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The Case for IT Planning for Research Enterprises

The Case for IT Planning for Research Enterprises. William F. Decker Senior Associate VP for Research (bill-decker@uiowa.edu). EDUCAUSE Live! October 11, 2005. Outline. Issues of concern for the Chief Research Officer (CRO)

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The Case for IT Planning for Research Enterprises

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  1. The Case for IT Planning for Research Enterprises William F. Decker Senior Associate VP for Research (bill-decker@uiowa.edu) EDUCAUSE Live!October 11, 2005

  2. Outline • Issues of concern for the Chief Research Officer (CRO) • Relating these concerns to IT and responsibilities of the Chief Information Officer (CIO), including suggestions for possible CRO/CIO engagement October 11, 2005

  3. Problems October 11, 2005

  4. Things Keeping CROs Awake at Night • Pre-award support • Post-award support • Policy development and research integrity • Regulatory compliance • Laboratory and researcher security • Researcher productivity • Technology transfer and economic development • Growing the research enterprise / staying competitive October 11, 2005

  5. Pre-award Support • Information on sources of external support—optimizing availability and impact • Efficient proposal preparation processes • Connecting with Federal and other e-systems • Optimized proposal submission processes • Capture of appropriate data; identification of significant issues; records retention October 11, 2005

  6. Post-Award Support • Award notification • Related information dissemination—press releases; letters of congratulations; publicity • Grant accounting designed to aid researchers and assure compliance • Compliance assistance and monitoring • Grant/contract credit reporting October 11, 2005

  7. Policy Development and Research Integrity • Protection of basic academic freedoms • Confidential or classified research issues • Complexities related to the involvement of foreign nationals • Balancing competing interests (e.g. corporate versus academic) • Conflict of interest/conflict of commitment • Appropriate use of university facilities • Data ownership, retention, and access • Other… October 11, 2005

  8. Regulatory Compliance • Optimized, timely compliance processes—for example, protocol approvals • Information dissemination, training, certification • Administrative support for IRB, IACUC, Biosafety Committee, Hazardous Waste Management, Radiation Safety Committee, and on and on and … • Export controls laws October 11, 2005

  9. Laboratory and Researcher Security • Security of buildings, laboratories, offices • Animal care and protection • Equipment protection • Hazardous materials issues • Research data protection and recovery • Faculty, staff, and student security • On-campus and off-campus issues October 11, 2005

  10. Researcher Productivity • Researcher or research program profiling • Targeted program information • Non-intrusive, yet effective regulatory compliance support • Proposal writing support • Effective grant accounting • Rapid contract execution • Infrastructure optimization October 11, 2005

  11. Technology Transfer andEconomic Development • Administrative support for disclosures, patent management, portfolio management, licensing and options • Relationship management support • IP training and processes • Entrepreneurial training and processes October 11, 2005

  12. Growing the Research Enterprise / Staying Competitive • All the above • Public relations, perhaps especially for public institutions • Metrics and measurements • Increased competitiveness • Growing compliance costs • Growing infrastructure costs • Interdisciplinary support; inter-institutional support • Identifying and supporting new areas of strength; maintaining existing strengths October 11, 2005

  13. Solutions October 11, 2005

  14. Possible CRO Priorities for IT and CIOs • Direct research support • Assistance in maintaining competitiveness • Cost control • Business process efficiency • Optimal information services • Measurement, assessment, and planning • Security systems and access controls October 11, 2005

  15. Direct Research Support • Focus on what is important: creation, understanding, dissemination, insight, preservation, locating, organizing, communicating, … • Drivers: big science, big data, multidisciplinary approaches, problem complexity, capability • Selected responses: networking, computation, visualization, collaboration, storage and information management • Distinguishing between what can be done well centrally and what can be done well in decentralized ways October 11, 2005

  16. Assistance in Maintaining Competitiveness • Engaging the disciplinary communities—assisting, rather than relying on, the CRO • Building the case for infrastructure investments • Partnerships to advance opportunities • Productivity and efficiency of related business processes October 11, 2005

  17. Cost Control • Reducing the cost of lost opportunity • Maximizing researcher productivity • Infrastructure cost—increasing the utility of shared resources, enhancing competitive opportunity • Minimizing overhead and reducing duplication • Mitigation of risk October 11, 2005

  18. Business Process Efficiency • Design and redesign (continuous process improvement) • Workflow support • Monitoring, tracking, and triggering • Reporting • Data and record keeping, collection, retention, flexibility, and adaptability • Integration with accounting and financial systems • Researchers as “operators of small businesses” October 11, 2005

  19. Optimal Information Services • Information availability, accessibility, and utility • Matching information with needs • Publicity with a purpose—influence, public education October 11, 2005

  20. Measurement, Assessment, and Planning • Systems and business processes that provide information to aid in managing productivity and efficiency • Collaboration in identifying areas of opportunity • Utilization measurements and capacity planning • Creating the cases for investment October 11, 2005

  21. Security Systems and Access Controls • Data protection, backup, and recovery; access controls and use authorization • Assistance in managing compliance with regulatory responsibilities • Integration with other campus responsibilities • Improved understanding of the complexity of the systems that result from combinations of facilities management, IT, business processes, policies, and human social systems October 11, 2005

  22. Outcomes October 11, 2005

  23. CRO/CIO Collaborations • Joint planning • Faculty relationships • A base of trust built on delivered service, flexibility, consultation, and understanding • Collaboration in identifying and supporting opportunity • Ongoing attention October 11, 2005

  24. Resource Ideas • Council on Governmental Relations (COGR): www.cogr.edu [see especially the “Members Only” section under “Educational Materials”] • Purdue University case study: http://www.educause.edu/LibraryDetailPage/666?ID=ECS0507 • Council on Competitiveness: www.compete.org [see especially their Innovate America report] • National Academies Press topics on research issues and leadership: http://www.nap.edu/category.html?id=ri October 11, 2005

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