Steve Hoagland <xxxxxx@ODUVM.BITNET> writes:
>
>At ODU the net IDC is distributed as follows:
>  Academic Affairs, 10%
>  Department of PI, 50%
>  College of Department, 30
>The financial system we have sends the department's share to the dean for
>some reason.  Use of the funds is not restricted.  We have a research
>foundation which is supported by IDC recoveries.  What I mean by net is the
>portion after supporting the research foundation's operation and giving the
>state its 30 percent cut.

Steve, I've got a couple of questions for you about ODU's IDC policy.

1.  What is the rationale for sending 30% back to "mother state"?  30% is
such a round number that it sounds like it was derived in an arbitrary
fashion.  Is that right?

2.  Given ODU's generous return policy on IDC's to depts., are there any
other research support pgms available, e.g., grants programs, emergency
(read hiatus) funding, new investigator start-up?  Or are all these issues
handled at the dean/dept. level?

3.  I assume that your IDC policy is based upon the theory that by returning
IDCs to the depts/schools which generated them, this will serve as both
an incentive to get more grants, as well as to grow the research pgm in the
depts.  If I am correct, has that theory worked?  I'm not trying to get you
to air any dirty linen by asking this question, it's just that I've been
very active this summer in studying research incentives and competitiveness
issues at other schools, and this is an issue which I have been very close
to.  I have come across several schools where a similar policy led to an
initial significant growth in the research pgm., only to be followed (several
years later) by fiscal disaster because the infrastructure needed to support
the enlarged research program was not adequately supported, and too much of
the new research pgm was founded on "soft" money.  This is not to say that
such a policy hasn't worked in other schools, it has!  I'd be very interested
in learning more about your policy.

4.  30%+50%+10% = 90%, where's the other 10%?

OK, so it was more than a "couple" of questions.

Len

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Leonard P. Paplauskas    Assistant Vice President for Research     |
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