Streamlining and strengthening research across Ohio
University of Cincinnati part of $3M effort to boost research infrastructure
The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded a $3 million grant to a multi-institutional program to bolster the infrastructure of research across the state. In the coming years, it will expand across the country.
WOSU spoke with Ohio co-principal investigators Jane Strasser at the University of Cincinnati and Kent State University’s Douglas Delahanty to dig deeper into the goals of the Supporting and HArmonizing Research Endeavors (SHARE) initiative.
“It’s very hard to maintain staffing levels, and smaller institutions really struggle to have the infrastructure that's required to support research,” Strasser, UC’s senior associate vice president of research, said. “By sharing the platforms on which we operate, we make it easier for the research itself to be shared.”
Over the four-year grant period, the team will shape replicable Regional Community of Practice (RCOP) models that focus on leadership training and easing regulatory burdens. Starting in Ohio allows Strasser to refine and streamline the RCOP model before applying it to Iowa, Minnesota and beyond.
Both UC and Kent State University are recognized as R1 top-tier research universities by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Through developing RCOPs, research leaders in the state can not only help each other, but also uplift universities opening a new branch or restructuring their offices.
“There are times when we’re short staffed and there’s times when we have a little bit of extra capacity,” Strasser explained. One of the first applications of the initiative was sharing UC's staff with Miami University while the Oxford-based institution reorganized its compliance office.
“Think of it as a co-op model,” Strasser said. Her mission is to give UC and its neighboring reasearchers resilience in the coming years as federal policies shift. “The goal of the RCOPs really is to develop the infrastructure to be leaner, faster and stronger.”
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