i.Note ii.Prefaceiii.Vision iv.Role 1.Workplace 2.Governance 3.Personnel Policies 4.Instruction 5.Research 6.Extension & Outreach 7.Extramural Activity 8.Faculty Welfare 9.Business Policies 10.Faculty Interests
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Research
1. The University’s Formal Research Program
2. Research Development
3. Resources for the Support of Research
A. Competitive Research Grant Program
B. Supporting Funds
C. In-House Support
D. Professional Improvement Leave
4. University Policies Related to Research
A. Research Involving Human Subjects
B. Activities Involving Animal Subjects
5. Violations of Integrity in Scholarship and Research: Scientific Misconduct
A. Definitions
B. Allegations
C. Inquiry
D. Investigation
E. Resolution
F. Appeal
6. Establishment of Centers and Institutes
A. Introduction
B. Administration of Centers and Institutes
C. Procedure of Establishing Centers and Institutes
7. Libraries
CHAPTER 5:RESEARCH
1. THE UNIVERSITY'S FORMAL RESEARCH PROGRAM
Research is essential to the continuing vitality of a large-scale institutional program. All of Auburn's academic colleges, schools and departments are engaged in research. The University's research program is coordinated through the Office of Associate Provost and Vice President for Research.Research is conducted in organized research units or as general research in academic colleges, schools and departments. Formal research units include the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, the Alabama Microelectronics Center, the Arts and Humanities Center (Pebble Hill), the Auburn Utilities Research Center, the Biological Control Institute, the Center for the Commercial Development of Space, the Economic Development Institute, the Engineering Experiment Station, the Food Technology Institute, the Forest Regeneration Center, the Highway Research Center, the Institute for Latin American Studies, the Mises Institute, the National Center for Asphalt Technology, the National Textile Center, the Nuclear Science Center, the Office of Public Service and Research, the Pulp and Paper Research Education Center, the Scott Ritchey Research Center, the Space Power Institute, the Walter Center for Technology Management, the Water Resources Research Institute, and others. Research in organized research units is supported from state and federal appropriations as well as research contracts, grants, and agreement funds. University research in the academic departments is also funded through these sources as well as internal sources.
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2. RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT
The Office of Associate Provost and Vice President for Research offers assistance to members of the faculty in identifying sources of extramural funding and developing and submitting research proposals. Many schools and colleges, too, have an Associate Dean for Research to aid faculty in the identification of funding sources and the development of proposals.
Applications for extramural contract and grant support must be processed through the Office of Associate Provost and Vice President for Research. Staff in this office are available to assist faculty members in completion of the necessary forms. University authorization to submit extramural proposals is given by this office and all contract and grant awards for sponsored activities are made through this office.
3. RESOURCES FOR THE SUPPORT OF RESEARCH
A. COMPETITIVE RESEARCH GRANT PROGRAM
Resources also exist on campus to assist faculty in their research endeavors. In addition to extramural funding, faculty research may be funded through the University's Competitive Research Grant program. This program is administered by the Office of the Vice President for Research. Both competitive and discretionary grants are available. Discretionary, competitive, and matching grant programs are described briefly below and in more detail in the revised "Policies and Procedures Governing the Competitive Research Grant Program." Copies of this document may be obtained from the Office of Associate Provost and Vice President for Research.
Discretionary Competitive Research Grant Funds may be used for limited support for specifically designated activities and projects. The form titled "Application for Discretionary Grant-In-Aid" should be submitted along with an outline detailing the proposed activity or project. Instructions are outlined on the application form. The original and five copies of the request for discretionary funds should be submitted through the department head and dean. Funding decisions are made by the Associate Provost and Vice President for Research who acts as chair of the Competitive Research Grant Committee. Requests for discretionary funds may be made at any time during the year.
Competitive Grant-in-Aid Funds may be used to assist faculty members new to Auburn who are seeking seed money in order to attract future extramural funding, faculty members in areas where extramural funding is not traditionally available, and faculty members whose research is taking a new direction. In all cases, the scientific, scholarly, and creative merit of the proposed work will be a primary consideration.
The form titled "Application for Competitive Competitive Research Grant" should be submitted along with a one-page abstract of the proposed work, a completed Outline for Competitive Application (instructions are on the application form), and a short faculty vita. The original and 16 complete copies of the application packet should be submitted in advance of the fall or spring deadlines with approval signatures of the department head and dean. The Competitive Research Grant Committee, under the direction of the Associate Provost and Vice President for Research and composed mostly of faculty members, reviews applications for support. The President announces awards during fall and spring semesters.
B. SUPPORTING FUNDS
Funds are available in the Office of Associate Provost and Vice President for Research to assist faculty in the purchase of equipment needed to compete successfully for extramural support of their research and to provide required cost-sharing or matching funds for this research. Requests for support should be submitted through the faculty member's department head and dean and should include all other commitments to fulfill the cost-sharing or matching requirement.
C. IN-HOUSE SUPPORT
College/School in-house support also may be offered at the level of the dean's office. Many academic units have an Associate Dean for Research who should be contacted about available monies and application procedures.
Resources for research may be found in the various specialized centers and formal research units. For example, the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Engineering Experiment Station provide seed money for many research projects by faculty in those disciplines.
D. PROFESSIONAL IMPROVEMENT LEAVE
A Professional Improvement Leave may be awarded for faculty development. One semester of leave with pay may be requested for each four years of full-time service (see details in Chapter 8). Applications for Professional Improvement Leave shall be made through department heads and deans. These academic administrators shall be asked to provide additional information, and all applications must have their support. A written copy of the action taken by these administrators, with the additional information, shall be supplied to the applicant. The purpose of the leave should be consistent with departmental missions and goals.The application form, faculty vita, prospectus detailing the nature of the study, and other supporting documents should be forwarded to the Provost at least one semester in advance of the requested leave.
4. UNIVERSITY POLICIES RELATED TO RESEARCH
A. RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS
Auburn University established the Institutional Review Board for the Use of Human Subjects in Research (IRB) to evaluate research for compliance with guidelines and regulations established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. All research in which human subjects are used, whether by faculty, staff, or students, must be approved in advance by the IRB, no matter the source of funding, lack of funding, or any other consideration. All modifications to approved human subject protocols must be submitted to and approved by the IRB in advance of implementation. Information may be obtained from the Office of Associate Provost and Vice President for Research. Many departments or academic units have in place a procedure for screening or review of proposals before they are sent to the University IRB.
B. ACTIVITIES INVOLVING ANIMAL SUBJECTS
Auburn University established the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) to assure compliance with policies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and all other federal, state and local regulations concerning care, treatment and use of animals in research, teaching, production, and demonstration activities. All such activities, whether by faculty, staff, or students and whether funded or unfunded, must be approved in advance by the committee. All modifications to approved animal subject protocols must be submitted to and approved by the IACUC in advance of implementation. Information may be obtained from the Office of Associate Provost and Vice President for Research.
5. VIOLATIONS OF INTEGRITY IN SCHOLARSHIP AND RESEARCH:SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT
The University's policy on Scientific Misconduct was developed to effect compliance with the requirements of the Public Health Service Final Rule on "Responsibilities of Awardee and Applicant Institutions for Dealing With and Reporting Possible Misconduct in Science" (42 CFR Part 50). Allegations of scientific misconduct made against any faculty, staff, or student of the University involved in research or research training, application for support of research or research training, or related research activities shall be handled according to the policies and procedures included in Auburn's policy statement on Scientific Misconduct, quoted below from the Board of Trustees Policies Manual, pp. C-10-16.
A. DEFINITIONS
B. ALLEGATIONS
C. INQUIRY
D. INVESTIGATION
E. RESOLUTION
F. APPEAL
6. ESTABLISHMENT OF CENTERS AND INSTITUTES
Faculty members interested in research centers and institutes should be aware of the following policy from the Board of Trustees Policies Manual, pp. C-17-18.
A. INTRODUCTION
B. ADMINISTRATION OF CENTERS AND INSTITUTES
C. PROCEDURE FOR ESTABLISHING CENTERS AND INSTITUTES
7. LIBRARIES
The Auburn University Libraries belong to the prestigious Association of Research Libraries. The main library on the campus is the Ralph Brown Draughon Library, a structure of nearly 400,000 square feet with a seating capacity of 2,500 and shelving space for about 3 million volumes. There are branch libraries in the College of Veterinary Medicine and in the School of Architecture. In addition to general and research collections, the Draughon Library houses Special Collections and Archives which collects rare books, manuscripts, and archival material regarding the Civil War, the history of aviation, natural history, Alabama history, and the history of Auburn University.
The Libraries’ collections include more than 2,700,000 physical volumes; more than 2,500,000 items in microform; more than 300,000 government publications; more than 1000 archival collections; more than 3,000 motion pictures; more than 75,000 slides; more than 7,000 sound recordings; and more than 200,000 still pictures. As a depository library for the United States government, Auburn receives publications issued by the Superintendent of Documents, the Department of Energy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Defense Mapping Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency, and the Patent and Trademark Office. The libraries also receive bulletins of the state agricultural and engineering experiment stations.
The University Libraries allocate funds to colleges and schools for library purchases of monographs, back issues of serials, and the first-year cost of new journal subscriptions. Colleges and schools appoint book chairpersons as library representatives who assist the faculty in obtaining their library resource needs.
The libraries provide users with access to materials through an online system which includes a state of the art public access catalog listing all books, journals, newspapers, microforms, archival collections, and most government publications held. In addition, the system provides access to tens of thousands of electronic resources on a wide variety of subjects. The online catalog is searchable by author, title, subject, and keyword, and it is accessible from anywhere via any web browser.
The Auburn University Libraries license more than two hundred electronic databases. These provide general and subject-specific electronic indexes and abstracts and full text electronic journal access to Auburn students and faculty. Enrolled students, faculty, and staff have access to more than 4,000 scholarly journals published by learned societies and commercial publishers in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities disciplines via these databases.
The Draughon Library contains 198 carrels for faculty and graduate student use; a Digital Resources Laboratory equipped for listening to sound recordings, viewing and producing videos assigned for classroom purposes, GIS access and printing, and other digital services; a 108-seat auditorium and projection room for large groups; and a bibliographic instruction classroom which seats 60. Photocopiers are located in a central facility on the second floor of the Draughon Library, on each floor of the Draughon Library, and in both branch libraries. Other services available to library users include both traditional and electronic document delivery, a public computer laboratory, and reference service and library use instruction by subject specialist librarians.
On March 1, 1991, the University Library Committee adopted a policy on the assignment of carrels. Priority is given to applicants in the following order: (1) graduate students either registered for 799 credit or actively researching their dissertations; (2) graduate students either registered for 699 credit or actively researching their theses; (3) untenured faculty members; (4) tenured faculty members; (5) undergraduate students writing honors theses; (6) Auburn University professors emeriti and emeritae; (7) other graduate students; (8) and research assistants and research associates. Carrel holders sign an agreement accepting responsibility for assigned keys. Books to be charged out to a carrel should be brought to the main Circulation Desk for check out. Books charged to the carrel must be renewed when the carrel is renewed. The Circulation Department manages carrel assignments on a space-available basis. No more than two users are assigned to each carrel. Carrel assignments expire annually either at the end of the spring semester or at the end of the requested period, whichever comes first. Before the end of the spring semester, the Circulation Department will invite existing carrel holders to reapply.
Circulation of library materials is fully automated through combined use of the online catalog and a barcoded user identification card. Most of the materials in the library may be checked out for 90 days to faculty, administrative and professional personnel, staff, and graduate students. All other borrowers may check out materials for 28 days. Books may be renewed either online or at the circulation desk up to three times. Faculty and graduate students may check out bound periodicals overnight, but they cannot be renewed.
Faculty, staff, and students do not pay overdue charges on regular (90 and 28-day) circulating materials. However, a book that becomes 35 days overdue is deemed lost and a replacement and non-refundable processing fee for each item is charged to the patron’s record. Faculty and staff will have their library privileges blocked if their outstanding total reaches $100. All faculty, staff, and students have the right to appeal any disputed library charges to the Library Appeals Committee.
Borrowing privileges are extended to enrolled students, faculty, administrative and professional personnel, staff, student and employee spouses, and active members of the Alumni Association. Alabama residents over the age of 18 may obtain borrowing privileges for an annual fee of $35. The number of items that may be checked out at any one time is determined by the status of the borrower. Faculty, staff, and graduate students may borrow 100 items and undergraduates 50 items. The number of items that may be checked out by other patron categories can be obtained from the Circulation Department. The Auburn University Libraries also have universal borrowing (ALLIES) privileges with the following institutions: Auburn University at Montgomery, Jacksonville State University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa.
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