Establishment of the Research and Development Council: Replaces EM 86-010 and 87-007

From: Robin S. Wilson, President

Subject: Establishment of the Research and Development Council, replaces EM 86-010 (Research and Grant Development Council) and EM 87-007(University Lottery Committee).

On the recommendation of the Faculty Senate, I approve the attached document for implementation. This establishes the Research and Development Council, which will provide support and guidance for the scholarly and creative interests of CSU, Chico faculty.

The purpose of the Research and Development Council is to foster the scholarly and creative interests of California State University, Chico faculty. The Council provides support and guidance for scholarly efforts, research, grants, contracts, externally sponsored demonstration and education programs, and related creative activities. The Council ensures faculty participation in the formulation of policies for research, professional development, and sponsored projects. The Council also helps the University secure program support and fosters a favorable environment for scholarly and creative activity.

Composition of the Research and Development Council

Membership

The Research and Development Council consists of 18 tenured or tenure-track faculty representing a diversity of academic fields as well as achievements and the Vice Provost for Research, all voting members. The 18 faculty members are elected and serve according to the following procedures and rules:

• Tenured and tenure-track faculty in each college elect two members from their college to the Council; Information Resources faculty elect one of their faculty. The Faculty Senate elects one at-large member to represent extra- college programs such as the Center for International Studies and the Institute for Liberal and Interdisciplinary Studies.
• Council members will demonstrate a record of research, scholarship, or creative activity. Applicants will submit to the appropriate dean a paragraph listing their accomplishments in research, scholarship, and creative activity to be incorporated in the ballot. The appropriate portion of each candidate's vita will be made available for review in the Dean's Office prior to election.
• Members serve overlapping two-year terms.

Charge - The Council is charged with

• Evaluating university grant, contract, and foundation activities that support research, demonstration, and education programs.
• Assisting in development of faculty proposals for funding.
• Recommending allocation of research and development resources to faculty.
• Forming committees to review proposals for but not limited to: CSU Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Awards Sponsored Projects and Summer Scholars Awards University-wide Lottery Funds.
• Review committees may be augmented by student, staff, alumni, and administration members.

Composition of Research and Development Council Committees

CSU Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Review Committee

Membership - The Committee is composed of nine voting members:

• Seven faculty representing a broad range of disciplines selected by the Council from its members for one-year terms.
• One graduate student chosen by the Council of Graduate Students for a one-year term.
• The Vice Provost for Research or designee.

The Director of Sponsored Projects serves as non-voting staff to the committee.

Charge - The Committee is charged with

• Consulting with and recommending to the President the distribution of CSU Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Awards, which may include (inter alia)
  • Semester or partial assigned time.
  • Mini-grants of up to $5,000.
  • Summer stipends of one or two months' duration.
• Developing timelines for proposals requests and awards.
• Evaluating proposals according to
  • Merits of the proposed research, scholarship, or creative activity as a significant undertaking within the applicant's field.
  • Relevance of the proposed activity to the applicant's teaching area.
  • Additional criteria may be developed by the Committee. All criteria must be in the request for proposals.
• Determining a distribution of awards according to the quality of proposals submitted and restrictions or criteria mandated by source of support.
• Maintaining communication with campus faculty development programs.
• Submitting an annual report to the Chair of the Faculty Senate, the President, and the Provost.

Sponsored Projects and Summer Scholars Review Committee

Membership - The Committee is composed of six voting members:

• Five faculty representing a broad range of disciplines selected by the Council from its members for one-year terms.
• The Vice Provost for Research or designee.

Charge - The Committee is charged with

• Developing timelines for proposal requests and awards.
• Evaluating proposals according to
  • Merits of the proposed research, scholarship, or creative activity as a significant undertaking within the applicant's field.
  • Relevance of the proposed activity to the applicant's teaching area.
  • Additional criteria may be developed by the Committee. All criteria must be stated in the request for proposals.
• Ranking proposals for each competition and recommending to the Vice Provost for Research the level of award for each.
• Maintaining communication with campus faculty development programs.
• Submitting an annual report to the Chair of the Faculty Senate, the President, and the Provost.

University Lottery Committee

Membership - The Committee is composed of ten voting members and one non-voting member:

• One faculty member from each of six colleges selected by the Research and Development Council from its members for one-year terms.
• One Dean's Council representative appointed annually by the Provost.
• One alumnus appointed annually by the President.
• One student appointed annually by the Vice President for Student Affairs from his Advisory Council.
• One staff member appointed annually by the Chair of the Staff Council.
• The Vice Provost for Research or designee serves as ex officio, non-voting committee chair.

Charge - The Committee is charged wit

• Consulting with the President and recommending a plan for allocating discretionary lottery funds and lottery endowment interest funds in three funding areas:
  • Enhancement of existing programs: The lottery's primary purpose is enhancement of existing academic programs. Funds will be equitably allocated to university-wide instructional units (e.g. , colleges, ILIS, CIS) and used for clearly defined program enhancements (e.g. , additional field trips, additional teaching materials) and for faculty development. Identification of appropriate enhancements will be made by the academic dean upon recommendation from a college-level faculty committee.
  • University-wide competitive awards: The programs will be described to the university community in requests for proposals to be developed by the University Lottery Committee. Special program areas may be defined by the Committee, or the Committee may designate an open competition eligible within CSU lottery guidelines.
  • Residual funds: Remaining funds will be allocated to the lottery endowment account.
• Evaluating proposals according to
  • Programmatic need, including the identification of need within specified areas of instruction and the proposed project's quality and relevance to that need.
  • Enhancement of the university's mission, including academic program attractiveness, academic program improvement, faculty development and instructional performance enhancement, and academic program visibility.
  • The Committee may develop additional criteria as necessary. All criteria must be included in the request for proposals.
• Submitting an annual report to the Chair of the Faculty Senate, the President, and the Provost.