Both informal and formal collaborations with faculty colleagues can be important sources of support for research and scholarly initiatives. In addition, department chairs have an important role in fostering the research, scholarship, and other creative activities of faculty members through a variety of activities, including support for proposal development. Department chairs have a formal role in the project proposal process by certifying the allocation of space and effort for faculty when they are submitting a proposal for external funding.

Most schools and colleges at the University employ an individual whose duties include enhancement of the research, scholarship, and other creative activities of the faculty members in the school or college. Sometimes this individual is a research associate dean (RAD); in other instances, these responsibilities are assigned to the director of a research unit within the school or college. These unit administrators help explore and develop new opportunities for faculty work, maintain and expand the infrastructure, approve cost-sharing commitments, establish policies concerning some aspects of scholarly activity, and assist with other aspects of project development and administration. Faculty contemplating the development of proposals for University or external funding should begin their exploration of funding sources by consulting the appropriate unit administrator. For the name of a unit’s RAD or research administrator, consult the U-M research website listed in section Chapter 7, section 7.A “General Principles”, or contact the appropriate dean’s office.

Business services for sponsored projects are provided by Financial Operations, which are offices reporting to the University controller and under the executive vice president and chief financial officer. Financial operations establishes accounts to assist with the orderly expenditure of funds from internal or external sources and provides regular statements of accounts. Details about the functions, procedures, and staffing of the Sponsored Programs section of Financial Operations are available from its website.

ORSP assists faculty and staff members in all aspects of externally funded research projects and other scholarly activities, including the identification of a potential sponsor and preparation of a proposal, assistance with various administrative issues that may arise during the course of the project, and submission of the closing documents. ORSP project representatives serve as liaisons with specific groups of sponsors. In this way, they can keep apprised of agency policies and programs in technical, scientific, and scholarly fields and can devote attention to the specific requirements of the sponsoring agencies. ORSP is located in Wolverine Tower, 3003 South State, First Floor (phone: 764-5500; fax: 764-8510).

The UM Office of Research (UMOR) promotes and advocates for research, scholarship, and other creative activity; supports the development of infrastructure and administrative systems; and establishes policy guidelines for conduct of research and scholarly activity at the University. UMOR staff in Washington, D.C., monitor Congressional and agency activity and budgets, provide assistance in identifying emerging research initiatives, assist faculty who wish to interact with elected officials and federal policy-makers, and meet with faculty who have questions and concerns on funding and policy issues. The vice president for research has primary responsibility for overseeing research policy development, administering externally sponsored activities by faculty members as authorized by bylaw 2.07, and guiding any misconduct investigations that may be required. The vice president for research also provides administrative oversight of several research and internal service units. The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) and the Institute for Research on Women and Gender (IRWG) are examples of research units; the Office of Research and Sponsored Project (ORSP) and the Business Engagement Center (BEC) are examples of internal service units.

Faculty members serve on several committees that advise the vice president for research in formulation of policy or administration of research and scholarship, including the Conflict of Interest Review Committee, Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) for Human Subject Research, Research Policies Committee (RPC), and the University Committee on Use and Care of Animals (UCUCA). Membership of these committees and their functions are provided on the research website.

Honesty, candor, openness, and integrity are guiding principles that faculty members are expected to adhere to in all of their academic activities, including research and scholarship. Faculty members are also the primary source of guidance for responsible research practices among students and employees. Policy on the integrity of scholarship and procedures for investigating allegations of misconduct in the pursuit of scholarship and research sets forth for all members of the University community a code of conduct that has a specific reference to research activity. The policy is available on the website of the Office of Research < http://research-compliance.umich.edu/research-integrity>.

The UMOR sponsors the online Program for the Education and Evaluation in Responsible Research Scholarship (PEERRS), a web-based instruction and certification program for members of the University community engaged in or associated with research <my.research.umich.edu/peerrs/>. (SPG 303.01) In addition, UMOR ’s website lists additional educational opportunities in the responsible conduct of research at <http://research-compliance.umich.edu/> under Compliance Training and Guidance.