What can Research Services data and tools do for you?

They can give you the performance metrics you need to make accurate, informed decisions crucial to your institution's continued success. These scenarios show you just a few of the valuable ways the Research Services Group can make a difference:

Track performance and set measurable goals

Premier research requires adequate funding. And adequate funding can best be obtained by presenting objective statistical data that demonstrates the quality of an institution's research.

So when the Vice Provost of Research was commissioned by the president of the university to ensure their university's place in the top tier of research institutions in the country, she began by using Research Services databases. This gave her the data and tools she needed to determine how the university's departments and individual faculty members are currently performing, and set measurable goals for the future. As these goals are met, the Vice Provost can use these results at the next Board of Trustees meeting to show clear progress and high levels of performance that will attract and retain investors.

Allocate funds accurately and intelligently

Where should next year's research budget be allocated? What areas provide the most promising future for university researchers?

A Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences needed to answer these questions, to efficiently manage the research being conducted in his school's departments. Using Research Services data, he noted that the university's research in analytical chemistry has had rising impact over the last five years. He decided to allocate more funding to this department to help foster this group of influential scholars.

He could also see where the university's strengths are, and what fields could be developed that are complementary to those strengths. He discovered an area that the university thought was waning, but which was re-emerging as very significant. He decided to add two new faculty members with good reputations in this field, to ensure that the university is on the cutting edge of research. To find these faculty members, he used data which showed him which individuals are leading the way in their field, in terms of research output and impact.

Attract top-notch faculty and funding sources

You're in the midst of a major capital campaign. And the decisions made will help determine the future directions of research on your campus. One of the major goals is the refurbishment and modernization of several laboratory buildings and the creation of new, state-of-the-art labs. In order to raise sufficient funding, you need to prove that even though your university is small in size, the research produced is high quality and high impact. In fact, you're known around the world as a place where extraordinary research is done, and papers from your university tend to be cited noticeably more than average. Research Services products help you back these assertions with solid statistical evidence. You can justify your budget decisions and clearly demonstrate the value of future investments in research resources.