The evolution of a research university can take many paths. Described here is a case study of the synergy between the establishment and growth of a primarily graduate school and the commitment to developing a research university, all with the assistance of a separately incorporated non-profit research administration entity. The result has been a…

Independent academic medical centers (IAMC) are challenged to develop and support a research enterprise and maintain primary goals of healthcare delivery and financial solvency. Strategies for promoting translational research have been shown to be effective at institutions in the top level of federal funding, but not for smaller IAMCs. The…

Translational research, the process of applying the discoveries of basic science to clinical practice, is drawing increasing attention from funding agencies and policy makers. Translational research can be thought of as an attempt to bridge the gap between our knowledge of the world and our ability to intervene in that world. Seen in this light,…

In an effort to increase review-quality and efficiency, research administration at Wake Forest School of Medicine initiated a change in the operational structure of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) via a reconfiguring of the boards and rescheduling of the convened meetings. The number of IRB Panels was doubled and each panel/board began…

During the course of the last century, a number of historical instances of unethical human research have occurred, and risen to the forefront of the social imagination. The atrocities of the European and Pacific Holocausts, the tragic 1932-1972 United States Public Health Service Syphilis Studies at Tuskegee, concomitant with the 1946-48 unethical…

Issues surrounding gender discrimination have been addressed over the past 40 years with various pieces of legislation and federal policies that have made such discrimination illegal. The number of women in higher education as students and faculty has steadily increased since the 1950s, though only in certain disciplines and in the lower faculty…

In the Triple Helix of University-Industry-Government relations, the academic researcher plays a predominant role as he participates in research, which provides opportunities for innovation; in teaching, which develops highly qualified personnel; and in entrepreneurialism, which represents the transformation of knowledge in a more usable form, and…

This prelude reflects upon the international ethics conference that was held from December 6-9, 2009, at the University of Botswana in Gaborone, Botswana. Seeking international partners and then forging mutually viable and effectively working links with them is the life blood of a university in a developing country. This partnering is necessary…

The International Ethics Conference held at the University of Botswana from 6-10 December 2009 brought together over 250 delegates, speakers, and other participants from a wide range of disciplines. The theme of the conference, "Retrieving the Human Face of Science: Understanding Ethics and Integrity in Healthcare, Medicine and Research," was…

In this text, Ellemes Phuma, shares her experience and the benefits she derived from the International Ethics Conference held at the University of Botswana (UB). As a graduate student in nursing at that university, she provides her perspective on professional responsibility, compassionate healthcare, and the ethical role that healthcare…

In an effort to foster research integrity, the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation mandate education of all trainees in the responsible conduct of research (RCR). Nevertheless, recent studies suggest that rates of questionable research practices and scientific misconduct are both high and considerably underreported.…

We sought to examine the growth of an interdisciplinary center using social network analysis techniques. Specific aims were to examine the patterns of growth and interdisciplinary connectedness of the Center and to identify the social network characteristics of its productive members. The setting for this study was The Center for Interdisciplinary…

The impact of change strategies for developing research at an African primarily undergraduate institution is considered using a case study of the University of Botswana. After an analysis of the existing situation, a short research policy, written in understandable terms, was developed. The policy was structured so that it could be used for…

The world continues to change rapidly and globalization is fostering common social, economic, and political agreements among countries. Agreements by governments have created opportunities to enhance educational and research endeavors that, by design, will remove barriers that previously have limited the flow of students, educators, researchers,…

Describes an Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research initiative to enhance the review process for its training awards using a new tool based on the ProGrid decision-assist software. Implementation resulted in several modifications to the review process in the areas of definition, rationality, fairness, timeliness, and responsiveness; the…