The Role of Research in Promotion and Tenure
MAY 9TH, 2012
Sitting on the University’s Promotion and Tenure Committee is one of the most important roles that I can fulfill as VP for Research. Most tenure/tenure track faculty appointments include a percentage of time dedicated to research activities. The measures of performance in research are varied, and their relationship to scholarly productivity proves to be an important focus of discussion.
It doesn’t take long before some challenging questions emerge from individual curriculum vitae:
- How much effort should be focused on hypothesis-driven research, versus more service-oriented productivity?
- What constitutes a legitimate proportion of attention to “high-impact” journals?
- How should one represent one’s contribution to publication activity (e.g. first authorship)?
- Is there a best balance of students and post-docs?
- How do we weigh the respective merits of intellectual property development (e.g. patent disclosures) to peer-reviewed publication?
- What is the “community ” standard for rates of publication within a given discipline?
As an oceanographer, I bring my own “community” biases to the discussion of research impact. For example, I’ll look at a publication in Nature (with its high impact factor) much differently from one in, say, Journal of Geophysical Research. I also know what it means to have served as a Chief Scientist on a major research cruise, but I may not know what an equivalent activity might be in another field. Those are metrics that may not be part of the culture in, say, plant pathology. You should know the culture of your field. If you don’t, speak with your mentors, ask your peers. It is to your benefit to understand early in your career how you will be judged within your field so that you can reach your aspirations.
This year, alone, the P&T Committee read through nearly 10,000 pages of dossiers, and spent hundreds of cumulative hours in review, discussion and consideration. And that doesn’t count the time and effort put in by the candidates, faculty committees, administrators and staff! The time-honored traditions of P&T merit this investment, an investment that pays off to guide the careers of our university’s educators, researchers, administrators and service providers.
So, as we close out another academic year, let me be one of the first to congratulate those who’ve been promoted and/or attained tenure. Your accomplishments are noteworthy and significant. It’s a pleasure to recognize your success!
Rick Spinrad
Vice President for Research
Comments to this blog are welcome!
CAS Possible Funding Opportunities – May
Attached are some additional opportunities of interest posted at http://agsci.oregonstate.edu/research/fo.
Thank you,
Liz
Liz Etherington
Sponsored Research Program Administration, CAS
Office: 541-737-3429
Cell: 541-740-0002
Flyfisher’s Club of Oregon Graduate Scholarship – Nomination Deadline June 4, 2012
The Graduate School invites nominations for the Flyfisher’s Club of Oregon Graduate Scholarship.
The purpose of the Flyfisher’s Club of Oregon Graduate Scholarship is to provide support for graduate students pursuing a course of study involving any one of the endemic wild stocks of fish within watersheds of the State of Oregon.
Eligibility
To be eligible, students must:
- Qualify for regular admission to a graduate degree program in one of the following colleges: College of Agricultural Sciences, College of Forestry, College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences. Nominations from relevant interdisciplinary programs will also be considered.
- Pursue a course of study involving any of the endemic wild stocks of fish within watersheds of the State of Oregon. Research topics might include life histories, diseases, population dynamics, inter-relationships with other aquatic species, essential habitat needs, or management and restoration approaches. Financial need shall not be a criterion in making this award.
Scholarship Award
One scholarship valued at approximately $4,750 will be provided during the 2012-13 academic year. All scholarships awarded under this program shall be for one academic year.
Nomination Procedures: http://oregonstate.edu/dept/grad_school/flyfisher.php.
Deadline for Nominations – June 4, 2012, 5PM.
2012 Chemistry Show a HUGE Success
Upcoming Compressed Gas Safety Training
Please notify others in your department who use any type of compressed gas that there will be compressed gas safety training on Tuesday, May 22. There will be two sessions; the first will focus on compressed gas usage in shops and art, the second will cover more research and cryogenic uses. A demonstration will conclude each session, in which liquid nitrogen will be used to convert common ingredients into a special treat for all.
Please post the attached flyer, and encourage people to attend this important training. Pre-registration is highly recommended – email kay.miller@oregonstate.edu (include name, OSU ID, and department) to sign up. Space is limited.
Announcing Food in Culture and Social Justice Undergraduate Certificate
On behalf of the Provost and the OSU Faculty Senate I am pleased to announce the approval of the following certificate:
Food in Culture and Social Justice Undergraduate Certificate
Beginning this summer the School of Language, Culture and Society will offer an interdisciplinary undergraduate certificate. Students who complete this certificate will not only have a clear idea of the cultural bases of food and food production, but will obtain some experience working towards community food security. The core will consist of courses in Anthropology, History and Ethnic Studies and a team-taught course on Food Systems. Electives are divided evenly between coursework in other humanities and social science disciplines and coursework in Agriculture, Nutrition, Food Science and Public Health. All programs include at least 1 credit of experiential/service learning which will be spent volunteering with food-related organizations.
For questions regarding this program, please contact Joan Gross at joan.gross@oregonstate.edu.
This certificate was approved by the OUS Provost’s Council on May 3, 2012 and will be available beginning Summer term, 2012.
May Election Reminder from President Ray
May 8, 2012
To the OSU Community:
Most voters received their ballot in the mail for the May 15th Presidential Primary Election on Saturday, April 28th. The last day a ballot will be mailed to a voter for the current election is Thursday, May 10th.
If you have not received a ballot, contact your County Elections Office to check on your voting status.
- · Benton County Elections Office: 541-766-6756 or
http://www.co.benton.or.us/admin/elections/2012_primary_election_index.php
- · For a complete list of Oregon County Elections Offices:
http://www.oregonvotes.org/pages/voterresources/clerk.html
Please take time to familiarize yourself with the issues that are on the May ballot.
For complete online access to the voters’ pamphlet: http://oregonvotes.org/pages/history/archive/may152012/guide/eng/votersguide.html
In order to be counted, your ballot must be received by a County Elections Office or deposited in an official ballot drop site no later than 8:00 PM on Election Day: Tuesday, May 15th.
Note: Postmarks do not count. The ballot must be deposited or received by May 15th. If you are mailing your ballot, in order to ensure that it is received in time, mail it no later than Thursday, May 10th.
There is an official ballot drop site on the OSU Campus:
OSU Valley Library
Mon. – Thur. 7:30 AM to midnight
Fri. 7:30 AM to 10:00 PM
Sat. 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Sun. 10:00 AM to midnight
In Benton County there are four 24-HOUR OFFICIAL BALLOT DROP BOXES:
Benton County Courthouse
Courthouse lawn on 4th Street
Handicapped entrance on 5th Street
120 NW 4th St. – Corvallis
Wells Fargo Bank
Next to Pizza Hut in the Timberhill Shopping Center
2543 NW Kings Blvd. – Corvallis
Lincoln Health Center
Drop box in parking lot
121 SE Viewmont Ave. – Corvallis
Ray’s Food Place
North Albany Shopping Center
621 Hickory Ave. NW – North Albany
Other official drop sites include:
Corvallis Public Library
645 NW Monroe Ave. – Corvallis
Mon. – Thur. 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Fri. – Sat. 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
LBCC – Benton Center
757 NW Polk Ave – Corvallis
Mon. – Thur. 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Fri. 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
PLEASE NOTE: On Election Day all official ballot drop sites will be open until 8:00 PM
For more information about other official ballot drop sites in Benton County: 541-766-6756 or http://www.co.benton.or.us/admin/elections/dropsites-primary.php
For information about official ballot drop sites in other counties: http://www.sos.state.or.us/elections/nov42008/dropsites.html
If your ballot is from another county, you may drop it off at ANY official County ballot box, as long as you do so no later than 8:00 PM Tuesday, May 15th. The county receiving the ballot will route it to your home county for counting.
For voting and election information from the Secretary of State’s website: http://www.oregonvotes.org/
I hope you will take time to participate in the May 15th Presidential Primary Election.
Sincerely,
Sincerely,
Edward J. Ray
President
2012 Spring Recognition Events
To: Oregon State University Community
From: Sabah Randhawa, Provost and Executive Vice President
Subject: 2012 Spring Recognition Events
OSU takes pride in its many outstanding programs, the interdisciplinary collaboration of our faculty, and the university’s historic strengths in forestry, agriculture and engineering now being joined by emerging programs such as nanotechnology, computational genomics and healthy aging. We take pride in the enormous impact that all of these programs make to help the people of Oregon, the nation and the world – now estimated to be more than $2 billion a year.
Please join me in celebrating the excellence created by our faculty and students by attending the Spring Recognition Events listed below.
Tuesday, May 8, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., we’ll honor the OSU authors and editors who published books in 2011, with readings and discussions. This event will take place in the second floor rotunda of The Valley Library. OSU faculty members publish, on average, 30 books every year, a tremendous creative accomplishment. You can see a full display of their work in the library lobby during the entire month of May.
Wednesday, May 9, we will recognize our 2012 Distinguished Professors – the highest academic honor that OSU can bestow. The 2012 Distinguished Professors are Dr. Andrew Blaustein, professor of Zoology and Director of the Environmental Sciences Graduate Program; and Stephen Giovannoni, a professor and Pernot Endowed Chair of Microbiology. Each will present a lecture to the campus community in the Willamette Room of the CH2M HILL Alumni Center, Dr. Giovannoni at 10:30 a.m., and Dr. Blaustein at 2:00 p.m.
Monday, May 21, celebrate our outstanding students from across campus at the All University Student Recognition and Awards Event taking place in the Memorial Union Lounge and Ballroom. Beginning at 6:30 p.m., gather in the MU Main Lounge for a pre-program reception, followed by a Formal Dessert Reception and Award Ceremony from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the MU Ballroom. A formal invitation with request for online RSVP will be sent out at a later time.
Thursday, May 31, we will be celebrating OSU’s undergraduate researchers, who engage in discovery and creative expression above and beyond their classroom assignments. Undergraduates from all disciplines will present their current and recent projects, showcasing the diversity of topics, approaches and interests at Oregon State. These are the leading scientists and scholars of the future. Join us in the Memorial Union from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to view their accomplishments.
To learn more about any of these events, visit http://oregonstate.edu/urm/events/recognizing-excellence
CAS Possible Funding Opportunities
All updated opportunities have been posted to the website at http://agsci.oregonstate.edu/research/fo.
Please forward along to those who may be interested and have them contact me if they have any questions. I am happy to meet with departments and / or individual faculty to discuss particular research interest if you find I may be missing a particular niche.
Thank you,
Liz
Liz Etherington
Sponsored Research Program Administration
College of Agricultural Sciences
Oregon State University
138 Strand Agriculture Hall
Office: 541-737-3429
Cell: 541-740-0002
Liz.Etherington@oregonstate.edu