|
|
LSUHSC SCHOOL OF ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONS GRANTS &
RESEARCH COMMITTEE
|
|
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INCREASING RESEARCH CAPACITY
|
|
March 13, 2008
|
| |
|
The Grants & Research Committee was given the charge to
assess the research capacity of the School of Allied
Health |
|
Professions. The Committee developed two surveys
for this purpose: 1) a survey documenting faculty
clinical and |
|
research interests and resources was completed by 36
faculty in October 2007 (64% response rate), and 2) an
|
|
anonymous questionnaire assessing research skills and
experience and perceived barriers and facilitators to
research |
|
productivity was completed in December 2007 by 23
faculty who self-identified as researchers on the first
survey (88% |
|
response rate). The top six priorities for increasing
research capacity identified from the capacity
assessment are |
|
presented below along with their associated
recommendations. |
| |
|
1. CULTIVATE
AN ACADEMIC AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE THAT PROMOTES
RESEARCH
|
| |
- Hire an
Assistant/Associate Dean of Research (an experienced
researcher with a successful research grant funding
record)
- Reinstate an
annual Research Day
- Explore the
possibility of establishing an SAHP PhD program
- Conduct an
assessment of the current MHS program
- Recruit
research faculty with demonstrated research records
and provide them with good salaries, adequate
start-up
funds, and duties/responsibilities that enable
research productivity
|
|
2.
INCREASE DEDICATED RESEARCH TIME FOR IDENTIFIED RESEARCH
FACULTY
|
| |
- Recruit
clinical faculty to free-up current faculty with
demonstrated research potential whose
clinical/teaching duties
prevent them from focusing on research
- Encourage
Department Heads to provide release time for faculty
with demonstrated research potential, with the
condition that referred publications will be
produced within a given timeframe
|
|
3.
INCREASE RESEARCH FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
|
| |
- Initiate an
expanded SAHP Intramural Small Grants Program
(increased funding and duration)
- Consult with or
retain a grants development specialist
- Examine the
impact of the Faculty Incentive Plan (FIP) on
research productivity and consider alternatives
- Revisit the
possibility of implementing a Faculty Research
Incentive Plan
- Consider
purchase of core research equipment for
collaborative/interdisciplinary research groups
- Provide travel
funds for research-related conference presentations
|
|
4.
FUND CONSULTATION ON RESEARCH DESIGN AND STATISTICAL
ANALYSIS
|
| |
- Contract with
the LSUHSC School of Public Health to provide
biostatistics consultation (throughout the research
process or as needed for particular projects)
|
|
5.
PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESEARCH-RELATED PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
|
| |
- Contract with
national and international experts to provide
in-house research-related continuing education
- Institute a
monthly lunchtime "brown bag" seminar for those
interested in research to share research ideas,
problems,
solutions, projects, information on design, data
analysis, and dissemination
- Explore
development of a faculty group of editors to review
manuscripts and provide guidance to faculty wishing
to
submit manuscripts
- Provide funds
for travel to conferences, and continuing
education/training events
|
|
6.
FOSTER COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS AND MENTORING
|
| |
- Develop
interdisciplinary collaborative research
opportunities within and between Departments/Schools
- Lay the
groundwork for a network of research
collaborations, including development of a
faculty asset
database, identification of collaborative
research strands, and opportunities for formal
and informal
networking
- Initiate a
Research Consortium with researchers from other
local and statewide institutions
- Tailor
Intramural Small Grants Program to encourage
interdisciplinary research
- Provide formal
recognition in the annual faculty evaluation process
for the time and expertise given by mentoring
faculty involved in collaborative projects
|
|
