Year: 2019

As this semester comes to a close, I want to congratulate you on your successes this past year. Our research enterprise continues to post strong growth, with annual competitive expenditures topping $100 million for the first time. Read more about the state of Clemson research in my latest report to the Board of Trustees here.

For the Board of Trustees meetings in February, trustees have asked us to review our efficiency. As I compare our growth to our Carnegie R1 peers and consider our institutional size, I believe we operate efficiently. We are conducting more research than ever before. Our success in securing competitive awards has undoubtedly increased our workloads and stressed our ability to prepare and submit new proposals.

I feel this challenge myself. Proper planning is crucial. For the past three months, I have set aside a couple hours each week to work on a grant proposal for my own research that I finally submitted in November. Penny, my executive assistant, can attest that even a few hours on my calendar can be hard to find, as I am sure it is for you to find as well. But this is critical; the product I submit should be polished and professional.

As educators, we have all received student papers we believe were hastily written a night or two before the due date. Funding agencies can also tell which proposals are thoroughly researched, written and edited. In some cases, poorly prepared proposals may not be read at all. The National Science Foundation, for example, automatically roots out all proposals that aren’t formatted correctly.

This seems simple but can be easily overlooked. We have seen proposals rejected because they were submitted in the wrong font. We have seen instances where two abstracts were incorrectly submitted rather than an abstract and a project narrative. These mistakes are made because documents were filed right at the deadline without thorough review. Your Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) Support Center can help ensure that doesn’t happen to you, but you must submit documents to OSP at least two business days before proposals are due.

Grant awards are significant investments in your research and your career. I encourage you to make a plan to have proposals written early so we can help you put your best foot forward. Our goal should not be to meet the deadline. Our goal should be to put forward our best. Best is the standard at Clemson.

Thank you for your contributions to scholarship and discovery at Clemson. I wish you a restful holiday break and successful new year.

–Tanju

Dear Colleagues,

The federal government is increasingly concerned with attempts from foreign governments to unduly influence and exploit U.S.-funded research and is taking steps to protect our research integrity and intellectual capital.

International research engagements support the free exchange of ideas that has been central to our successes in scholarship and discovery, but we must make sure these engagements are conducted securely, transparently and ethically. Research integrity is paramount to our mission as educators and researchers.

The Division of Research has compiled a Guidance for Managing International Relationships and Activities to share recent statements from federal funding agencies, as well as information on federal policies and disclosure requirements. We encourage you to view that guidance and bookmark this webpage here. This guidance serves to help you navigate successful international research engagements.

This matter continues to evolve. The newly established Joint Committee on the Research Environment (JCORE) is coordinating federal agency activities and policies regarding research security. This includes establishing and coordinating disclosure requirements for participation in federally funded research and developing best practices for academic research institutions. JCORE also will be sharing a list of examples to help us understand the various ways research can be exploited or compromised.

We will be monitoring this closely and sharing new information with you as it becomes available.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about international research, please contact Tami Hemingway, Director, Office of Export Compliance and Research Security, at theming@clemson.edu.

Best,

Robert H. Jones                                                          Tanju Karanfil
Executive Vice President for                                         Vice President for Research
Academic Affairs and Provost                                       Clemson University, Division of Research

October 2019 Research Report

I hope you had a restful summer break following what was a very productive year for our research enterprise.

During Fiscal Year 2019, we achieved two key goals of our ClemsonForward strategic plan:

• Our Carnegie R1 status among the nation’s most active research universities was confirmed.
• Our competitive research expenditures (Fund 20) topped $100 million for the first time, reaching $104 million during fiscal year 2019.

Additionally, our competitive awards topped $100 million for the fourth consecutive year. Congratulations on these achievements and thank you for your hard work and dedication to advancing scholarship and discovery at Clemson University. Our challenge is to maintain this level of research activity.

As you settle into a new semester, I want to provide a few reminders for conducting research at Clemson and make sure you are aware of some of the services the Division offers to help you advance your research portfolio:

• Do not sign any research-related documents (e.g., non-disclosure agreements, grant agreements, research contracts, consulting agreements). Contact the Division of Research.
• Visit our Office of Research Development to view various funding opportunities.
• When you identify a funding opportunity for which you plan to apply, first notify the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) Support Center in your college. Contacts are listed here.
• If you haven’t already, complete the Sponsored Programs Certification Program here. You will not be able to submit proposals through Clemson University without the certification.
• Register when applicable for any electronic registrations/accounts (NSF Fastlane/research.gov, eRA Commons, etc.) required by the funding agencies.
• Faculty should have a current Conflict of Interest Disclosure on file to be able to submit proposals (e.g., NIH, NSF). Access COI training here and submit your disclosure through InfoEd here.
• Make sure to set up your lab on the new online BioRAFT platform to begin managing your research safety requirements. Log in with your university credentials and follow the BioRAFT Quick Start Guide. If setting up a new lab or beginning research in a new area, include the Office of Research Safety in your planning.
• Register for a Brown Bag Series seminar to better understand research integrity and compliance and earn credits toward required Responsible Conduct of Research training, when applicable. If you have questions or concerns related to research integrity/misconduct, please contact the Research Integrity Officer.
• Prior to beginning a research project, make sure that all regulatory and compliance protocols regarding animal care, biosafety, human subjects and other research have been submitted and approvals are in place. Consult with the Office of Research Compliance on regulatory and compliance matters.
• Once you have been awarded funds, OSP will forward the award to the Grants and Contracts Administration (GCA), which will set up the award and provide an account number. Do not start your funded research project prior to account setup, unless you obtain a risk account.
• Review your Sponsored project dashboard with the Faculty Business Information System (FBIS), which provides an expense summary, transaction details and burn-rate information. Use the Sponsored Program Verification System to manage your semi-annual compensation reporting requirement online.
• To disclose an invention, license intellectual property, or identify an industry collaborator, contact the Clemson University Research Foundation.
• If submitting a proposal to an industry sponsor, the Office of Industry Contracts will need to review your proposal and negotiate an agreement with the industry sponsor before you initiate the project.

The Division of Research can help you identify opportunities, submit proposals, manage awards, work with industry, navigate research-related regulations and much more. If you need assistance and aren’t sure who to contact, please fill out this form and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.

Or if you have any comments or suggestions, please reach me directly at vpr@clemson.edu.

Thank you again for your contributions to scholarship and discovery at Clemson University.

Go Tigers!

– Tanju

The Division of Research rolled out a new digital solution from BioRAFT that makes it easier for faculty, staff and students to complete safety training, inventory chemicals and other materials, track safety equipment, and complete other safety tasks.

This secure, intuitive online platform provides automated reminders to help faculty complete safety tasks quickly and return to their research. BioRAFT replaces the current method of searching for training materials online, emailing documents to Research Safety staff, trying to track down laboratory personnel to check training status, and searching for chemical hazard information and safety data sheets (SDSs).

Researchers at other universities reported spending 60.5% less time on average completing the top 15 common safety tasks when using BioRAFT. Additionally, researchers spent 53%-84% less time on training and other safety specific tasks, allowing more time to focus on research while incorporating safety into their daily activities.

BioRAFT offers several features:

• Easily access SDSs and track inventories of chemicals and hazardous materials using Chemtracker.
• Manage safety and other research equipment.
• Streamline inspections and follow-ups.
• Complete online training and track training requirements and statuses for PIs and lab and research area members.
• Easily access safety documents and standard operating procedures (SOPs).

BioRAFT is accessible online here. Log in with your Clemson University ID and password and follow the Quick Start Guide.

The BioRAFT site is compatible with your mobile device.

BioRAFT offers several different “modules” for specific tasks, such as inventorying chemicals, scheduling inspections or meeting training requirements. Those modules will be implemented in the following steps:

• As of Aug. 1 –  Bioraft is live for PIs and supervisors to set up their labs and work areas.
• As of Aug. 15 –  Online training is now available.
• Sept. 30 – Inspection module becomes available.
• Oct. 30 – Chemtracker and SDS becomes available.
• Nov. 30 – Equipment module becomes available.

The Office of Research Safety will notify faculty via email from the BioRAFT platform when new modules are available.

QUESTIONS?

Please read the FAQs here.

Research Safety will conduct BioRAFT training throughout campus during the fall semester. You can also submit questions about this new platform to bioraftRShelp@clemson.edu.

April 2019 Research Report

February 2019 Research Report

October 2018 Research Report

April 2018 Research Report

February 2018 Research Report

October 2017 Research Report

July 2017 Research Report