Vice President for Research

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

The University of Georgia (UGA), the flagship public, a land-grant and sea-grant university of the state of Georgia, seeks  an experienced and energetic leader to serve as the next Vice President for Research (VPR), who will set and execute a strategic vision to expand the growth of the research enterprise while leading a team of research administration professionals in the Office of Research.

The University of Georgia is one of the leading public research universities in the nation and the world. Founded in 1785 as the first public university in the country, UGA’s 3,119 faculty excel in fundamental and applied research, innovation and technology transfer; and deliver outstanding undergraduate, graduate, and professional education; and support communities in Georgia and around the globe through public service and engagement. Total annual research expenditures at the University have increased 41% since fiscal year 2013, and research expenditures now stand at $495 million for fiscal year 2020. UGA’s main campus is in Athens, GA, 60 miles northeast of Atlanta, with extended campuses located in Griffin, Tifton, Buckhead, and Gwinnett as well as residential campuses in Washington, DC, Cortona, Italy, and Oxford, England. The University has numerous regional, national, and international partnerships for research, education, and service, and an extensive and dedicated network of more than 330,000 living alumni across the globe.  

The University of Georgia’s excellence in research and higher education rests on the scholarly and creative contributions of its talented faculty and staff and on the intellectual quality, vitality, and passion of its students. UGA maintains outstanding academic programs in the arts and humanities, agricultural and environmental sciences, family and consumer sciences, health and life sciences, social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, engineering, journalism and communication, public and international affairs, education, and professional programs that include business, law, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine. Its research and academic strengths are matched by an enduring commitment to technology transfer, as evidenced by UGA’s national leadership in intellectual property creation and licensing revenue. Recently, major investments in research have led UGA to international leadership in areas such as infectious diseases, vaccine development, glycoscience, plant and food science, human trafficking, risk and resilience in African-American families, cognitive and behavioral neuroscience, and many others.

The University of Georgia has goals to advance its national and international standing in research and scholarship by leveraging the excellence of all its faculty and the comprehensive nature of its public, land- and sea-grant missions. The University’s 2020-2025 Strategic Plan calls for research excellence through high quality scholarship across all disciplines.   The Office of Research will play a critical role in achieving these goals to expand the breadth and depth of research and scholarship across the university and grow the research enterprise.   

The Vice President for Research reports directly to the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, is a member of the President’s Cabinet, and works closely with leadership across the University, as well as with regional, national, and global external partners. They lead a team of 167 personnel within a robust, centralized Office of Research, with 14 direct reports. Several other University-wide research institutes, centers, and other critical functions also report through the Office of Research. The VPR will be a champion for UGA’s research across the state of Georgia, regionally, and in Washington, D.C., supporting research that addresses global grand challenges through individual, collaborative, and interdisciplinary research.

The successful candidate will bring with them a distinguished scholarly record and a deep understanding of the scholarly enterprise, intimate knowledge of federal and other funding mechanisms—including private and foundation support—and a commitment to the mission of a public, land-grant, flagship university to impact the lives and livelihoods of its constituents. The VPR will have experience with, and knowledge of, issues of technology transfer and licensing, and research policy and compliance. And they will understand the importance of convergent, applied, and translational research across disciplinary boundaries, including the humanities, liberal and fine arts, and social sciences in the broad span of the University’s work. The VPR will have significant administrative acumen in a complex research environment, and will be an entrepreneurial, fair, collaborative, altruistic, and inclusive leader, with a demonstrated commitment to demographic and intellectual diversity in scholarly pursuits.

In this recruitment effort, the University of Georgia has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist a university search committee. All applications, inquiries, and nominations, which will remain confidential, should be directed to the search firm as indicated at the end of this document.

For further information about the University of Georgia, please visit: www.uga.edu.

TO APPLY:

Review of candidates will begin immediately and continue until an appointment is made. All inquiries, nominations, and applications (including—as separate documents—a cover letter, resume, and list of references) should be directed in confidence to:

Kate Barry, Partner

Vijay Saraswat, Managing Associate

Isaacson, Miller

www.imsearch.com/7794

Electronic Applications are strong encouraged.

The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, genetic information, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation or protected veteran status. As such, the University of Georgia is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community. We not only strongly encourage women, minorities and other diverse candidates to consider applying for this position, but we also maintain that all candidates should share our commitment to diversity and inclusion. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR (HRWeb@uga.edu). Please do not contact the department or search committee with such requests.