A discussion of contemporary conflict of interest in university research administration offers a historical perspective of the political and economic factors in "academic capitalism" and looks at current pressures. Potential conflict situations that must be addressed in institutional policy formation are outlined. (MSE)

Guidelines for dealing openly and directly with potential conflicts of interest in university research administration are offered to help administrators balance the institutional risks and benefits of relationships and interests faculty may have with outside agencies or companies. Advice for developing effective policies and procedures are also…

Origins of the University of California's procedures for systematic review of principal investigators' financial disclosures prior to acceptance of grants, and the manner in which they are working at present, are examined. The disclosure requirements, faculty committee, criteria, and disclosures made during 1988 are described. Two case studies are…

A discussion of the controversial proposed National Institutes of Health/Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration guidelines for policies on conflict of interest are assessed in relation to the University of California's experience with research policies and peer review practice in regulating potential conflict-of-interest situations.…

When conflict-of-interest issues affect research programs and sponsored activities, research administrators make take several crucial roles: participant/advisor in forming, implementing, and overseeing relevant institutional policies and guidelines; counselor to develop ways of avoiding conflict-of-interest situations; and mediator-expeditor for…

Guidelines of the National Institutes of Health and the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration for research activities they support are presented. The guidelines establish minimum standards for the procedures to be adopted by recipient institution, including identification of financial interests that are incompatible with the need…

The responses of higher education organizations, institutions, and individuals to the guidelines developed by the National Institutes of Health and the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration are presented. The Council on Government Relations and five major research universities are represented. (MSE)

A variety of administrative issues can arise when multi-investigator, interdisciplinary research increases on campus. As research facilitators, university research administrators are in a position to help their institution with necessary management adjustments. Interdisciplinary research brings special opportunities and challenges to the campus…

College faculty applying for the National Endowment for the Humanities' Summer Stipend Program for independent study and research are usually nominated by their institutions. Nomination procedures used by institutions that consistently nominate successful applicants are described, and the research administrator's role in the process is discussed.…

Consequences of two university departments' dependence on fluctuating research funding and their responses to it are examined, focusing on juggling dependence-based problems with graduate student education, instrumentation needs, grant discontinuation, faculty recruitment, and planning. The combination of institutional decentralization and the…

Institutions varied widely in amount and type of data collected in tracking research proposals. Many do not collect predicted data or much data of national interest. Most do not require prior approval of use of human subjects, recombinant DNA, or hazardous substances. Only one required certification of integrity of scholarship. (Author/MSE)

A survey of 344 colleges and universities investigated current practices concerning the dissemination of information, within the institution, about research funding opportunities. Results indicate that paper dominates electronic communication for such information dissemination, and selective, targeted distribution to faculty correlates positively…

As researchers turn to industry over government for research funding, it is proposed that research administrators provide substantial assistance to faculty in the different strategies and skills needed to win grants. Differences between corporate and federal sponsors, basic strategies found effective in winning grants, and elements of effective…

New federal regulations concerning direct cost accounting for college and university research projects are explained. It is concluded that the new standard allows institutions to reduce the signatures required on cost transfers and use reasonable cost allocation methods to simplify distribution of direct costs when research is supported by…

The practice and methods of federal research impact assessment are described. Three areas of evaluation (selection of research project, research review, and postresearch assessment) are examined, and different evaluation methods (qualitative, retrospective, and quantitative) are compared. Peer evaluation, the most common assessment method, is seen…