Vice President for Research Leadership Profile


The Opportunity

Position Description

Colorado State University seeks a visionary leader to serve as its next Vice President for Research. The Vice President for Research leads Colorado State University’s research, discovery, and creative artistry portfolio. Reporting to the Provost & Executive Vice President and serving as a member on the President’s Cabinet and Provost’s Leadership Council, the Vice President for Research oversees annual research expenditures of more than $450 million and represents a top-100 research university to internal and external audiences. The Vice President for Research works collaboratively within a shared governance framework to set priorities for institutional growth and investment in research and scholarship and oversees policies, practices, and infrastructure. The Vice President for Research demonstrates personal commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, and leverages professional authority and influence to provide opportunities related to research, scholarship, and artistry.

Administrative Responsibilities

This position directly oversees a team of 14 executive directors and administrative professional staff and units that include sponsored programs, research core facilities, export control, biosafety, regulatory research compliance, responsible conduct for research, research acceleration, research translation and commercialization.

The role of the Vice President for Research serves in the following:

Research Leadership:

  • Serve as an advocate for research, scholarship, and artistry including championing continued and new investments in physical, digital, and human research capital;
  • Support existing research priorities and infrastructure while also identifying new opportunities for investment and growth;
  • Foster development of transdisciplinary research initiatives in a thriving, contemporary land grant university;
  • Interact, on behalf of institutional and faculty interests, with industry, state, federal, and international research partners;
  • Provide strategic leadership and support of a research and scholarship ecosystem that furthers institutional goals related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice;
  • Through policy and practice, create and maintain a positive, supportive, and inclusive organizational culture related to research and scholarship.

Research Growth and Entrepreneurship:

  • Foster faculty research success, resulting in continued increases in numbers and quality of faculty research publications, proposals, and artistic and cultural performances;
  • Invest in and support human research capital yielding a strong base of research faculty, senior research scientists and graduate research assistants, commensurate with higher levels of external funding and achievement of goals for teaching excellence;
  • Create and support a rich and diverse intellectual climate on campus through the recruitment, retention, and recognition of excellent faculty;
  • Foster an institutional environment that supports synergy and facilitates collaborative and cooperative efforts among scholars with interests in common problems;
  • Encourage scholarship that addresses pressing social, political, economic and cultural issues;
  • Grow levels of externally funded research by overseeing and promoting the acquisition of funding from traditional and novel funding sources to support research and associated facilities, equipment, and infrastructure needs and capabilities;
  • Invest in physical research infrastructure including the construction and equipping of new laboratories and other facilities, and provision of resources and services to meet the needs of a growing research institution;
  • Collaborate with other University officials and offices to expedite technology transfer and the commercialization of intellectual properties created by CSU researchers.

Research Management and Compliance:

  • Oversee enterprise-wide research operations IT support systems;
  • Foster and further develop CSU’s reputation as a leader in animal welfare;
  • Ensure the responsible conduct of research and regulatory compliance;
  • Maintain processes and procedures that ensure institutional compliance with safety regulations;
  • Proactively adapt institutional safety-related processes and procedures as necessary and prudent;
  • Oversee development and management of campus-wide, shared-use core research facilities;
  • Oversee development and management of protocols, resources, and mechanisms for acquiring shared research assets;
  • Lead partnerships with the Division of IT and University Libraries to support strategic research IT infrastructure, compliance, and a data management;
  • Serve as the institutional official as required under regulations governing animal care and use, export control, research involving human subjects, etc.

Required Job Qualifications

  • Earned doctorate and a scholarly record consistent with appointment as full Professor at Colorado State University.
  • Experience and success in managing a complex organization including people, resources, and operating budgets;
  • Personal and professional commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, demonstrated by persistent effort, active planning, allocation of resources and/or accountability for diversity outcomes;
  • Demonstrated ability to lead change through effective communication, collaboration with stakeholders, vision, flexibility, and decisiveness;
  • Successful track record of competitive funding from federal agencies, non-profit agencies, and/or industrial entities.

Preferred Job Qualifications

    • Strategic Leadership. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a deep understanding of and respect for the higher education environment including academic freedom, processes, and culture. They will possess a track record of effective research leadership and management within a shared governance environment that includes collaboratively identifying vision, objectives, and areas for scholarly growth, investment, and reallocation. Successes will include leadership and support of transdisciplinary research initiatives. The ideal candidate will also possess the ability to diversify funding streams to support the CSU research mission. They will be a seasoned leader with excellent organizational, planning, supervisory, and problem-solving skills and the ability to balance existing research priorities, infrastructure, and needs with new research investments.
    • Research Infrastructure & Resources. Ideally, the successful candidate will demonstrate impacts in managing, supporting, and growing research infrastructure on behalf of a complex organization, including leadership of initiatives to capitalize upon contemporary trends and opportunities in research, scholarship, and artistry.
    • Faculty, Staff, and Student Support. The ideal candidate will energetically advocate for researchers, scholars, and creative artists on behalf of a diverse community and possess a professional track record of success in this area. They will have experience in identifying, hiring, mentoring, and retaining talent as well as experience with negotiation, conflict resolution, and change management consistent with CSU’s Principles of Community. They will have experience leading research and/or scholarship activities at an academic institution serving underrepresented students. CSU values candidates with demonstrated impacts in fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion related to research, scholarship, and artistry.
    • Collaboration and Partnerships. The ideal candidate will have experience with technology transfer and a history of fostering, cultivating, and capitalizing upon synergy between research, scholarship, outreach/dissemination, and economic development. They will possess the ability to leverage existing and grow new connections with external partners including federal and state government agencies, nongovernmental funding agencies, industry partners, and others.
    • Research Compliance and Ethics. CSU seeks candidates with a deep commitment to personal and professional ethics. The ideal candidate will be familiar with research compliance and risk management within a complex academic organization and will possess the ability to lead and support CSU research compliance programs, initiatives, and boards. They will also possess familiarity with areas of potential research expansion including those related to general laboratory practices (GLP), general manufacturing practices (GMP), clinical trials, etc.

Colorado State University

History and Land Acknowledgment

Colorado State was founded as the Colorado Agricultural College in 1870, six years before the Colorado Territory was granted statehood, and it was one of 68 land-grant colleges established by President Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the Morrill Act. CSU acknowledges, with respect, that the land we are on today is the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute Nations and peoples. The tradition of providing a high-quality, affordable higher education to all who have the desire and ability to achieve it runs deep. Find out more about CSU’s history at source.colostate.edu/csu-150 and the Land Acknowledgment at landacknowledgment.colostate.edu.

About Our Campus

Located in Fort Collins, Colorado State University is one of the nation’s top public research universities and an institution on the rise. In the last decade, CSU has produced record enrollment, built on all-time highs in student diversity and student success; record fundraising far outpacing ambitious goals; groundbreaking research driven by a highly productive faculty; a campus revitalized by a transformational building campaign; and an unrivaled learning environment. CSU has invested more than $1.5 billion in its physical infrastructure over the last decade, transforming it into one of the most beautiful, state-of-the-art, campuses in the country – building.colostate.edu

CSU is home to several world-leading research centers and programs, including the veterinary medicine program ranked by U.S. News & World Report as #2 in the nation and some of the world’s most prestigious programs in animal cancer research, atmospheric sciences, alternative energy solutions, occupational therapy, and infectious disease. CSU has made significant investments in student recruitment, financial aid, student services, and retention.

Faculty at CSU are among the best in their fields and combine classroom learning with experiential learning in the field and laboratory. More than 5,000 CSU students participate in undergraduate research opportunities every year, and even as CSU has grown, the student-faculty ratio has remained 18:1. Within six months of graduation, 89 percent of students have secured employment or continuing education – and 89 percent of graduates say they would choose CSU again. CSU educates students both to make a living and to make a difference – and our faculty transform the world through their research, scholarship, engagement, and teaching.

Colorado State University System

Fort Collins is the flagship, research-extensive land-grant university of the Colorado State University System led by a Board of Governors. The other two CSU System institutions are the resident campus of CSU Pueblo, a Hispanic-Serving Institution, and the online university of CSU Global. For more information, see www.csusystem.edu. The CSU Fort Collins campus is home to eight colleges and several special academic units, including the School of Global Environmental Sustainability; the campus was ranked No. 2 for 2022 in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s Sustainable Campus Index Rankings and is the first university in the world to earn 4 platinum sustainability ratings from STARS. CSU co-hosts the Colorado School of Public Health in partnership with two other universities in the state, is home to the #2 veterinary medicine school in the nation and has collaborated with the University of Colorado School of Medicine Anschutz Medical Campus to develop a four-year branch campus in Fort Collins.

CSU’s Spur campus, the educational hub of the National Western Center in Denver, is dedicated to bringing research and education to all learners. It includes a three-building campus that brings learning to life around important global topics of food, water, and health, using the resources of the System’s three campuses, CSU in Fort Collins, CSU Pueblo, and CSU Global. CSU Spur welcomes the everyday learner to dig into hands-on experiences and watch science on-display; it also is the home to a growing array of master’s degrees, camps, and other credentialing programs.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At Colorado State University, diversity, equity, and inclusion are more than words – they are a call to action. Through proactive efforts and meaningful progress, we are working toward our vision of an inclusive university community that welcomes and affirms diversity of people, perspectives, and ideas. Founded in 2010, the Office for Inclusive Excellence, formerly known as the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, is committed to fostering an inclusive campus environment through the active engagement of Colorado State University employees and students. The Office of Inclusive Excellence is housed in the Mary Ontiveros House, named in honor of CSU’s first vice president for diversity and first Latina vice president. Learn more about CSU’s Principles of Community and how these values support our mission and vision of inclusive excellence and access in research, teaching, service and engagement at CSU.

CSU also has a Multicultural Staff and Faculty Network (MSFN), the LGBTQIA+ Employee Network, Office of Inclusive Excellence student cultural and support centers, and the Advisory Council on Jewish Inclusion. Colorado State University is an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution as recognized by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.  Within the next decade, we look forward to CSU Fort Collins and CSU Global joining CSU Pueblo as HSIs. CSU Pueblo was the second recognized Hispanic Serving Institution in the state of Colorado.

CSU recognizes the history of land-grant universities and the costs to Native Americans, acknowledging that reconciliation with Native people is a critical part of our future. Our land acknowledgement can be found at: https://landacknowledgment.colostate.edu/. Based on the recommendations of the Native American Advisory Council, CSU is also taking steps to move beyond the land acknowledgement to improve the retention and recruitment of Native American students and to strengthen its relationships with Tribal communities and Indigenous and Native Peoples. In 2023, CSU hired its first Assistant Vice President for Indigenous and Native American Affairs, a position dedicated to advancing university initiatives and programs that are responsive to the needs of Tribal and Indigenous communities. Faculty members and Extension specialists are working actively with Tribes, for example to co-produce research and lead educational programs for Tribal Youth.


University Mission

The Colorado State University System exists to support, enhance, and protect the unique missions of its constituent institutions and to encourage collaboration that benefits students and Colorado. Inspired by its land-grant heritage, CSU is committed to excellence, setting the standard for public research universities in teaching, research, service, and extension for the benefit of the citizens of Colorado, the United States, and the world.

Vision

As a leading public research university, Colorado State University has the breadth of programs to address the wide range of issues facing society. As a land-grant university, we have the focus to programmatically deal with these issues and develop the education, research, and outreach programs to make the world a better place.

Core Values

We embrace these values:

  • An entrepreneurial attitude, while consistently demonstrating fiscal responsibility and resourcefulness.
  • A passion for excellence and a commitment to continuous quality improvement.
  • A willingness to collaborate and work with others in an environment of respect and trust.
  • A commitment to open communication, ethical conduct and full accountability.
  • A loyalty to the mission, with a specific emphasis on meeting student needs.
  • A strong commitment to a diverse, inclusive, and equitable culture, guided by our principles of community.

Accreditation

Colorado State University has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools) since 1925.


University Leadership

President Amy Parsons

Amy Parsons became the 16th President of Colorado State University on February 1, 2023. Parsons served in senior executive leadership roles at CSU and the CSU System for 16 years before becoming the founding CEO of Mozzafiato LLC, an international e-commerce company, in 2020. To learn more about President Amy Parsons, see president.colostate.edu

University Leadership and Cabinet

The President’s Cabinet consists of President Amy Parsons and 19 top leadership advisors which include the Executive Vice President, Provost, Vice Presidents for each major CSU division, Chief of Staff to the President, Deputy General Counsel, Faculty Council Chair, Director of Athletics, and three non-voting members which are the President and CEO of the CSU Foundation, President and CEO of CSU STRATA, and the Director of Presidential and Administrative Communications. The Cabinet meets bi-weekly and works to identify strategic direction for the University, address priorities and issues of importance across the institution, support the vision of the President and offer their expert advice and council on key initiatives to advance CSU’s mission. In addition to Cabinet, the President has an Executive Leadership Team which includes Cabinet, the Council of Deans, Vice Provosts, and various associate and assistant Vice Presidents/Vice Provosts. The Executive Leadership Team meets less frequently than Cabinet but is convened regularly throughout the academic year for special presentations and discussions on key initiatives.

CSU Strategic Plan and Academic Master Plan

At CSU, we challenge ourselves to build operational excellence, foster the well-being and success of people, embrace purposeful innovation at our core, and amplify our positive impact on all those we serve. For more information on the CSU Strategic Plan, see plan.colostate.edu The University undertook an 18-month planning process centered around academic programs and how to prepare students for success in a rapidly changing workforce. For more information on the CSU Academic Master Plan, see plan.colostate.edu/academic-master-plan.


About Fort Collins, Colorado

Fort Collins sits nestled against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains alongside the Cache La Poudre River banks. At 5,000 feet in elevation, residents enjoy a moderate, sunny  four-season climate. With 174,800 residents, Fort Collins is Colorado’s fourth-largest city.

The first people in the region arrived approximately 11,000 years ago, and Northern Colorado remains an integral part of the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute Nations.

The city’s major high-tech and manufacturing companies and breweries attract new residents from all over the country and world. The city is known for its unique innovative, entrepreneurial, and collaborative spirit that brings together the public and private sectors and the CSU community Fort Collins has exceptional medical systems, strong public and private K-12 schools, and many recreational offerings for families. The community’s overall social diversity continues to grow, and various national organizations and magazines recognize Fort Collins as one of the best places to live in the nation.

The area offers abundant outdoor recreation opportunities. The nearby Horsetooth Reservoir is a key attraction, as is the Cache La Poudre-North Park Scenic Byway, and the city has more than 50 natural areas and over 100 miles of trails. Fort Collins has a strong appreciation for arts, culture, and entertainment and is known as the cultural hub of northern Colorado, with many great performance venues, theaters, museums, and art galleries to visit and enjoy. Downtown Fort Collins offers diverse venues for live music, shopping, dining, and nightlife, and the city is widely considered the Craft Beer Capital of Colorado. For more information, see the City of Fort Collins website: https://www.fcgov.com/visitor/.


Academic Colleges

Housed in eight academic colleges, CSU students choose from nearly 300 academic programs, including more than 70 majors with 140 concentrations, 80 minors, and pre-professional advising.

College of Agricultural Sciences

The College of Agricultural Sciences and the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station focus on the safety, security and sustainability of food and natural resource systems. Students in the College experience hands-on learning and scientific inquiry while developing professional skills for tomorrow’s food and agricultural industry. The college has state-of-the-art infrastructure including the Temple Grandin Equine Center, the JBS Global Food Innovation Center, and the Nutrien Agricultural Sciences Building. For more information, see www.agsci.colostate.edu

College of Business

The College of Business instills the message that business with a conscience changes the world for good every day. The College features several highly ranked programs including the top online MBA in Colorado. Programs and facilities, such as the innovative Mosaic classroom, are designed to support students throughout their academic journey. The high student retention, graduation, and placement rates at the College demonstrate that students are among the most accomplished alumni in Colorado business. For more information, see www.biz.colostate.edu

College of Health and Human Sciences

The College of Health and Human Sciences seeks to improve the physical, mental, and social well-being of individuals and communities. The College’s academic and research programs are focused on the areas of nutrition, fermentation science, health and exercise science, construction management, apparel and merchandising, interior architecture and design, human development and family studies, mental and behavioral health, social work, education, and occupational therapy. The College houses high-tech, hands-on learning and research spaces such as the Nancy Richardson Design Center, the Human Performance Clinical Research Lab, and the Lory Student Center Teaching Brewery. For more information, see www.chhs.colostate.edu

College of Liberal Arts

The College of Liberal Arts is a community of arts, humanities, and social science scholars who study the cultural, social, environmental, and historical context in which we live, and examine what it means to be human. With state-of-the-art facilities such as the University Center for the Arts, Digital Fabrication Lab, and Anthropology Bones Lab, students can explore and create in a variety of creative and scientific spaces. Faculty are renowned scholars and teachers, earning more than 100 teaching awards. Research and creative artistry include 15 research centers, multiple NEH and NEA grants, two Guggenheim Fellows, and more than 400 active research projects. For more information, see www.libarts.colostate.edu

College of Natural Sciences

In the College of Natural Sciences, discovery begins here. The College is comprised of the departments of Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science. By harnessing the power of the foundational sciences, the college leads transformative research, education, and community engagement. CSU’s largest major, biology, is housed in a new, state-of-the-art Biology Building. The new Chemistry Research Building features one of CSU’s top-rated programs in teaching and research. For more information, see www.natsci.colostate.edu

College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

The College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences improves the health of animals, people, and the planet through innovative and dedicated teaching, research, outreach, and clinical service. The College houses the #2 veterinary school in the nation (U.S. News & World Report). The animal hospital and laboratories provide service to over 50,000 patients each year. The College conducts world-renowned research in animal health, infectious disease, cancer, reproduction, and orthopedics. The biomedical sciences programs deliver bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in a wide variety of life sciences. For more information, see www.vetmedbiosci.colostate.edu

Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering

The Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering is building the technologies that will change the future. The College’s five departments offer a hands-on, experiential approach to a rigorous undergraduate engineering education with two graduate-only programs, Atmospheric Science and Systems Engineering. The College has internationally recognized research programs in water resources and their interconnections with food and energy, clean energy and decarbonization biotechnology, climate and severe weather studies and prediction, advanced materials Infrastructure, air quality, and human and environmental health. These research clusters, combined with a culture that encourages and rewards collaboration, give the College an exceptional position for addressing many of the complex societal problems we are facing today. For more information, see www.engr.colostate.edu

Warner College of Natural Resources

Warner College of Natural Resources is a comprehensive natural resources program with a variety of graduate and undergraduate degree offerings and world-class research undertaken by faculty and within numerous associated research centers and institutes. From addressing climate change, conserving wildlife, understanding human connections to the environment, and managing forests and rangelands, the College is helping sustain resilient human and ecological communities. The College leverages expertise across physical, biological, and social sciences to create interdisciplinary partnerships and community engagement that helps address the critical environmental and natural resources issues of our time. The College has an enduring commitment to diversifying its associated fields and therefore aims to diversify its student body and faculty and create an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. The College offers many experiential education opportunities, including courses at the beautiful CSU Mountain Campus, located in the Rocky Mountains west of Fort Collins, and throughout Colorado, the West, and the world. For more information, see www.warnercnr.colostate.edu

Libraries

The CSU Libraries is an intellectual and interdisciplinary nexus for the CSU community and Colorado residents supporting all students, researchers, and scholars across the university. The Libraries provides the CSU community with the resources, tools and guidance necessary to critically engage with the global information landscape. They prioritize providing information and services online whenever possible and support two physical locations, the Morgan Library and the Veterinary Teaching Hospital Library. For more information, see lib.colostate.edu


Research, Scholarship, and Creative Artistry

Colorado State University is world-class research institution, home to cutting edge research facilities, equipment, and instrumentation, and the Office of the Vice President for Research supports foundational research infrastructure and the research facilities necessary to enable excellence, innovation, and outstanding achievement in research, scholarship and creative artistry. Among these assets are more than 800,000 sq. ft. of research space, including 50,000 sq. ft. of Biosafety Level 3 laboratories. CSU Core Facilities, which provide access to state-of-the-art research tools and expertise, span an extensive array of resources in the sciences and engineering, computing, prototyping, biological and clinical sciences, statistical and data analysis, among others. Unique research facilities include:

  • BioMARC, a non-profit biologics contract development and manufacturing organization that provides cGMP development and manufacturing for pre-clinical, clinical, and commercial products, and specializes in high containment (BSL-2, BSL-3, and CDC Tier 1 select agents).
  • Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, the furthest west of the NIH NIAIAD-supported Regional Biocontainment Laboratories, which provides safe and secure space for research on biodefense and infectious disease agents and serves as a national, state, and local resource for public health efforts in the event of an infectious disease emergency.
  • The Agricultural Experiment Station oversees eight research centers across the state, conducting research that meets the agricultural production needs for Colorado.
  • Radar facilities, including the CSU CHILL National Weather Radar Facility, an advanced, transportable dual-polarized S-band weather radar system, and the CSU Sea-Going Polarimetric (SEA-POL) radar, a National Science Foundation community facility dual-polarization ship-deployable C-band radar featuring dynamic platform stabilization.
  • Hydraulics Laboratory, including 45,000 sq ft of research space and test flumes, as well as nearly 30 acres of outdoor laboratory space with unique proximity and water supply from Horsetooth Reservoir, allowing for large, sustained flow rates up to 200 cfs in large prototype scale flumes.
  • Wayne McIlwraith Translational Medicine Institute, focused on translational medicine, with an 8,750 sq. ft. imaging facility, equine and small-animal compatible operating rooms, observation rooms, research laboratory space, and an equine performance analysis facility with a 40-stall barn, among other unique research assets.
  • Colorado Climate Center, which houses the State Climatologist and the highly successful citizen-science data center, the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, & Snow Network (CoCoRaHS), a unique non-profit, community-based network of volunteers who report precipitation, sponsored by NOAA and the NSF.
  • The Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA), which serves as a nexus for multi-disciplinary cooperation between NOAA research scientists and Colorado State University research staff, faculty, and students, aligning NOAA-identified research theme areas with long-standing academic strengths of the University.

Research at CSU is an area of priority for campus, experiencing multi-year growth supported and catalyzed by strategic internal research investment. Areas of research, scholarship, and creative artistry excellence are numerous across the campus, including sustainability, democracy, and one health. CSU fosters a culture of excellence, nurtures the success of research and scholarship community members, builds excellence, embraces purposeful innovation, and translates innovation into impact through investing in areas of ongoing and emerging excellence and opportunity. As examples of internal investments, the Catalyst for Innovative Partnerships (CIP) program facilitates global impact through the creation and support of interdisciplinary research teams tackling grand societal and scientific challenges. The Thematic Units of Excellence (TUNE) initiative invests in thematic excellence, providing sustained support to impactful programs of research, scholarship, and artistry with achieved and demonstrated impact.

Research at CSU has a dedicated development team with University Advancement focused on securing philanthropic gifts in support of the research enterprise as well as interdisciplinary centers and institutes.

CSU STRATA provides intellectual property management and technology transfer for CSU and supports a robust ecosystem of innovation, in partnership with the Office of the Vice President for Research. In addition to helping to protect and license intellectual property, CSU STRATA also provides unique programs and support for CSU entrepreneurs and startups, such as the recently launched Lab to Life venture studio, to facilitate bringing impactful research to market. The Vice President for Research serves as an ex officio non-voting member of the CSU STRATA Board of Trustees.

Office of the Vice President for Research

The Office of the Vice President of Research (OVPR) serves to build and grow world-class scholarship, discoveries, and innovation across the entire university. CSU is a Carnegie Classification R1 Doctoral university with “very high research activity”. The research mission contributes to all university mission elements. Faculty weave teaching and research discoveries together to excite and engage students. CSU’s research attracts students who benefit from studying in an environment rich with innovation and discovery. New knowledge created through research is transformed into cutting-edge academic programs and courses that enhance the prestige of the university. The innovation and entrepreneurial activities of the enterprise support job growth and economic prosperity in the region. Basic research addresses grand challenges facing the nation and world, such as climate change, water supply, sustainable agriculture, and infectious diseases. Significant engagement with corporate strategic partners enhances these discoveries.

The OVPR supports both short- and long-term initiatives to grow CSU’s research enterprise and maintain a robust discovery and innovation pipeline. Through a dynamic, multifaceted, and collaborative approach, the OVPR promotes single faculty investigator projects, large-scale interdisciplinary research teams, collaborations with other universities and communities, partnerships with leading industries, and supports the high-potential, university-driven startups and other technology transfer activities undertaken by CSU STRATA.

The OVPR office is comprised of 236 highly skilled employees, including research faculty, compliance personnel, administrators, and support staff. OVPR utilizes an additional 150 student employees and funds over 50 other personnel in varying capacities on awards and grants associated with the centers and institutes.

The VPR is supported by and oversees the OVPR Executive Committee, which consists of Assistant/Associate Vice Presidents and the Chief Medical Research Officer, each of whom oversee a portfolio of the operational and administrative units that make up the Office. The VPR also oversees multiple Executive Directors and Directors, including the leadership of various Centers and Institutes. The VPR is also supported by a Senior Faculty Advisor, who works closely with the VPR and OVPR Executive Committee.

Operational and Administrative Units of the Office of the Vice President for Research

  • Clinical and Translational Research Support Office (ClinTRO)
  • Conflict of Interest administrative support office
  • Export Controls and Classified Research programs (Secure and Global Research)
  • Federal Research Relations
  • Human Subjects Protection Program (IRB administrative support)
  • Research Acceleration Office (research development)
  • Research Analytics (reporting and data analytics)
  • Research Communication and Events
  • Research Information Technology Services
  • Research Integrity and Responsible Conduct of Research program and support
  • Office for Industry Research Contracting
  • Office of Defense Engagement
  • Office of Research Collaboration and Compliance (Biosafety, IBC, IACUC administrative support)
  • Office of Sponsored Programs
  • Analytical Resources Core
  • Core Research Facilities Program
  • Laboratory Animal Resources

The OVPR oversees five strategic centers and institutes, critical to catalyzing support and sustaining cross-college, strategic interdisciplinary faculty activities:

  • Infectious Disease Research Center, which provides a safe, secure, state of art facility for university investigators, government scientists and industry representatives to collaboratively research the basic biology, biochemistry, molecular biology and epidemiology of bacteria and viruses that cause human and animal diseases. The Infectious Disease Research Center provides the highest quality research environment for developing new scientific discoveries, vaccines, methods of diagnosis, and therapeutic agents for infectious agents. Colorado State University is among the world’s leaders in researching West Nile Virus, drug-resistant Tuberculosis, Yellow Fever, Dengue, Hantavirus, Plague, Tularemia, and other diseases.
  • Energy Institute, which develops innovative solutions to energy and carbon challenges that achieve global impact. The Energy Institute delivers real-world energy and carbon solutions that address society’s most pressing global challenges.
  • One Health Institute, which builds off of CSU’s work in veterinary medicine, public health, and sustainability, and brings together more than 260 faculty affiliates to develop action-oriented solutions to One Health problems. Colorado State University is an exceptional place for innovative One Health solutions that span beyond transdisciplinary boundaries.
  • Columbine Health Systems Center for Healthy Aging, which addresses critical challenges related to age-related diseases and disabilities by serving as a catalyst for interdisciplinary research, education, and community engagement around cutting edge issues involved in healthy and successful aging.
  • Data Sciences Research Institute, which supports and enhances the data science research environment and facilitates faculty collaborations that stimulate the development of new analytical tools and applications.

The OVPR maintains a strategic interface with all colleges through regular meetings with the Council of Research Associated Deans, who provide advice and recommendations to the VPR on strategic directions for the research enterprise.


Applications, Nominations, and Expressions of Interest

To apply for the Vice President for Research position, candidates are requested to submit the following: (1) letter addressing job description and qualifications for the position; (2) a CV; (3) names and contact information of three professional references (to be contacted with candidate’s permission at a later date). Applications should be submitted on the CSU website: jobs.colostate.edu/postings/128637

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. (MT) on July 24, 2023. Nominations and expressions of interest for the Vice President for Research position are encouraged. Please direct them to the Search Chair, Dean James Pritchett, at [email protected]

Compensation Package

Colorado State University is committed to a competitive and comprehensive compensation package including a strong and competitive benefits package that supports you, your health, and your family. Visit CSU’s Human Resources website for detailed benefit plan information: hr.colostate.edu/prospective-employees/our-perks CSU’s total compensation calculator shows the value of the exceptional benefits offered: hr.colostate.edu/total-compensation-calculator

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Colorado State University is committed to providing an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based on race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, or pregnancy in its employment, programs, services and activities, and admissions, and, in certain circumstances, marriage to a co-worker. The University will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. Colorado State University is an equal opportunity and equal access institution and affirmative action employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce and complies with all Federal and Colorado State laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. The Office of Equal Opportunity is located in 101 Student Services, Fort Collins, CO 80523-0160.

The Title IX Coordinator is the Director of the Office of Title IX Programs and Gender Equity, 123 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523-0160, (970) 491-1715, [email protected]

The Section 504 and ADA Coordinator is the Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity, 101 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523-0160, (970) 491-5836, [email protected]

The coordinator for any other forms of misconduct prohibited by the University’s Policy on Discrimination and Harassment is the Vice President for Equity, Equal Opportunity and Title IX, 101 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, Co. 80523-0160, (970) 491-5836, [email protected]

Any person may report sex discrimination under Title IX to the Office of Civil Rights, Department of Education.

Background Check Statement

Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers, and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.