March 24, 1997

To: Campus Community
From: Jim Gill, AVCR
Re: Changes in the Sponsored Projects Office

Dear Colleagues

Soon there will be a new Director of the Office of Sponsored Projects who will lead efforts to further improve our administrative support for research, especially as the campus undertakes new strategic initiatives.

Two weeks ago Mark Coburn resigned as Director effective April 11 in order to become the Director of the Office of Research and Project Administration at the University of Rochester which has a larger award volume, research office staff, and level of university-industry interaction which is one of Mark's priorities. During Mark's tenure, the level of award funding at UCSC has doubled. If 1996-97 continues at its current rate, this will be our first $40 million year. The volume of proposals also increased by 50% during Mark's time here despite budget and staff cuts. Mark and OSP staff brought us through this difficult period by hard work and effectively implementing electronic research administration. This month we began submitting proposals to NSF electronically, thanks especially to Suresh Lodha (CE) and Marilyn Homer (OSP); for further information, contact your OSP administrator. Mark also reconceived and renegotiated our relationship with the Systemwide Office of Technology Transfer. As a result, industrial research agreements and invention disclosures are up 50%. He and Karen Reinero helped me reorganize (and rename) the office last summer, made possible by additional funds from EVC Tanner to support research. Finally, Mark spent 18 months as Director of Business Planning and Technology Transfer for the MBEST Center at Fort Ord before returning to OSP last October. We thank and will miss him.

I invite you to join me in a farewell reception in Mark's honor in the foyer of the Applied Sciences Building Wednesday April 9 from 4-6 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

National recruitment has begun for a new Director. Applications close April 21 and we hope a new Director will start work by July 1. During the last year the position was reclassed to reflect its leadership role in campus research administration. In addition to managing the Office of Sponsored Projects, the Director is the Patent Coordinator for the campus and chief tech transfer liaison, roles that will be increasingly essential as the School of Engineering unfolds. Bruce Bridgeman (Psychology) and Darrell Long (Computer Science) have agreed to join me on the search committee, so direct your suggestions to one of us; we will be joined by representatives from OSP and a divisional business office.

During the interim, the Acting Director of OSP will be David Mears, Systemwide Director of Research Administration. David plans to spend Monday to Wednesday each week at UCSC. He has over 10 years experience as a senior contract and grant administrator for several federal agencies in Washington and over 15 years experience at UCOP. He was largely responsible for UC's participation in the Federal Demonstration Project. (Any of you who have been PIs for big awards from agencies like DOC or DOD will recognize how much we owe him for that.) His experience will inform our strategic planning for research administration as well as our daily operations during the transition between Directors. He seeks input about UC research policy from PIs. His daughter recently graduated from UCSC. David will start work here April 14.

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