The Division of the Vice President for Research at Oklahoma State University (OSU) is seeking outstanding candidates for its next Senior Associate Vice President for research.

The Senior Associate Vice President for Research (SAVPR) at OSU functions as a “number two” to the Vice President for Research (VPR). As such, the SAVPR serves as the senior member of the VPR leadership team which is composed of two additional Associate Vice Presidents and three Assistant Vice Presidents. The SAVPR has delegated authority in most areas to stand in for the VPR when needed and is often called upon to fill in temporarily when leadership vacancies occur throughout the Research Division. Thus, breadth of knowledge/experience across the Division’s functional areas and deep management skills are critical.

The specific operational portfolio of the next SAVPR is not expected to exactly match that of the most recent incumbent. Rather, the successful candidate will work with the VPR and the VPR leadership team to identify the portfolio components at the intersection of the SAVPR’s interests/skillsets and the functional areas of the Research Division (summarized below). The result will be a dynamic portfolio that allows the SAVPR to create demonstrable positive impact on the OSU research enterprise, while simultaneously broadening the leadership purview…the latter being important both for the SAVPR’s professional development and for being able to truly fill in for the VPR when needed.

OSU Division of Research—Functional Areas

Institutional-Level Research Strategy and Policy

•  Mid-/Long-Term Initiative Planning
•  New Policy Development
•  Policy Updates/Revisions

Faculty-Facing Research Programs

•  Liaising with Associate Deans for Research
•  Internal Grants
•  Startup Packages
•  Grantsmanship

Student-Facing Research Programs

•  Management of VPR-Level Programs
•  Liaising Campuswide in Support of Undergraduate Research

Research Capacity and Competitiveness

•  NSF EPSCoR
•  NASA EPSCoR
•  Grant Writers

Central Research Unit Management

•  Institution-Level Institutes
•  Core Facilities (Animal Resources, Microscopy, etc.)

Central Sponsored Programs Administration

• Coordinating OSU Decentralized Sponsored Programs Infrastructure
• Contract/Agreement Management

Public-Facing Outreach and Communications

• Publications
• Outreach Events and Platforms

Federal Relations

•  Liaising with Delegation/Staff
•  Lobbyist Management

Research-Based Economic Development

• Technology Commercialization
•  Technology Acceleration
•  Research Park Management

Research Cyberinfrastructure

• High Performance Computing Center
• Regional Supercomputer         

Research Integrity

• Research Integrity Officer
• Management of Research Misconduct Allegations/Investigations
• Responsible Conduct of Research

Research Compliance

• Full Spectrum of Compliance Domains (IRB, IACUC, Biosafety, etc.)

Research Security

• Federally-Compliant Research Security Program (as per NSPM-33)
• Insider Threat Program

Security Clearance Management

• Controlled Unclassified Information Management
• Export Controls

THE UNIVERSITY: Oklahoma State University (OSU) is a land-grant institution, with a rich history of institutional success and growth. Classified as a Carnegie R1 (Very High Research Activity) university, its leaders advancing the institution further by supporting excellence across the tripartite mission of student instruction, ground-breaking research, and extending the university’s knowledge and expertise to the communities we serve.

OSU has graduated more than 264,000 students who serve the state of Oklahoma, the nation and the world. It is a multi-campus university, with over 200 master’s, doctoral and graduate certificate programs offered in Stillwater, at the OSU-Tulsa campus, and online. The graduate student population has been steadily rising over the past few years; and is about 5,000, with students from 47 states and 115 countries.

The OSU campus and the city of Stillwater are known for being welcoming, respectful and genuine. A mid-size city, Stillwater is a one-hour drive to the metropolitan areas of Oklahoma City and Tulsa, both of which are home to international airports, vibrant art and performance venues and professional sports teams. Stillwater is education-focused and boasts one of the top public-school districts in the state. Additionally, the dependents of OSU employees receive four years of free tuition.

Required Qualifications: 

The Senior Associate Vice President for Research must possess an earned doctoral degree and have academic credentials and previous experience that merit a tenured appointment in an academic unity within the University. Other minimum qualifications include:

1. Professional and administrative experience in Research in a complex organizational environment

2. Demonstrated record of administrative leadership, personnel management, effective communication, and informed decision-making

3. Demonstrated record of inspiring and facilitating others to engage in a collaborative environment to innovate, create, and advance the research mission

 4. Demonstrated record of working effectively with faculty and administrators to create collegial relationships that promote research.

 5. Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively with people in a wide variety of interests and disciplines to foster high productivity in research, scholarly and creative activities

SALARY: Commensurate with qualifications.

BEGINNING DATE: As soon as possible following acceptance of position.