Vision and Management of a Research Program at a College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

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Vision and Management of a Research Program at a
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Nancy M. Cox
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Outline

• Academic and Administrative Experience
• Research Administration
• Responsibilities
• Challenges and Opportunities
• Principles
• Adding Value
• Advocacy

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Some memories from my PhD program
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Academic Experience

• Animal and Dairy Sciences Department, Mississippi
  State University, 1982-2001 adjunct professor,
  College of Veterinary Medicine and Department of
  Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• 1996-2001, Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry
  Experiment Station (MAFES)
• 2001 to present University of Kentucky Associate
  Dean, College of Agriculture, Director Kentucky
  Agricultural Experiment Station (since 2005)

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Academic ExperienceResearch Areas

• Influence of metabolism on reproductive function
  in cattle and swine
• Neuroendocrine control of reproductive cycles
• Influences of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on
  reproductive development

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Administrative ExperienceResponsibilities

• Stimulation of new funding and multidisciplinary
  research activities
• Research reporting and accountability
• Internal grants programs
• Commodity partnerships
• Partnerships with other land-grant missions
• Patenting, licensing, commercialization
• Regional economic development activities

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Administrative ExperienceSelected boards and
committees

• National Agriculture Research, Economics and
  Education Advisory Board
• Governors Biomass Task Force
• State Board on Agriculture
• Kentucky Cattlemens Executive Board
• Soybean Promotion Board
• County government Equine Task Force
• Non-profit community boards

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Kentucky Ag Experiment Station
College Grants Officer Betty Newsom Office of
Sponsored Programs Administration
Associate Dean for Research Director, Kentucky
Agricultural Experiment Station Nancy Cox
Food Systems Innovation Coordinator
Research Center for Appalachian Resource
Sustainability
Assistant Dean/ Associate Director Steve Workman

Assistant Director Lesley Oliver
Equine Initiative Director Communications
Director
Western Kentucky Research and Education Center
Reference Cigarette Research Program
Executive Assistant Carol Cole
Accounts Manager Cherryll Duncan
Statistics Graduate Assistant Program
Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center
Experiment Station Director of Environmental
Compliance, part time
Kentucky Tobacco RD Center
In transition Central Kentucky Farms
Division of Regulatory Services
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Administrative Leadership MSU

• Remote Sensing Technologies Center
• Life Sciences and
• Biotechnology Institute
• Nutrient Management
• Task Force

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Administrative Leadership UKTargets of
Opportunity
Plant Sciences/Natural Products Animal Health and
Agrosecurity Forage-Livestock Systems Food
Systems Natural Resources and the
Environment Leadership and Community Development
Agriculture, Pharmacy, Medicine

• USDA-ARS Forage-Animal Production Unit

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Alltech/UK Nutritional Research Alliance at
Coldstream
Commercial Partnerships
Alltech/UK Nutrigenomics Alliance
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Challenges and Opportunities for Land-Grant
Research Programs

• Changing consumer preferences
• Globalization of trade and technology
• Public skepticism about science and technology
• Environmental concerns
• Fast pace of information
• Universities not functioning in real time

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Future Opportunities

• Changes in what we produce from land
• Bio-based fuels and industrial products
• Nutraceuticals/functional foods/medicinals
• Animal and human health and well-being
• Social and community issues
• Natural resource management
• Sustainability of agricultural systems

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NSCU CALS challenges and opportunities

• State economy be prepared for when it rebounds
• Have key leadership in states intellectual
  landscape
• Sustain a more collaborative research
  environment
• Create and sustain partnerships among diverse
• disciplines
• Work on new federal priorities with the power of
  the
• disciplines in CALS
• Support position and growth of NC Agriculture

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PrinciplesMission for Agricultural Research
Administration

• Support a research portfolio that reflects
  increased competitiveness of faculty, enhances
  excellence in science, and positively impacts
  North Carolina

CALS Mission The College of Agriculture and
Life Sciences discovers, teaches and applies
knowledge to disciplines that effect safe,
affordable supplies of food and fiber, a cleaner
environment and better health for people and
animals.
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Principles
Role of the Research Administrator

• Promote the best science
• Encourage new scientific initiatives
• Promote relevant research
• Encourage transfer of technology
• Ensure accountability
• Have consistent, open policies
• Communicate successes to the public

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Adding ValueCharacteristics

• Listener
• Amplifier
• Catalyst
• Connector
• Place where the buck stops

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Adding ValuePromotion of Quality

• Have high standards
• Provide feedback
• Provide incentives
• Provide encouragement
• Listen to the experts

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Adding ValuePriority Setting

• Teamwork iterative process among scientists,
  department heads, unit heads, and other
  administrators
• Clientele and consumer input
• Must combine needs with what we are good at
• Be as responsive as possible but never
  short-change the scientific process

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Priority SettingApproaches
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Priority Setting

• UK Department Reports
• Publications
• Patents
• Students (grad/undergrad)
• External awards
• Collaborative awards
• Five-year trends

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Adding ValueResources

• Identify new funding sources
• Form new partnerships
• Provide seed funds to build capacity for external
  funding in new areas
• Encourage multidisciplinary teams
• Keep in touch with national trends
• Always think about the future

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AdvocacyCommunicating Success

• Producers and stakeholders of all types
• Policy-makers at city, county, state and federal
  level
• State and federal agencies
• Campus decision-makers president, provost, Vice
  President for Research
• Alumni and future students

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Summary

• Good science is uppermost
• Just doing good science is not enough
• The research administrator must merge good
  science with good accountability, excellent
  advocacy and increasing resources