Guidance for Research Centers
Research centers are valuable components of the University.
- They:
- Facilitate research and research collaborations;
- Disseminate research results through conferences, meetings and other activities;
- Strengthen graduate and undergraduate education by providing students with research training opportunities and access facilities;
- Seek extramural research funds; and
- Carry out university and public service programs related to the organization’s research expertise.
Forming Centers
Researchers are encouraged to form centers to further the University’s mission and to establish and maintain centers of gravity of intellect and expertise in their discipline. Centers can be viewed as formalized communities of interest.Major Research Centers will report to either a College or School Dean or the Vice President for Research or another VP. Establishment of a center requires the approval of appropriate "reports to" official.
Titles and naming
Research centers are commonly called by a variety of titles, including: institute, center, laboratory, clinic, facility, station, base, group, program, etc. This guidance uses the term “centers” to include all of these titles .UTEP has only two restrictions on center titles and names.
- The term “institute” implies a major, integrative organization with a broad breadth of activities that transcends department, school, college, and perhaps even university boundaries. Approval of the use of the title “institute” in an organization’s name is reserved to the President.
- Naming a center for a person or organization is a significant statement that, likewise, requires approval of the President and UT System.
Support for Centers
Centers can range in size and scope from small groups of investigators with little to no institutional resource support, to large, multi-tiered organizations with dedicated space, designated staff, and specialized equipment. It is expected that centers will strive to be self-sustaining, however university resources may be used to support centers, at the discretion of the appropriate Dean or the VPR.Accountability
Centers will submit a brief narrative annual report to their Dean or VPR that addresses three criteria:- Activities and Accomplishments over the report period
- Total research expenditures and the ratio of grant-funded expenditures to non-grant-funded expenditures.
- Alignment of the center’s goals with the mission of the University.