Research Council Charter

Purpose and Responsibilities

The purpose of the University of Dayton Research Council is to promote and support research and scholarship by:

• Advising the Vice President for Research on initiatives, issues, policies, resources and other matters affecting research,
• Providing input on, and planning support for initiatives such as the Spotlight on Technology, Arts, Research and Scholarship (STARS) Symposium, that are designed to promote collaboration among researchers, and
• Providing critical review of faculty seed grant proposals for the purpose of making awards, as well as giving feedback to assist faculty in improving their proposal development skills.

Membership

Composition

Research Council membership will consist of a diverse group of 18 tenured faculty members and two Research Institute senior researchers possessing a strong record of sponsored research or peer reviewed scholarly output.  The diversity of the group will be representative of the University’s academic units, diverse research areas and faculty body.  This representation will enable the Council to reflect the points of view and interests of the various segments of the University’s research community.

Chairperson

The Vice President for Research shall serve as the permanent chairperson of the Research Council.

Members

The Chairperson, in consultation with the Provost, will be responsible for the appointment of new members. Members will be chosen from nominees proposed by the Deans and Director of the Research Institute.  The Deans and Director are encouraged to solicit names of potentially interested and qualified candidates for Council membership on a regular basis.  Members may be reappointed by the same process for one additional consecutive term after which they must wait three years to be eligible for a new appointment. 

Any member may resign at any time with verbal or written notice to the Chairperson. Replacements for resignees or others unable to fulfill their term will be appointed by the Chairperson in consultation with the Deans and Provost. If a member has not fulfilled his/her obligations in accordance with the responsibilities outlined in this document, he/she may be removed from the Council.

Service

Members will be asked to serve three year terms.  Meetings will be held 4-6 times a year as required to achieve the Council’s objectives.  In addition, members will be required to evaluate seed grant proposals during the fall semester of each academic year.   Finally, members will be asked to support various events designed to achieve the Council’s objectives through their attendance or other means.

Implementation

Staggered terms of service for members ensure both committee continuity and ability to accommodate change. At any given time, the majority of members will have served at least one year on the committee, thus ensuring continuity. Change is accommodated as new members with new ideas are added to the committee each year. A rotational, three-year term of service most easily allows for continuity and change. One third of the total current membership, based on longevity of service, will be replaced starting with the 2015-2016 academic year and each year thereafter until a regular rotation is achieved through the appointment of new members after the expiration of terms.

This Charter substantially codifies more than a decade of historical practice, clarifies roles and responsibilities and establishes a clear process for appointing members. 

August 19, 2015