My hard pushback needs to be excused because I have a hair-trigger PVR (Potemkin Village Reflex) that is unusually active during presidential campaigns.

I was in Budapest in 1983.  There was a normal looking store front with gorgeous closed displays in the window of really cool looking military buttons and insignia.  I thought I’d like to buy something so I walked in.  Inside was a couple playing cards at a table in the middle of a large and otherwise empty room.  They seemed shocked that I had walked in and didn’t have a key to the window cases.

For me, the phrase “in name only” is not a great way to describe the efforts of a group of faculty working on xxxxxx and planning, even if embryonically, to broaden scope or coordinate their work. Not having extramural funding is irrelevant.  They are an active entity and deserve a name (tho I still can’t imagine how the name alone puts them “in a better position to apply for funding.”)

CH

Everyone,

I agree with Madison.  In my experience, I have worked at a few institutions that created centers in “name only”.  The institution develops the plan for the center, the mission and values and then sends the paid employee out to raise the funds to hire the staff to raise more funds to do the projects.  These centers became very successful.  There has never been a problem with any of our proposals as we stated why we needed the funds and what we hoped to accomplish.  Some centers were initially funded by the federal government and some began with foundation monies.

Yes I would have a problem with this if the Center will never be performing any work.  Remember this is how non-profits begin from the idea of one who convinces many to donate to that cause. 

Cheers,

Rene

----------------------------------------------------

Rene Hearns, PhD (cand), MPA, CRA

Director, Grants and Sponsored Programs

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

148 Meadville Street

Edinboro, PA 16444-0001

814.732.1052 Telephone      814.732.2611 Fax

Office Hours  8:00 am to 4:30 pm

All:

I think the hard pushback to the idea of a center in name only is based on the thought that the subsequent application for funding would be to potential government sponsors, yes?  Although I’m not sure how that would rise to the level of actual fraud unless one stated in a proposal to the potential government sponsor that the Center InNameOnly had funding in place when that was not the case?  Is the term “Center” associated exclusively with federal funding of some sort? (I’m resisting the urge to see if “Center” is defined in the FAR.  I gave up the FAR for Lent.  Ahem.)  Why would it be embarrassing or of interest to an OIG exactly?  On some level, this approach strikes me as a branding exercise – not a nefarious plot.  I may not be connecting the dots well, but I trust that y’all will help me do so.

Does the analysis shift if one considers establishing a Center InNameOnly and then shopping it to potential industry partners?  I am not sure how one would get through the start-up phase of an industry-funded center/consortium without the branding of a name in place.  It also seem reasonable to me that an institution might want to hold off on obligating monies to the proposed center/consortium until there is proof of concept, i.e., an industry partner willing to join in.  The particulars of the center/consortium framework would shake out as the conversations unfolded between the interested parties.

I recognize the entrepreneurial spirit behind Michelle’s question.  I think it is helpful to noodle over start-up issues in research endeavors, and perhaps the Research Development folks on the list might have some interesting input.  It’s great that Michelle sought the input of the list on this strategic question, and I’m hopeful that we might unpack our responses a little more fully to be helpful to her. 

What would we do without a list to tap into the RESADM brain trust? J

With kind regards, Madison

Madison Gray, J.D.*, C.R.A., C.C.R.P.

Senior Assistant Director

Office of Contract & Research Administration (OCRA)

Vanderbilt University

email: xxxxxx@vanderbilt.edu

phone: 615-343-1374

*Not legal counsel for Vanderbilt University.  The Office of the General Counsel is the only authorized legal counsel for Vanderbilt University.

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From: Research Administration List [mailto:xxxxxx@lists.healthresearch.org] On Behalf Of Theresa Defino
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 6:05 AM
To: xxxxxx@lists.healthresearch.org
Subject: Re: [RESADM-L] A Center in Name only

Have you considered the implications should a reporter uncover this and write about it? I think it would prove quite embarrassing. Also think of the OIGs in this world...

It was presented as an incentive for faculty to seek funding. I thought it 

sounded like a good idea but wondered if other universities had tried it or had 

success with the idea.

Michelle

________________________________________

From: Research Administration List [xxxxxx@lists.healthresearch.org] on behalf 

of Charles Hathaway [xxxxxx@EINSTEIN.YU.EDU]

Sent: Monday, March 12, 2012 8:53 PM

To: xxxxxx@lists.healthresearch.org

Subject: Re: [RESADM-L] A Center in Name only

If 3000 of us now know this ploy, chances are that funding agencies and their 

reviewers will not fall for it.

CH

________________________________________

From: Research Administration List [xxxxxx@lists.healthresearch.org] on behalf 

of Alvarez, Michelle E [xxxxxx@MNSU.EDU]

Sent: Monday, March 12, 2012 9:09 PM

To: xxxxxx@lists.healthresearch.org

Subject: [RESADM-L] A Center in Name only

I heard an idea at a recent conference that I wanted to see if I could get 

feedback on related to the development of Centers (e.g., Center for Rural Social 

Work). The idea was that faculty interested in starting a Center could request 

to do so without any monetary commitment from the university. So if I wanted to 

start a Center I could fill out a request to my university and they would grant 

permission for me to use the name Center for Rural Social Work but not promise 

me any funding. The idea is that this would put me, a faculty member, in a 

better position to apply for funding to support the Center because I have the 

name already attached to it. Then even if the Center fails, the university has 

not lost any funds and if it succeeds then I could apply for both internal and 

external funding. What do you think of this idea?

Michelle Alvarez, MSW, EdD, LICSW, C-SSWS

Minnesota State University, Mankato

Interim Director, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (RASP)

325 Wigley Administration Center

Mankato, MN 56001

Phone (507)389-6652

Fax (507)389-5459

President, School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA)

Editor in Chief, Children & Schools

<image001.jpg>

The mission of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (RASP) is to 

promote learning through encouraging and assisting faculty and staff in their 

pursuit of external funding for research, scholarship, service and creative 

endeavors.

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A link directly to helpful tips: http://tinyurl.com/resadm-l-help ======================================================================

====================================================================== Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available via our web site at http://www.healthresearch.org (click on the "LISTSERV" link in the upper right corner)

A link directly to helpful tips: http://tinyurl.com/resadm-l-help ======================================================================