RESEARCH COORDINATING COUNCIL

Memorandum #164

 

September 22, 2005

 

Members Present:

Brian Attebery                                      John Bennion                                        Jim Bigelow

Chris Daniels                                        Deb Easterly                                         Kay Flowers   

Larry Ford                                           Dianne Horrocks                                  Lori Johnson    

Catherine Kriloff                                   Skip Lohse                                           Fred Risinger

Christina Rosen Galvin                          Kandi Sistrunk                                      Jane Strickland

Susan Swetnam                                                                                                                       

 

Alternates:                    Cyndy Kelchner for Beth Hudnall Stamm

 

Absent:                         Phil Blick, Linda Deck, Frank Harmon, Richard Inouye, Subbaram Naidu, Al Strickland, Keith Weber, Paul Zelus

 

Dr. Ford called the meeting to order. 

 

I.                    Approval of Minutes

 

Dr. Ford asked for any changes or corrections to the minutes.  Dr. Ford requested a motion to approve the minutes.  Brian Attebery moved to accept the minutes, Susan Swetnam seconded the motion.  Motion passed (Memorandum #163).

 

II.                 Introduction of all members

 

Jane Strickland is representing the College of Education until a representative is named by the Faculty Senate.  Kandi Sistrunk represented the GSRSC Committee until a representative can be named by the committee. 

 

III.       Reports

 

A.                 Faculty Research Committee (FRC) – Susan Swetnam reported that Life Sciences and Health Professions have yet to name a representative to the committee.  The Call for Proposals will go out very soon.  Awards were made in April.  The committee received 25 proposals and 8-9 were funded.  All proposals were strong, there was just not enough money to go around.  Currently, extra points are awarded to proposals submitted by faculty who have never had an FRC award in the past.  The method used to calculate the proposal score with the extra two points can create a situation in which faculty who have received FRC awards in the past are at a disadvantage, making it difficult for them to receive another award.  The committee is going to review the rating system used. 

 

B.         Graduate Student Research and Scholarship Committee (GSRSC) – Deb Easterly reported that the committee will meet on September 23, 2005.  The Call for Proposals will be going out shortly.  Dr. Ford stated that he has been very impressed with how conscientious the GSRSC representatives have been with evaluating the proposals.

 

C.                 Undergraduate Student Research Committee (UgRC) – Fred Risinger reported that the committee will meet next week and the Call will go out shortly thereafter.

 

D.                 University Research Grants (URC) – Dr. Ford reported that the committee will not meet again until the spring semester.  In the new budget, Dr. Ford asked for restoration of the URC and Infrastructure accounts to the level they were in FY2000, prior to budget cuts.

 

E.                  Animal Care Facilities – Dr. Ford reported that they have added a lab tech position and a lab assistant position.  They now have three full time people.  In reorganizing of the positions in the Office of Research, we have a new OSII, Pat Hunter, who will provide secretarial support to the Animal Welfare Committee, the Human Subjects Committee and to some of our research committees.  This will alleviate some of the burdens of the research committee chairs.  Things are now getting done and are better organized.          

 

The Office of Research was able to release money for the Chair of the Human Subject Committee to be supported through the summer, part-time.  With the Chair and Pat Hunter being available during the summer, we did not have the complaints about research protocols not getting approved.  We are looking to do the same thing for the Animal Welfare Committee.

 

                        Mia needed new rat cages due to new research.  The Office of Research provided the funding for the purchase of 100 new cages. 

 

F.                  Humanities/Social Sciences Research Committee (HSSRC) – Dr. Ford reported that the Call went out on August 30, 2005.   There is HSSRC discretionary travel money available if you have special travel needs.  Please send a request to the Office of Research for review and consideration.

 

G.                 Research Computing Subcommittee – Dr. Kelchner reported that the 10 member  committee has now met 5 times.  The committee is the voice for the research computing users and would like to define and develop a user base.  The committee needs to identify the users and their needs.  A survey was sent out with 69 responding back.  The committee will follow up with another survey.  The members are from each college, ITRC and the Office of Research.  The committee may also look at representatives from the centers and institutes.  A department survey for research resources was sent to academic and administrative  chairs.

 

            Kay Flowers reported that there will be a town meeting next week on governance structure as it relates to computing needs.

 

            Kay Flowers also reported that The Gartner Group was hired to make a recommendation on the computer system for the ISU mainframe.  The present system will no longer be supported past December 2006.  Four recommendations were identified in the report:

1.                  Migrate current system to HP enterprise platform.

2.                  No longer do development on the current system past a certain date.

3.                  Do not try to build on our own system.

4.                  Steering committee will evaluate the current marketplace and work on RFP for new President, which will be ready by next fall. 

 

Other Reports Not on Agenda

 

Federal Initiatives – Dr. Ford reported that the appropriations committee is still out.  Only two bills have passed, the budget and the Interior bill.  ISU had an Interior bill request that was not funded.  Things have slowed down with the committee due to the changes in the Supreme Court and hurricane Katrina.  The end of the fiscal year is September 30th, so they will be doing continuing resolutions to fund the government past that date, because the appropriations bills are not done yet. 

 

There has been some talk about long-term resolutions that would fund agencies at the minimum of what they received last year and what the House and Senate have marked up this year.  Essentially, everyone is receiving cutbacks. 

 

Our lobbyist feels that Katrina aid will be funded through a deficit and that the appropriations will not be affected too much.  He is uncertain what will happen if hurricane Rita hits Galveston.   

 

IV.       Council Business

                       

A.                 ORI Conference – Deb Easterly reported that the Research Integrity Conference is being held October 20-21st   - Responsible Conduct of Research – Essentials for Research.  The conference will have DHHS Office of Research Integrity experts and local speakers.  The conference is geared toward administrative staff, faculty and students.  Everyone is encouraged to attend.  There is a $125 registration fee for the conference.  Students are free, but must register.  If there is anyone who would like to attend, but has a financial burden, please contact the Office of Research and we will find the resources to help you out.  The conference will be televised to Boise.  The question was asked if the conference will be videotaped for those who are unable to attend because of other commitments.  Deb will check into this.    

 

B.                 Changes in Office of Research and Sponsored Programs –  Deb Easterly has moved to the Office of Research as the full-time Research Administrator.  Dave Harris is the Assistant Director of Sponsored Programs.  Sponsored Programs is in the last stages of a search to hire a Grants Information Specialist.  Pat Hunter is the full-time OSII in the Office of Research.  Carole Gull has taken over as the Administrative Assistant II in the Office of Research.

 

C.                 ISU Biomedical Research Institute –  Dr. Daniels reported that the NOI for the Institute was approved by the SBOE in late spring.  As of July 1st the Institute is a formal entity on campus.  The Institute currently has 5-6 projects in the works and   currently working on a five year management plan with 10-12 people in the working group.  The Institute is looking at fundraising for a facility on campus.  Currently there are 2 Howard Hughes Medical Institute proposals in the works and IAMES and INBRE proposals as well.  Three sponsored visitors are coming this fall.    

 

D.                 Call for Distinguished Researcher Nominations –Deb Easterly reported that the call went out on September 9th, about one month earlier than last year. 

                       

            Other Items Not on the Agenda

 

Dianne Horrocks reported on the following awards:

            Swamy Laxminarayan announced today – $4M

                        Herb Maschner –  $1.2M - NSF

                        Leslie Devaud – $1M - NIH

                        NSF awards:

                        Colden Baxter, Marjorie Matocq, Scott Kelchner, Ken Rodnick

                        College of Education has had several large awards from SBOE

 

INL Education contract – Dr. Ford reported that for the past several years the contract has been approximately $500,000.  The contract is to provide general education in Idaho Falls to lab employees in specific programs – Nuclear Engineering and Environmental Biotechnology.  This year’s contract should be approximately $1M.

 

Dr. Ford reported that the Release Time to Support External Funding budget was transferred from Academic Affairs to the Office of Research when Dr. Wharton took over.  All five proposals submitted last spring were funded. 

 

            Dr. Ford reported that the Federal Initiative call went out on September 20, 2005.       

 

Kay Flowers reported on money given to the library from the indirect cost pool.  The first year and several years after, the money was used to save periodicals – approximately $22,000-$35,000.  Now the indirect cost account at the library is about $70,000. 

 

Several disciplines have requested that the library think about “Web of Science.”  This   could be beneficial to biology, geology, chemistry, physics, etc.  This matter was taken to the University Library Committee.  The committee has concerns as to whether the faculty will use it.  The faculty did not use all of the faculty citation funds last year.  If the committee approves it, there would be a need for on-going funding to make it    worthwhile.  Kay is looking for any suggestions that anyone might have.

 

 

Dr. Ford reported that prior to 2004 we had a deficit in indirect costs from federal initiatives, money used to pay lobbyist and a portion of several salaries, etc.  Beginning            last fall, we are finally seeing positive dollars.  Last year $1.4M was collected from indirects on federal initiative money. 

 

            The next meeting will be held October 13th. 

                                     

Meeting adjourned ~4:07 p.m.