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Chair

Overall Role/Responsibility

This role includes, but is not limited to, the following: department chair, center director, institute director and program director

Oversee faculty, staff, students and visitors engaged in research in the department/center/institute/program. Act as liaison to other University units. Ensure research objectives of the department, school, and University are consistent. Confirm commitment to policies and regulations and take appropriate actions to ensure University’s commitment to compliance and maintaining a safe research environment, meaning one that is inclusive and free from any form of discrimination or harassment. Serve as endorser for relevant research transactions.

Administration

  • Oversee the faculty in relation to their research activities, including collaborative, large-scale research initiatives
  • Ensure infrastructure, personnel and other resources are sufficient to meet departmental research needs and strategic vision

Proposals and Awards

Pre-Award

Proposal Submission
  • Help faculty and students identify opportunities for proposal development, including referrals to the Office for Research Development (ORD) in case of large proposals
  • Identify and approve space requests, and/or escalate these requests as necessary
  • Review and approve proposals relative to scientific merit, resource utilization or other department specific concerns
  • Review terms and conditions and endorse proposal for submission. Evaluate and approve cost share requests and commitments
  • Provide recommendation letters as required
  • Encourage compliance with internal deadlines established by the Office for Research
Pre-Award Set-Up
  • Approve commitment of departmental funds for pre-award (at-risk/advance) account as necessary

Post-Award

  • Approve commitment of funds for post-award account in case of dispute
  • Assist Principal Investigator (PI) with request for non-sponsor funds
  • Provide cost share funding associated with proposal-stage commitments
  • Direct resources to meet all commitments made in proposals awarded

Closeout

See Accounting Services for Research and Sponsored Programs (ASRSP) website for closeout detail

  • Provide executive guidance for unresolved issues

Effort Reporting

  • Provide executive guidance for unresolved issues
  • Enforce quarterly deadlines

Research Conduct

Human Research Participants

  • Oversee departmental human research participants activities
  • Oversee departmental response to non-compliance
  • Ensure that Principal Investigators have adequate resources to conduct human research compliantly

Clinical Trials

  • Approve closing certifications for PIs who have left the University and for residual balances $25K and over
  • Ensure PI maintains current and accurate records in Clinicaltrials.gov, if applicable

Animal Subjects

  • Oversee departmental animal subjects research activities
  • Oversee corrective actions in instances of non-compliance
  • Guarantee departmental funds in the case of a suspensions, protocol expirations, or insufficient funds

Research Safety

  • Meet with the Office for Research Safety (ORS) campus directors annually to review the state of research safety in the department
  • Ensure all labs have appropriate research safety plans and operate safely
  • Oversee departmental response to non-compliance

Research Integrity

  • Communicate all research-related training requirements to faculty and staff
  • Promote adherence to research ethics policies and procedures
  • Oversee departmental compliance with secure and ethical data use, data confidentiality, and data management, sharing ownership and retention practices
  • Ensure compliance with Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) training requirements
  • Report knowledge of allegations of research misconduct to the Provost, Vice President for Research, and Director of Research Integrity.
  • Ensure cooperation regarding alleged research misconduct

Conflict of Interest (COI)

  • Promote adherence to all sponsor and University regulations and policies
  • Foster and promote a research environment for objectivity in research

Patents and Inventions

Export Controls & International Compliance

  • Promote adherence to all federal and University regulations and policies