UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT – VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH
The University of Vermont seeks a strategic, creative, and energetic Vice President for Research to lead and significantly expand its distinctive research portfolio.
Founded in 1791, the University of Vermont (UVM) is one of the nation’s premier small public research universities. The University enrolls 13,000 students and employs approximately1700 faculty. UVM is home to seven schools and colleges, along with an honors college, graduate college, medical college, and a division of continuing and distance education, all on the same campus. As a land grant university, UVM oversees a statewide agricultural extension program. Nearly one-third of UVM’s undergraduates, and more than 60 percent of its graduate students, are in STEM disciplines. The University has steadily built its research enterprise, with $144M of sponsored awards in fiscal year 2019.
Long known for its strengths in environmental scholarship, rural health and wellness, complex systems, food systems, social justice, and its teacher-scholar model, the University has recently invested in its research infrastructure including a 250,000 square foot STEM complex (completed in 2019 and the largest construction project in UVM’s history), and the Cohen Hall for the Integrative Creative Arts. These facilities are stimulating both interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research.
In addition to the Larner College of Medicine, which conducts extensive research, UVM has several large centers and institutes including: The Carolyn and Leonard Miller Center for Holocaust Studies, The Gund Institute for the Environment, The Complex Systems Center, The Center for Research on Vermont, The Center for Disability and Community Inclusion, The Transportation Research Center, The Humanities Center, The UVM Cardiovascular Research Institute, and The UVM Cancer Center.
The Vice President for Research (VPR) serves as the Senior Research Officer for the University. The VPR reports directly to the President and is responsible for increasing the scale and impact of UVM’s research enterprise. The VPR supports all faculty-driven research efforts, which requires significant collaboration across UVM’s colleges and schools, and a close working relationship with the Office of the Provost.
In addition to supporting the University’s current research portfolio, the VPR is responsible for developing and maintaining strategic partnerships with a growing list of companies, foundations, and government agencies. These partnerships require external focus, exceptional communication and negotiating skills, and demonstrated relationship management abilities. The successful candidate will also be responsible for motivating, managing, and supporting the talented professional staff within the Office of the VPR.
About the Office of the Vice President for Research:
In FY2019, UVM received $144M in research awards in response to over 1000 submitted proposals, and involving more than 1000 active research projects. Significant projects from fall 2019 alone include a $6.6M grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to study ways to combat opioid addiction in rural communities (building on work already being done at UVM and the UVM Medical Center) and a $15M grant for UVM faculty to collaborate with the USDA Agricultural Research Service to study diversified food systems. In addition to these recent awards, a $20M NIH grant supports the University’s partnership with the Maine Medical Center focused on rural health across the northern tier of New England. The University also unveiled a massive upgrade of its supercomputer in July 2019, thanks to a $1M grant from the National Science Foundation. The Office of VPR publication Inquiry provides additional recent research highlights.
As the University’s Senior Research Officer, the major responsibilities of the position include:
- Lead and develop strategic external partnerships with government agencies, foundations, and academic institutions that leverage UVM’s strengths
- Drive industry partnerships that support the research mission
- Engage with the local, national, and international business communities
- Enhance UVM’s relationships with the Vermont congressional delegation on research matters that impact UVM and the State of Vermont
- Promote collaborations between UVM, the UVM Medical Center, and UVM Health Network
- Lead a robust innovation ecosystem, supporting entrepreneurship, commercialization, licensing and startups
Enable Success of Faculty-Driven Research and Innovation
- Raise UVM’s national and international research profile
- Articulate the University’s vision for research and creative scholarship and communicate that vision to all constituencies, including the general public
- Increase the University’s research competitiveness by facilitating a research culture that expands opportunities for research, scholarship, and creative activity in all disciplines for faculty, research staff, post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduate students
- Develop and support cross-college research collaborations, ensuring optimal research coordination across campus
- Oversee and identify efficiencies in research development operations (proposal development, dissemination of funding opportunities, limited submission programs, large center grant competitions, internal grant programs, contract management)
- Collaborate with the University of Vermont Foundation to maximize the potential of securing philanthropic support for research and creative scholarship
- Improve, manage and monitor the research infrastructure on campus, including University-supported research instrumentation, equipment, and facilities, and champion needed infrastructure acquisition upgrades. Support the sustainability of shared research resource cores
- Partner with the Office of the Provost and the colleges/schools to recruit and retain outstanding faculty and to support scholarship, research excellence, creative activity and national and international recognition
- Promote faculty service on national and international boards and committees
- Ensure that the research regulatory responsibilities of the University are met
- Regularly assess and update intellectual property terms to support growth of further research efforts
- Efficiently deploy, utilize and manage the 50+ members of the OVPR staff
- Manage the VPR office budget in support of the University’s research enterprise
- Effectively manage and oversee the following operations: Sponsored Research Administration; Technology Commercialization; University Research Centers; University Veterinary Services; Instrumentation and Model Facility and Technological Services Partnerships
- Assure compliance with the requirements of all state, federal, and other funding agencies, including those related to conflict of interest and scientific misconduct
- Assure compliance with all regulations relating to environmental health and safety, including requirements related to human subject and animal research, and use of hazardous materials
Professional Experience/Qualifications:
Qualified candidates will possess an earned doctorate or other appropriate terminal degree from an accredited higher education institution with a scholarly record that warrants an appointment as a faculty member at the tenured full professor level. Significant leadership experience in research within higher education, government, and/or industry with demonstrated success building/supporting translational research programs and partnerships desired.
Compensation:
Compensation arrangements are competitive, will be commensurate with both experience and achievement, and include an extremely competitive array of benefits.
Nominations and Applications:
Nominations, applications, and inquiries should be sent electronically to Kayla Dewey at kayla.dewey@uvm.edu. To apply, please send a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and the names and contact information for five references. References will not be contacted without prior notice to the candidate. The University is especially interested in candidates who will contribute to the diversity and excellence of the institution. Applicants are requested to include information about how they will further this goal in their cover letter.
Application review will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Applications and nominations received by January 2, 2020, will receive priority consideration.
The University of Vermont is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other category legally protected by federal or state law.
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