What are the responsibilities and job description for the Associate Vice President for Research and Innovation position at Western Michigan University?
Position Details
Posting Summary
College
VP Research and Innovation-DIV
Executive Area
VP Research and Innovation
Department
VP Research and Innovation
Posting Detail Information
Posting Number
S1051P
Job Type
Full Time, Regular
Pay Type
Exempt/Salaried
Pay Grade
Z2
Campus Location
WMU-Kalamazoo - East Campus
Salary Range
Pay is commensurate with qualifications and experience, combined with an excellent benefits package.
Number of Vacancies
General Summary
The Associate Vice President for Research and Innovation (AVPRI) is responsible for overseeing the university’s research administration operations, including proposal submission, contract negotiations, post-award administration, research compliance, export control, and compliance with federal, state, local, and university regulations regarding the management of sponsored research.
The AVPRI operates under the strategic guidance of the Vice President of Research (VPR). Interpretations, decisions, and follow-ups regarding sponsored program issues are conducted in consultation with the VPR. This position impacts the execution of federal and state regulations across the campus as well as the forms and institutional fiscal controls used to comply with laws, regulations, and external guidelines. The AVPRI must recognize the roles of faculty and staff in a university research environment and apply their knowledge of laws, rules, regulations, and institutional policies and procedures to enhance faculty productivity and success while adhering to relevant regulations.
Major Duties
Management and Operations:
- Hire, supervise, and evaluate Directors, Associate Directors, and other positions as appropriate.
- Develop and maintain metrics to evaluate resource needs to support sponsored funding and to assess performance.
- Hold regular meetings with ORI leadership and staff to support unit cohesiveness and timely information exchange.
- Oversee timely dissemination of sponsored funding information to campus stakeholders via various mediums.
- Provide access to professional development and training to faculty, researchers, and staff on grant-related topics, including compliance, proposal development, and award management.
Financial Compliance and Auditing:
- Oversee the efficient and compliant fiscal management of all active sponsored awards, including timely and accurate account setup, financial reporting, cash management, prior approval changes, and close-out.
- Ensure institutional compliance with federal time and effort and other institutionally mandated reports.
- Oversee calculation and distribution of indirect revenue.
- Oversee the annual Single Audit and resolve audit issues.
- In collaboration with indirect cost consultant prepare the university’s indirect cost rate calculations and negotiation or extension of the university’s federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA).
- Provide policy guidance to PIs regarding the use of funds.
Research Compliance and Export Control:
- Oversee the institution’s compliance policies and efforts, including the Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), and Institutional Biosafety Committee; Oversee the submission of annual compliance reports.
- Serve as the primary institutional contact for federal agencies related to research compliance (e.g., NIH, NSF, USDA, OHRP, ORI, and OFAC).
- Administer the financial conflict of interest (FCOI) and conflict of commitment program, ensuring disclosures are reviewed and managed appropriately.
- Investigate and manage allegations of research misconduct in accordance with federal and institutional policies.
- Oversee the institution’s radiation safety and export control programs, ensuring compliance with U.S. export control laws and regulations.
- Provide guidance and training on export control, research security, and foreign collaboration issues.
Proposal and Award Management:
- Develop and oversee the implementation of policies, procedures, and electronic systems for compliant preparation and timely submission and management of sponsored proposals and awards.
- Evaluate and approve Principal Investigator requests for PI exception status, cost share requests, tuition remission and F&A waivers for sponsored proposals and awards and other policy exceptions as they arise. Coordinate with VPR on these approvals per agreed-upon internal procedures.
- Work with university units to develop criteria for properly classifying gifts and sponsored awards and maintain internal procedures to ensure accurate routing of funds between the university and the foundation.
External and Institutional Relations:
- Coordinate with peers, deans and associate deans, chairs, investigators, and external sponsors to ensure compliance, efficient execution, and cooperation in the execution and management of sponsored programs/projects.
- Track and guide the implementation of new federal, state, and institutional policies across ORI and other campus units for research and funding compliance.
- Arbitrate and troubleshoot grants management issues between ORI and Investigators, and other units when necessary.
- Oversee the timely and accurate reporting of sponsored funding information and associated research-related institutional reports, including but not limited to monthly, quarterly, and annual ORI reports, and the annual national Higher Education R&D Survey (HERD), and biennial Science and Engineering Research Facilities Survey.
- Serve as a member of the senior management team and provide strategic advice and assessment for the Vice President for Research and Innovation.
- Participate in external associations, including Council on Governmental Relations, Midwest Research and Graduate Administrators Forum, SRAI, NCURA, APLU, and Federal Demonstration Partnership.
- Coordinate with colleges and other university units to train department and college administrators on research administration principles and institutional policies and procedures governing grants management.
- Ex-officio member of the Research Policies Council, RICSAT, and other research-related committees.
Other Duties:
- Perform other related duties as assigned by the Vice President for Research and Innovation, including representing ORI in VPR’s absence.
Minimum Qualifications
- Master’s degree in relevant field from an accredited institution.
- 10 years demonstrating progressive responsibility in the administration of sponsored research at a university, in the federal government, or at another entity engaged in sponsored research.
- Experience in supervising and motivating professional and administrative staff, including change management, in a large team environment. Working knowledge of current management principles and practices, skill in dealing with others in work relationships involving mentoring, conflict resolutions and the ability to make difficult decisions.
- Proven ability to produce and deliver educational and training curriculum and complex information on technical issues to a diverse audience at all levels of the institution.
- Experience in the development, implementation, and use of grants management information systems.
- Experience using technology and developing or using business metrics to improve operations and processes.
- Understanding of cost-accounting principles, conflict of interest issues, and effort reporting.
- Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of federal, state, and sponsor regulations regarding research administration (including but not limited to: Code of Federal Regulations, Federal Acquisition Regulations, NSF PPAPG, NIH Grants Policy Statement, OMB Uniform Guidance, etc.).
- Demonstrated strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills and ability to work collaboratively in a team-oriented environment across organizational units and at all levels, including faculty, college and departmental faculty and staff, central administration and senior institutional officials.
- High professional and personal integrity.
Desired Qualifications
- Demonstrated working knowledge of federal grant and contract administration, practices related to the protection of intellectual property rights.
- Experience in negotiating government and corporate contracts.
- Licenses/Certifications/Requirements: Certified Research Administrator (CRA), Certified Pre-Award Research Administrator (CPRA), Certified Financial Research Administrator (CFRA) or a certificate in research administration strongly preferred.
- Understanding of clinical trial agreements, including reviewing and negotiating contracts and post-award management.
- Knowledge of best practices for meeting the Association for Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc. (AAHRPP) requirements.
- Demonstrated ability to use Microsoft Office suite of products.
Special Instructions to Applicants
- External applicants should use the WMU – Application.
- Internal applicants should use the WMU – Internal Application.
Additional Position Information
- Western Michigan University offers generous benefits to its employees including health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, retirement, and tuition discount for the employee and tuition remission for eligible dependents. To access information about the specific benefits available for this position, s://wmich.edu/hr/benefits-officers.
- Information regarding Senior Administrative Officers may be found here: https://wmich.edu/hr/policies/officerspolicy.
Physical requirements and working conditions
- Office or other indoor work with minimal physical demands such as occasionally lifting or moving materials less than 25 pounds.
- Work is generally performed in a well-lit, temperature-controlled indoor environment with occasional exposure to the outdoors or any number of elements.
