Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Research records

The Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Research at The George Washington University, now known as Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, is part of the Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. It was previously known as the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies (1990-2004), and before 1990 it was the Vice President for Research. The research mission of the University is to create and synthesize knowledge at the frontiers of our understanding and to use that knowledge to address issues of increasing complexity in our world, while strengthening the necessary ties between teaching and research.

The present climate for research at The George Washington University had its beginning in February, 1984, when President Lloyd Elliott asked the University Committee on Research to identify obstacles to research within the University and to offer recommendations to facilitate it. Chaired by Henry Solomon, then Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Committee produced the document "Obstacles to Research" in May of 1985. It provided assessments and recommendations on issues ranging from graduate student support to computing and set the stage for many improvements of the research environment. For example, it said, "It is essential that the levels of graduate student support continue to be increased so that we may attain stipend levels competitive with the major research institutions." One outcome was the introduction of special Presidential Merit Fellowships to attract truly outstanding graduate students to GW.

The next important landmark occurred through the efforts of Carl Lange, former Vice President for Research and Administration, and Anthony Coates, former Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Research. In May 1989, they produced, in consultation with numerous faculty and with input from the Deans, the document, "Strategies for Research: Toward Growth and Competitiveness." This document served as an initial strategic plan for strengthening research. From it emerged two important innovations: The Advisory Council on Research and the Research Enhancement Fund.

The Advisory Council on Research is appointed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and is chaired by the Associate Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies. It now has nine members recommended by the deans (CSAS--two, GSEHD, SBPM, SEAS, ESIA, Law, SMHS, and SPHHS--one each); six at-large members recommended by the Associate Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies; and ex-officio members representing the Gelman library, the Office of Research Services, Health Research, Compliance, and Technology Transfer in the Medical Center, and the Executive Dean of the Virginia Campus. In addition, two representatives of the Faculty Senate Committee on Research sit on the Advisory Council on Research and two representatives of the Advisory Council on the Faculty Senate Committee. The aim is to bring together all the best thinking of the faculty and the administration regarding research.

N.B. This history note was written in 2005