DEVELOPING SUCCESSFUL RESEARCH INITIATIVES

1. DEVELOPING SUCCESSFUL RESEARCH INITIATIVES Professor Dr. Adel M. Sharaf, P.Eng. Electrical and Computer Engineering Department The University of New Brunswick Fredericton, NB, Canada E3B 5A3 E-mail: Sharaf@unb.ca

2. KEYWORDS • Issues • Mission • Scholarships • Vision • Graduate Studies & Research • Challenges • Approach • Extensions • Funding • There Candidate • Research Services Model • Key Research Areas • Research Equation

3. ISSUES FACING HIGHER EDUCATION • Educational Quality • Accountability • Competitiveness • Collegial Environment • Learning Outcome & Assessment (Mission, objectives, outcome)

4. MISSION • To foster innovation, Creativity, Discovery, Critical thinking through excellent graduate studies and research targeted to areas of importance to community, national and international markets. • Develop a research culture encompassing students, faculty. • Promote research as a tool for personal growth, economic prosperity and gainful employment • Provide full accessibility to educational resources and services • Promote lifelong learning and retraining through innovative graduate studies & research programs and Continuing Education Center (CEC) • Establish sustainable links with business and industry through internships, cooperation learning and mentoring programs

5. SCHOLARSHIPS • Ernest Boyer’s Model • Four Overlapping Scholarships • Discovery • Integration • Application • Teaching • Create Knowledge &Disseminate Knowledge • Integrate Knowledge • Apply Knowledge

6. VISION • Accessibility of graduate programs • Innovative high quality and highly relevant research programs • Areas of strength • Building stronger partnerships with Government, Business, Community and Industry • Establish pre-eminence, maintain excellence • Use of Information technology and networking • Funding • Internationalizing research activities

7. GRADUATE STUDIES & RESEARCH (GSR) I-GOALS: • Attract, retrain, and train highly qualified personnel • Basic & applied research • Creation & Dissemination of Knowledge • Training & Continuing Education II- PROBLEMS: • Funding limitations • Faculty Research overload - burden • Need for innovative programs! III- NEEDS: • Streamlining, new interdisciplinary programs (Arts & Science) • Major initiatives • Short-term and long-term plan (Executive Advisory Committee)

8. IV- CHALLENGES: • Massive retirements in Academic (30-50%) expected in the next 7-10 years. • Innovative in technology and tilting employment markets (Global Economy) • Promotional efforts to alter the perception of Graduate Studies and the value of the graduate degrees • Need to compete nationally and internationally • Internet based learning • On-line Diploma and Master programs. • Role of Mentoring in sustaining research

9. APPROACH • New funding support from World Bank, CIDA, UNESCO in addition to NSERC and SSHRC • New flexible Master’s and Diploma / Certificate programs (on-line Master/part-time Masters/Diploma) • Academic Channel, Academic Research Agreements (Developing countries, Middle East, South East Asia and Eastern Europe) • Top-up Graduate Awards, Travel Grants • Annual Research Competition and Research Forum / Workshops • New Areas of Research – Interdisciplinary (I.T., e-Business, energy, Environment, Economics, Business, Nursing, Education, Arts,…) • Quality Assurance and Research Outcome Assessment (Goals, Objectives, Tasks,…) • Need to Market (SGSR) as an Educational Commodity (Fairs, Exhibitions, Shows,…)

10. Annual Newsletter • On-line Web-Based Data Bank of research capabilities, expertise • Annual SGS-Report (Research Summaries, Publication Record, Awards, Scholarship) • Acceptance process automation • Research / Graduate Student supervision should be considered as an integral part of teaching load. • Develop a Coherent Research Culture • Role of Collaborative Research • Include Research Components in Under graduate teaching (Project-based learning, self-learning) • Scholarly Teaching (Knowledge Creation & Dissemination)

11. EXTENSIONS • Seminars / Workshops • Research Competitions • Elicit feedback from Business and Industry on their requirements and expectations of future employees • Expand Research and educational Resources • Provide Mentored teaching and research experience to new faculty members and graduate students • Establish Consultative Advisory Committee (CAC)

12. RESEARCH FUNDING • Strengthen P3 (Private-Public-Partnerships) • Industrial support of R & D (Industry initiated specialized research) • Long-term Academic Links with developing countries • New funding agencies (World Bank, CIDA, UNESCO,…) • Strengthen resources (Libraries, computing facilities, specialized laboratories, resource sharing agreements) • International Research Links & academic Agreement Areas (Energy, Health, Community Development, Conflict Studies, Education, Cultural Exchanges)

13. GSR-URGENT NEEDS • Graduate school promotional CD & Brochures • Research data base • Research review magazine • Research links academic Exchange Agreements (S.E. Asia, Middle East, Africa). • Joint M.Sc. & Ph.D programs (Inter-Faculty, Inter-University) Academic channels. • Graduate studies & Research Manual • Graduate students-Research Annual competition. • Research prizes / Top-up scholarships

14. HOW TO BUILD A RESEARCH CULTURE • Establish research guide lines/ code of Ethics • Research as a integral part of scholarly teaching • Remove barriers, streamline the process. • Sense of coherence (graduate students, Faculty, Administration as one living organ) • Establish a winning image & project this Image nationally and internationally • Market excellence “ success breeds success” • Establish an active advisory committee

15. NEW RESEARCH FUNDING • Stress the mutual benefits of research innovation. • Stress targeted research. • Research –Park and incubation centers. • International partnerships • CIDA, World-Bank, UNSECO other aid organizations • NGO, Industry/ Business Liaison. • Value-Added Research (Royality) • Consulting service as an extra funding research tool.

16. THE CANDIDATE • Dynamic Leadership & Vision. • Planning- Skills. • Management & Business Skills. • Communications & Interpersonal Skills. • Salesmanship & Marketing Skills. • Responsiveness

17. RESEARCH SERVICES MODEL I- FUNCTION: • Develop, promote, deliver & sustain effective research services. • Attraction of funds to ensure sustainability and competitiveness of University Research. II- REQUIREMENTS: • Effective policies dealing with Intellectual property and Rights. • Confidentiality and Contractual Rights & Obligations. • Infrastructure (Facilities, Faculty use of Graduate Students, shared resources and facilities) • Funding ( New Innovative Sources : local, National, International Aid Agencies).

18. III- RESEARCH CLASSIFICATION: • Focused Product/Service • Driven Research (Applied Research) • Energy Environment, Privatization, Materials, Nano-technology, CIT, Biotechnology. • Interdisciplinary Research. • Basic Research with potential for commercialization. • Services (short-term, long-term). IV- MANAGEMENT MODEL: • Style: (Goal driven, Collegial collaborative decision making, Group-Consultations and feedback). • Classification of Research Services (Short-term Consulting, Product driven, Specialized Development, Concept Validation).

20. V- HOW? • Build Partnerships based on Mutual Benefits. • Government Liaison (NSERC, CFI, Chair of Excellence, EMR, IRAP, NRC,…). • NGO, Industry and external business funding. • Aid Agencies and International (CIDA, CIDA-INC., World Bank, UN-Agencies). • Academic / Research Links with developing countries (SE Asia, China, Middle East), Universities, Research Centers/Laboratories and Academic Graduate Research Agreements. • International Partnerships • International Satellite Campuses

21. OFFICE OF RESEARCH SERVICES (ORS) VI- TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CYCLE: • Concept • Prototyping • Validation / Certification / Patenting • Marketing & Commercialization. • Shared Benefits (Royalties, JVC, Spin-off Business Holdings, Technology Transfer fees, etc…).

22. SAMPLE KEY RESEARCH AREAS • Energy • Environment / Pollution Abatement • Medical, Biometrics & Biotechnology • Food / Nutrition • Nano-Technology • Materials • CIT (Computers & Information Technology) • Business & Privatization. • Art/ Computer Science (MMI, Well based learning, …..)

23. ICT-Information & Communications • Health Sciences,Bio-Technology,Bio-Metrics. • Education reform. • Conflict studies Third World & North-South issues • Fine Arts / Culture • Sustainable Development • United Nations Development Program (UNDP) • Economic & Social Studies for the Environment • Disaster Planning • Public policy & International Development.

24. RESEARCH EQUATION RESEARCH EXCELLENCE  EQUALS: • Commitment • Resources • Focus • Innovation • Relevance • Links • Image • Marketing • Cross-Research/Multi-Disciplinary • Coherent Research Culture • Research in the classrooms

25. RESEARCH PROMOTION • Six Investments: • Invest in R & D Innovation / Targeted Research • Invest in People • Invest in Mentorship • Invest in Research Environment • Invest in Partnerships (NGO, Government, National, International) • Invest in Collaboration Interdisciplinary – (Art-Science) – (Science-Engineering)