You are seeking a Vice Dean for Research of the School of Medicine who will report to the Dean and who will, in turn, be reported to by the staff of the research office. In my view, the principal responsibilities of the job include: (a) Support an appropriate research infrastructure and liaison with entities such as the office of grants and contracts, appropriate operations of the animal facility, and oversight of the IRB process; (b) Assure that the School of Medicine meets and exceeds all requirements for research compliance; (c) Adequately support the clinical research enterprise including the development of protocols and budgets, completion of required documents, adherence to guidelines, dissemination of information about available clinical trials, streamlining the accounting process, and providing training to investigators and clinical coordinators; (d) Liaison with the effort to achieve funding of the CTSA at the University of Louisville; (e) Liaison with the Executive Vice President for Research of the University.

While the above lists my priorities for the office, I urge the Committee to receive a full report from Interim Vice Dean for Research Eleanor Lederer who has created a job description for the position.

In my structured interviews with leaders within the School of Medicine, about one third have no idea who the Vice Dean for Research is or what he/she does. Most of the individuals interviewed have strong feelings that the position needs to provide an adequate research infrastructure and, particularly, facilitate clinical research. A particularly pressing need, agreed upon by those in positions of authority, is that the Vice Dean for Research of the School of Medicine must work closely with the Dean, the Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, and the Executive Vice President for Research to deal with investigators making “multiple asks” to various individuals in order to achieve resources. The efforts of all involved must be coordinated at, presumably, a twice monthly research meeting where requests for resources will be reviewed and dispositions made.

In formal balloting, the Faculty Forum roughly split between those favoring a “rain maker” for the Vice Dean for Research and those favoring a “make the trains run on time” person. Medical Council strongly favored the latter.

When you are done considering all of the data, I ask you to provide, by June 15, a two to three page job description for this position.

Interviews

The Committee shall conduct a series of interviews with key stake holders in the process for the selection of the Vice Dean for Research. I ask you to be certain to interview me, Interim Vice Dean Lederer, Vice President Martinez, the three members of the faculty with the largest research grants per square foot, selected department chairs, and members of the research staff.

Advertising

It is likely that the individual selected will be an internal candidate since this will be a .3 to .5 FTE position. Please run appropriate advertisements in journals or websites for two months, externally, and have an internal posting process.

The Process

• Allow four to eight weeks to receive letters of nomination or application with accompanying CVs.
• Check references.
• Conduct one to two rounds of interviews. As a matter of courtesy, please offer all internal candidates at least a first round interview.
• By September 1, 2007, and earlier if possible, please provide me with a list of two to four finalists, unranked. Under no circumstances include anyone on this list whom the Committee would not feel comfortable being offered the job.
• The last meeting should be with me where members of the Committee will have the opportunity to discuss the final list.