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Vice President for Research

Overall Role/Responsibility

Provide strategic vision for Northwestern’s research enterprise. Direct and guide the University’s research mission, contributing to the national research agenda and policies. Set and confirm commitment to policies and regulations and take appropriate actions to ensure the University’s commitment to compliance. The VPR is the Institutional Official for research.

Administration

  • Oversee Office for Research (OR) and University research operations
  • Delegate regulatory responsibility to appropriate University units
  • Foster new research initiatives
  • Oversee University research centers, institutes and shared/core facilities
  • Oversee partnerships with industry, government, and external partner institutions, nationally and internationally
  • Act as the University representative at national labs, specifically Argonne and Fermilab
  • Act as the University representative on national committees
  • Official institution nominator for limited submission candidates
  • Communicate state of the research enterprise

Proposals and Awards

Ensure maintenance of policies and procedures and fiscal responsibilities of pre- and post- award activities.

Research Conduct

Human Research Participants

  • Foster and enable a compliant University human research participants protection program
  • Coordinate with stakeholders from University affiliates to ensure adequate resources and appropriate oversight
  • Delegate responsibilities to the Associate Vice President for Research that serves as the Human Research Protection Program's Institutional Official as outlined in the Human Research Protection Program Plan (HRP-101)
  • Receive and assess reports of non-compliance
  • Place limitations or conditions on an investigator's or research staff's privilege to conduct human research
  • Ensure that University officials cannot approve human research not approved by one of the Institution's IRBs
  • Disallow research approved by the Institution's IRB or an external IRB
  • Ensure the education and training of personnel in support of an ethical human research participants program

Animal Subjects

  • Promote a humane and ethical animal welfare program in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies
  • Ensure compliance with Northwestern’s Assurance
  • Appoint Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) members
  • Communicate non-compliance to appropriate regulatory agencies
  • Ensure the education and training of personnel in support of humane animal care and use
  • Ensure the program has the resources it needs to run effectively

Research Safety

  • Support compliance with all federal, state and local environmental, health, and safety regulations, as well as University and sponsoring agency
  • Ensure the education and training of personnel in safe research practices

Research Integrity

  • Foster and promote a culture of research integrity at the University
  • Communicate the need for, and importance of, training and education to the research community
  • Ensure secure and ethical data use, data confidentiality, and compliant data management, sharing, ownership, and retention practices
  • Receive reports from research misconduct committees and communicate with the Provost as defined in the policy
  • Promote compliance with Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) training requirements

Conflict of Interest (COI)

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

Patents and Inventions

  • Promote and support a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship

Export Controls & International Compliance

  • Foster an environment that disseminates research knowledge consistent with applicable laws, regulations, and policies
  • Promote adherence to all federal and University regulations and policies
  • Report potential research security issues (e.g., export control, malign talent programs, etc.) to the Export Controls & International Compliance team