Account/Position No.:  24550/232560
Position Title:  Vice Provost for Research and Sponsored Programs
Department:  Research and Sponsored Programs Administration

Expectations for All Employees

East Tennessee State University pursues its mission based upon core values. An employee's job performance must support and exhibit the university's core values:

PEOPLE come first, are treated with dignity and respect, and are encouraged to achieve their full potential;
RELATIONSHIPS are built on honesty, integrity and trust;
DIVERSITY of people and thought is respected;
EXCELLENCE is achieved through teamwork, leadership, creativity, and a strong work ethic;
EFFICIENCY is achieved through wise use of human and financial resources; and
COMMITMENT to intellectual achievement is embraced.

Function of Position

Responsible to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs for serving as the Chief Research Officer for the university and is the primary advocate for the university's research mission; encouraging and supporting faculty research and scholarly activities in all disciplines; facilitating faculty and staff efforts to obtain extramural funding, including negotiation of contracts and grants where needed, and managing the administration of such funds. The Vice Provost for Research and Sponsored Programs serves as President of the Board of Directors of the East Tennessee State University Research Foundation (ETSURF) or as its Executive Director; serves as the Technology Transfer Officer for the university, receiving invention and copyright disclosures, obtaining review of these disclosures to determine whether or not the university or the ETSURF will seek patent or copyright protection; directing negotiations regarding licensing of intellectual property obtained by the university or ETSURF under the university policy concerning patents, copyrights, and trademarks. The Vice Provost for Research and Sponsored Programs has the responsibility and authority to oversee the administration of all policies and regulations mandated by federal and state law in the areas of human subjects protection, animal welfare, radiation safety, biosafety, responsible conduct of research, conflict of interest where such conflict involves the research enterprise and accreditations related to these areas, and ensuring that the required reports concerning these areas are transmitted to the appropriate governmental agencies; and performing other related duties as assigned.

Essential Functions

Research Administration

-          Provide effective advocacy for the Research Mission of ETSU both internally and externally;

-          Development, revision and implementation of the University's long-range plan for research;

-          Provide effective oversight of, and support for, the Director of Sponsored Programs Administration;

-          Provide effective leadership for the East Tennessee State University Research Foundation;

-          Provide support for new faculty to begin successful research careers;

-          Provide support for established faculty to maintain and enhance established research programs;

-          Identify industrial, business, governmental and community partners in cases where partnerships can strengthen the ability of the university to achieve its goal in research and scholarship;

-          Facilitate identification of and contact with prospective extramural funding sources;

 

Research Compliance

-          Provide effective advocacy for support for all areas of research compliance to ensure that the Humans Subjects Protection Program, Division of Laboratory Animal Resources, Office of Radiation Safety and the Biosafety Committee have adequate financial and physical resources to perform the functions assigned to them through all relevant federal, state, local and university regulations and policies;

-          Serve as Institutional Official representing the University to the Federal and State governments in matters concerning research compliance;

-          Provide effective oversight for the Director of the Human Subjects Research Protection Program, the Director of the Division of Laboratory Animal Resources and the Director of Radiation Safety;

-          Effectively develop, revise and implement policies concerned with research compliance;

 

Technology Transfer

-          Encourage invention disclosures by ETSU faculty;

-          Provide effective management of the University's technology transfer activities including invention disclosure, evaluation of invention disclosures, patenting and licensing;

-          Provide effective management of the University Innovation Laboratory.

 

Secondary Functions

-          Membership and participation in Academic Council, President's Council and Deans' Council;

-          Facilitate grant-writing workshops and other workshops related to procurement and administration of grants and contracts;

-          Ensure review, negotiation and approval of Material Transfer Agreements;

-          Ensure review and negotiation of grants and contracts for sponsored programs; Ensure appropriate reporting to State and Federal governmental agencies;

-          Oversee administration of the Center for Community Outreach and Family Services and the Center for Child Passenger Safety;

-          Provide adequate administrative support for the Research Development Committee;

-          Provide support for student/faculty collaborative research activities;

-          Provide administrative and financial support from the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Sponsored Programs for the annual ETSU Student Research Forum.

-          Participate in appropriate professional societies and activities;

-          Assist in preparation of University-wide grant proposals as requested;

-          Perform other duties as assigned.

 

Knowledge and Abilities

-          Knowledge of Federal regulations related to research compliance including those related to human research subjects protection, animal research subjects protection, responsible conduct of research, conflict of interest, radiation safety, biosafety, and financial procedures related to grants management as detail in relevant OMB circulars;

-          Knowledge of benefits and pitfalls of university/private research and development agreements;

-          Knowledge of instructional and public service grants and contracts;

-          Knowledge of the patent and copyright process and of licensing of intellectual property;

-          Knowledge of university business and technology incubators and parks;

-          Ability to obtain and execute federal grants;

-          Ability to provide effective supervision of professional staff;

-          Ability to build partnerships within the university and between university faculty and staff and external entities;

-          Ability to develop and execute long-range planning;

-          Ability to articulate effectively the research mission of the University.

 

Supervision Given and Received

 

Initiates broad programs under general directions, working from policies and general objectives. Supervises administrative heads of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs Administration, the Human Subjects Research Protection Program, the Division of Laboratory Animal Resources (DLAR director also reports to the Associate Dean/Associate Vice President for Finance and Administration, Quillen College of Medicine), the Office of Radiation Safety, The Center for Community Outreach and Family Services, the Center for Child Passenger Safety and the Executive Director of the ETSU Research Foundation, or the Director of the Innovation Laboratory if the Vice Provost is serving as the Executive Director or ETSURF.

 

Minimum Qualifications

 

Doctoral degree; Experience meriting appointment to the rank of Full Professor with tenure in the appropriate department or unit within ETSU; History of serving as principal investigator for significant peer-reviewed research grants; Experience with Technology Transfer; Experience in working with the private sector.

October 2008