Changes to Boston University Research Administration
From Dr. Jean Morrison, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer
The support that our faculty receive from the University in their efforts to obtain competitive, externally sponsored funding for their research and scholarship must be highly effective. As you know, the services that our research support organizations have been providing have not been up to the standards to which we aspire. We must redouble our efforts to improve the quality and effectiveness of support services for research proposal submission, post award set-up, and grants administration across the University. These efforts are critical; we aim to provide not merely appropriate administrative support, but rather highly effective processes and support systems that will give our faculty a distinct advantage in the increasingly intense competition for research support.
In order to address these issues, President Brown has recently made new commitments to improving the services provided by the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), Research Operations, Systems and Analytics (ROSA), and Post Award Financial Operations (PAFO).
First, he has transferred direct responsibility for OSP and ROSA to the University Provost and Chief Academic Officer, effective immediately. This change in responsibility and reporting line for these functions – both of which are, at their core, faculty support functions – brings us into alignment with the organization in place at most of our peers among AAU private institutions. Consistent with those same peer institutions, PAFO will continue to be the responsibility of Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer Marty Howard.
I have asked Gloria Waters, Vice President and Associate Provost for Research, to take the lead in the operational oversight of OSP and ROSA. In recognition of the important role that Diane Baldwin has and will continue to play in the transformation of OSP and PAFO, she has been promoted to Associate Vice President for Sponsored Programs and will report to Gloria Waters. Gillian Emmons, Associate Vice President and University Comptroller, will reassume oversight of PAFO. Gillian will work in close partnership with Gloria Waters and Diane Baldwin to provide best practice support of the University’s research mission from the research proposal stage to award close-out.
Second, President Brown has committed additional resources to enable us to invest in increasing the quality of these services, as well as our capacity to provide support in these areas. We have already engaged the Huron Consulting Group to assist us in these efforts.
Gloria Waters, Marty Howard, and I all take the responsibility for making significant improvements in Boston University’s research support infrastructure very seriously and commit to addressing the issues swiftly and to communicating clearly about the actions we are taking.
We understand the challenges and problems that our research community has encountered with these crucial administrative functions, and we are committed to making significant improvements in order to provide the operational infrastructure and administrative resources that are so essential to the support of our faculty. We look forward to providing you with regular updates on our progress.
Changes to Boston University Research Administration – 2.2.16