The Case for IT Planning for Research Enterprises William F. Decker Senior Associate VP for Research EDUCAUSE Live! October 11, 2005

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

October 11, Problems

October 11, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, Technology Transfer and Economic 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, 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, Solutions

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

October 11, 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, 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, Outcomes

October 11, 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, Resource Ideas Council on Governmental Relations (COGR): [see especially the “Members Only” section under “Educational Materials”] Purdue University case study: Council on Competitiveness: [see especially their Innovate America report] National Academies Press topics on research issues and leadership: