, DARPA, NIST, etc.) AAU Membership MSU as the dominant Cyber Research University Short term view