Vice President for Research
The University of Texas at Arlington (UT Arlington) is seeking nominations and
applications for the position of Vice President for Research (VPR). With a new President and a significant commitment to expanding its research footprint, UT Arlington is poised to become a premier research university. As the champion for research, innovation, and economic
partnerships at UT Arlington, the VPR will be integral to that effort. Reporting directly to the President of the University and working in close collaboration with the Provost, the VPR will be responsible for growing the University’s research and entrepreneurial enterprise, for fostering the commercialization of UT Arlington intellectual property, and for assuring the scientific integrity and the responsible conduct of research. This exceptional opportunity allows the new VPR to create innovative partnerships and research programs between, and for, the faculty;
foster inventions; and expand the pipeline of the nation’s and world’s researchers.
PROFILE OF THE UNIVERSITY
The University of Texas at Arlington, with more than 38,000 students, is the second largest university in the University of Texas System. The University is rising in stature through its commitment to push the boundaries of knowledge, transform the lives of students, and serve a growing and diverse community. UT Arlington provides a distinctive undergraduate and
graduate education encompassing over 180 degree programs in degree-granting schools and colleges: Architecture, Business, Engineering, Education, Liberal Arts, Nursing, Science, Social Work, and Urban and Public Affairs.With the initiation of a new strategic plan, “Bold Solutions, Global Impact,” UT Arlington is positioned to take full advantage of its location at the center of the growing metropolitan area of Dallas/Fort Worth.
U.S. News & World Report ranks UT Arlington fifth nationally in terms of the diversity of the student population. The Chronicle of Higher Education ranks UT Arlington as the16th fastest-growing public research University in the United States over the last ten years. The New America Foundation describes UT Arlington as a “next-generation university — a model for national reform — continuing their commitment to world-class research while increasing enrollment and graduation rates, even as the investments from their states have declined.”
The University’s 420-acre main campus is located in downtown Arlington and comprises more than 100 buildings that are alive with energy and activity. During the past five years, the
University has transformed its campus with the construction of several major buildings and complexes. Totaling approximately $300 million in the past three years alone, these construction projects are revitalizing the campus and downtown.
The University of Texas at Arlington is in the heart of the fourth-largest and fastest- growing metropolitan area in the nation. The Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Metroplex is home to 18 Fortune 500 corporate headquarters and boasts the world-class DFW International Airport.
The University is a major economic driver in Texas with a total statewide economic impact of more than $13.6 billion annually.
RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY
Ranked by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a Research University/High Research Activity, UT Arlington is committed to becoming a premier Research University. In the past ten years, it has made incredible progress. Research activity has more than tripled, with current research expenditures exceeding $78 million. UT Arlington has set an aggressive goal of exceeding $100 million in research expenditures in the next three to four years.
In addition to research conducted by individual faculty and collaborative groups, research is conducted through the Shimadzu Institute for Research Technologies
(http://www.uta.edu/sirt/) and the University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute – UTARI (http://www.uta.edu/utari/), both of which will report directly to the VPR, as well as through six organized Research Centers of Excellence – The Center for Renewable Energy, Science &
Technology, the Center of Excellence for High Energy Physics, the Center of Excellence in Health and Chronic Illness, the Medical Imaging & Device Innovation Center, the Security Advances Via Applied Nano-Technology Center, and the Sustainable and Resilient Civil Infrastructure Center.
In addition, UT Arlington serves as the host for a Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
UT Arlington’s faculty include researchers who are leading pioneering work in areas such as medical diagnostics, including neuro-imaging and imaging for the detection of cancer, uses of nano-technology for medical, electronic, and materials development, analytical and
environmental chemistry, herpetology, big data and data analytics, cyber security and
infrastructure resilience, sustainability, robotics and UASs, language development, mind-brain investigations and neurosciences, high energy and particle physics, genomics and proteomics, advanced materials, as well as in areas related to social work, innovations in education, and non-destructive evaluation. The faculty includes a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a member of the National Academy of Science, and eight fellows of the National Academy of Inventors in addition to Fulbright Scholars, and fellows of numerous professional organizations.
Funding is primarily derived from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, State of Texas, various corporate entities, and foundations.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Serving as a visionary and strategic leader for the research enterprise at The University of Texas at Arlington, the Vice President for Research shapes the future of research, innovation,
entrepreneurship, scholarly inquiry, and economic development. Reporting directly to the President and working in close collaboration with the Provost, academic deans and community partners, the VPR is responsible for stimulating, fostering, and growing the research enterprise, particularly interdisciplinary and translational research opportunities. In addition s/he will serve as the coordinator for enhancing the University’s growing graduate student-based research endeavor, including coordinating inter-, cross- and multi-disciplinary research activities across colleges, providing leadership to grow and support the doctoral student population, and ensuring their progression and timely graduation. The VPR will also serve as the primary point of contact for entrepreneurial and technology transfer activities including a potential technology incubator.
The roles and responsibilities of this position include:
• Develop a strategic plan for the Office and define roles for the Office of the Vice
President for Research to aggressively support the University’s vision and strategic plan, with a focus on positioning UT Arlington at the Carnegie Classification of Very High Research;
• Lead and coordinate the development of strong external partnerships to strengthen and aggressively build the research enterprise;
• Build the research office to best serve the campus (faculty and students) in enhancing research and scholarship;
• Identify, develop, and sustain private and public sources of research funding at the individual and team levels;
• Establish strong partnerships with government agencies and corporate entities for the express purposes of aggressively enhancing research funding, entrepreneurship, and technology transfer;
• Develop strong ties to the community in the Metroplex and North Texas area to enhance the University’s research enterprise;
• Actively facilitate the development of research infrastructure (equipment and buildings) and resources (funding for special initiatives, travel, and graduate student support) to enable a vibrant research environment;
• Serve as the University’s principle point of contact for the establishment and maintenance of research partnerships and consortia;
• Identify opportunities, facilitate, and build interdisciplinary collaborations within the University;
• Bring visibility to UT Arlington’s accomplishments in research and graduate education;
• Serve as a catalyst and coordinator for research innovation, and for the enhancement of graduate/post-doctoral numbers and education across the institution;
• In consultation with the President, Vice President for Development, and Chief Financial Officer, develop and implement a strategy to attract venture capital and angel investors to enable entrepreneurship among students, research staff, and faculty, and the
commercialization of University-based intellectual property;
• Assure scientific integrity, responsible conduct of research, and strict compliance with policies and legal requirement.
QUALITIES AND DESIRABLE CHARACTERISTICS
The University seeks an innovative and accomplished leader to serve as its Vice
President for Research. While no single candidate will have all the qualities and characteristics listed below, the successful candidate will demonstrate a majority of the attributes below:
• Impeccable credentials as a leader, facilitator, and supporter of research as a means of both educating graduate students and enabling impact in the community;
• An outstanding record of research accomplishments, including but not limited to a high record of sustained research funding and an international reputation as a scholar and researcher;
• Demonstrated experience in leading large complex organizations, such as a center, an institute, or a multi-investigator research team, including responsibility for budget, personnel, and administrative functions;
• Unquestioned standards of personal and professional integrity, and the demonstrated ability to ensure high standards of professionalism in an organization;
• Knowledge of, and experience working with, complex policies and procedures required for initiation and execution of contracts and grants with federal and state agencies, corporate entities, and foundations;
• Knowledge of, and experience with, pre- and post-award administration, and federal regulations for research;
• Experience with intellectual property, and the management and promotion of technology transfer activities;
• Demonstrated successful record of partnerships with federal and state agencies, and corporate entities for the development of research initiatives;
• Excellent communication skills with a demonstrated ability to listen to a variety of constituencies, synthesize input, make decisions, and share information broadly to build consensus and support for actions;
• Demonstrated cultural competence and ability to communicate and interact effectively with diverse constituencies within and outside the University;
• Demonstrated ability to stimulate new directions, to optimize existing resources, and to build for the future;
• An appreciation of the dual research and educational missions of a major urban research university, with the ability to articulate and implement a vision for research and education in the 21st century, including the capability of enabling collaboration across disciplinary bounds;
• Demonstrated effectiveness in facilitation of research excellence by others, including in the formation of teams;
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing administrative processes with an emphasis on providing quality customer-oriented services and managing growth and change in a large, complex higher education organization.
APPLICATION AND NOMINATIONS
Nominations and expressions of interest will continue to be considered until the
position is filled. The Search Committee will initiate the screening of candidates upon receipt of information. Nominations and/or letters of application, including current curriculum vitae should be electronically sent to:
Vice President for Research Search Committee c/o Mirah Horowitz
Russell Reynolds Associates UTArlingtonVPR@Russellreynolds.com
University of Texas at Arlington is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
