Vice President for Research and Innovation

The Vice President for Research and Innovation will serve as a key member of the president’s cabinet and the university’s leadership team to align research and creative activities with UCF’s overall academic mission. The Vice President for Research and Innovation will be responsible for strategically advancing institutional research policies and procedures; coordinating and providing oversight of research, commercialization, scholarship, and creative works at UCF; and providing leadership to help UCF achieve its goals in discovery and exploration and growth as a diverse and inclusive workplace.

The Vice President for Research and Innovation will lead and support efforts across the institution to:

• Advocate for and celebrate creative works and research of scholars; Champion and oversee the development of key infrastructure needs necessary to support research and creative activities; Promote interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary research; Establish and grow research partnerships between the university and local, regional, national, and international organizations; Promote the commercialization of research and organize activities that bridge the gap between the university and the marketplace; Integrate research and education at both the graduate and undergraduate levels; and Ensure the integrity of research processes and policies.

This position will be responsible for bringing together units that are deeply committed to advancing the mission of the university with a sharp focus on enriching the human experience through discovery and innovation. In addition, this position will play a critical role helping the university identify and grow new sources of revenue to fuel our investments in excellence and power our new strategic plan.

The vice president must partner effectively with faculty across the university — as well as with industry leaders and community partners — to creatively identify opportunities to strengthen UCF’s research and creative enterprise. This role will be critical to advancing the university’s goals of increasing our focus on research by supporting basic, applied, clinical, and translational research activities and reaching $350 million in annual research expenditures. The role will also be critical in advancing metrics related to commercialization and startup activity related to IP generated at the university.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will be a distinguished national scholar, researcher, and educator. While academic experience, both professional and administrative, is strongly desired, exceptional candidates who have demonstrated a high degree of national or international scholarly and administrative success outside of academia will be considered. The successful candidate must also exhibit substantial administrative leadership experience at a research university or comparable setting.

Minimum Qualifications:

• An earned doctorate or other terminal degree from an accredited university and a distinguished research record in their academic discipline; and
• At least 15 years of demonstrated, progressive leadership experience in academic administration, research, and/or innovation and commercialization.

Preferred Qualifications:

Leadership

• A demonstrated ability to champion and prioritize the research, creative works, and commercialization efforts of an institution; The ability to promote integration of the research and educational missions of the university; The ability to create, grow, and lead federal and industry research partnerships with the university; The ability to represent and strongly advocate for the university’s research mission to a variety of constituencies, external and internal, including funding agencies; The ability to foster an inclusive and diverse office of research; The ability to create and lead faculty development programs centered around scholarship and economic development; and The ability to organize and lead units designed to promote effective intellectual property development, commercialization, and entrepreneurship.

Research Administration

• Extensive professional experience in research and research administration, with a demonstrated ability to support the needs of faculty and researchers; Extensive scholarly interest and commitment to promoting the full spectrum of scholarship, including that conducted by undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, interdisciplinary research, and creative works; Extensive knowledge of, and experience with, research funding issues, policies, and sources; The ability to administer a large research-support enterprise with a focus on outcomes, including exercising fiscally sound oversight of the budget; The ability to delegate, manage people effectively, and foster the professional development of staff; A demonstrated ability to lead and manage change in a complex organization; Experience managing the relationship between research and economic development programs; and An understanding of the importance of compliance and regulatory matters to the research enterprise, and the ability to develop an effective and efficient organization to manage them.

Partnership, Innovation and Commercialization

• Experience in building and sustaining collaborative partnerships with industry, vendor capital institutions, philanthropic organizations, state agencies, and other universities; The ability to organize programs to support the commercialization of research and IP generated across the university; An understanding of the importance of promoting and leveraging Hispanic/Minority Serving Institution funding programs to achieve overarching university research innovation and commercialization goals;       Demonstrated ability to work with a diverse faculty in a wide range of disciplines and the vision and administrative expertise to create and implement innovative research and scholarly initiatives while enhancing the diversity of the university community; and The ability to build teams for commercialization.

Other Characteristics

In addition to the willingness and ability to execute all of the above, successful candidates should possess the following qualities and characteristics:

• Proven commitment to transparency, integrity, and demonstrated values that align with those of UCF; Demonstrated ability to foster a community with a culture of inclusiveness that holds all of its members accountable for creating, supporting, and championing diversity and the expansion of opportunity and a commitment to equity; Inclusive, collaborative, and transparent approach to decision-making that engenders trust; Desire to listen to stakeholders and understand the mission, vision, values, and history of UCF; Successful record of enabling and encouraging innovation; Proven ability to ask challenging questions, followed by effective decision-making and action; Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills; and Ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

Application and Nomination

For inquiries and to submit nominations, contact UCF’s Executive Search Team at ExecutiveSearch@ucf.edu. More information about the opportunity and UCF, as well as the application link, can be found at: https://www.ucf.edu/leadership/vice-president-for-research/ The preferred application date is November 4, 2022.

As an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, UCF encourages all qualified applicants to apply, including women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and members of traditionally underrepresented populations. UCF's Equal Opportunity Statement can be viewed at: http://www.oie.ucf.edu/documents/PresidentsStatement.pdf. As a Florida public university, UCF makes all application materials and selection procedures available to the public upon request.