The growth in our research enterprise is being noticed. In December, President Clements was contacted by a PhD student studying higher education management at the University of Pennsylvania. The student is researching Carnegie R2 universities who achieved R1 status in 2015 and had that status reaffirmed in 2018. Clemson, of course, fits the bill. “And, in looking at the research trends over time, Clemson didn’t just cross the line, Clemson jumped over it and is forging ahead. Hence my interest in studying whatever special is going on at the university,” the student wrote in his request.
To better understand what is making Clemson’s research enterprise special, the student visited Clemson in January to interview numerous people, including me. As I considered the answers to his question, one thing became clear: Together, we are nurturing a research culture with big aspirations. We are pursuing and securing large grant projects. We are joining our colleagues to form interdisciplinary teams that can tackle big societal questions. We are increasing our expenditures. We are increasing our PhD productivity. We are conducting more research than ever before.
Next month, I will present on our “research efficiency” to the Board of Trustees. I am proud to show them how favorable our growth is compared to our peer Carnegie R1 institutions and how much hard work you all have done. Thanks for all that you do to support scholarship and discovery at Clemson. All of my Board of Trustees reports are archived online here. The February report will be posted after the meetings in February.
In the meantime, I want to provide a couple important reminders from agency sponsors:
No. 1: Faculty seeking awards from the National Science Foundation must complete biosketches in a new format under a revised NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide. This is just one change implemented under the new guide. Read this announcement from the Office of Sponsored Programs to learn more of your responsibilities under this policies and procedures guide.
No. 2: Individuals supported by research training, fellowship, research education, and career development awards from the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be required to have Open Researcher and Contributor Identifiers (ORCID IDs). Read more on that here.
As you settle into another semester, I want to provide a few additional reminders for conducting research at Clemson:
- 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/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. Login 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 setup 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.
- For assistance with any research or research-related agreements with industry, contact the Office of Industry Contracts.
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
