Guidelines are offered to research administrators for reducing the volume of hazardous laboratory waste. Suggestions include a chemical location inventory, a chemical reuse facility, progressive contracts with chemical suppliers, internal or external chemical recycling mechanisms, a "chemical conservation" campaign, and laboratory fees for…

The links between research and development (R&D) and business planning were investigated through interviews with R&D and business executives in nine industrial corporations. Results show planning is generally program or project oriented, with little evidence strategic planning is the norm. Suggestions for improving R&D planning are…

The editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine discusses considerations in medical research integrity and publication, including the issues of research methodology, readership interest, article selection, editing, honesty, the author's responsibility, announcements of research to the mass media, and previous publication. (MSE)

The use of preaward agreements between the industry and the university collaborating to seek external funding, particularly from government sources, is examined. The agreements describe the parties' obligations in seeking funding and lay the groundwork for subsequent research agreements. Elements of such agreements are discussed to raise awareness…

The activities of National Institutes of Health personnel and peer reviewers in preparation for and during a visit to a proposed research project site are outlined. Steps for the requesting agency to take before, during, and after the visit, to present itself in the best possible light, are suggested. (Author/MSE)

Enormous enrollment growth has created substantial management problems for Dutch universities. Based on the idea that government research policy should stimulate, not weaken, university capabilities to improve their management, a system of research schools has been integrated into the higher education system to better concentrate teaching and…

A system implemented at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's medical school department of microbiology and immunology to track grant proposals before submission is described. Stress associated with proposal deadlines has been drastically reduced. Strategies used include a new submission process, development of an ideal timeline, and use of a…

The top internal issues identified by leaders in higher education management as most likely to influence colleges' financial and competitive positions in the near future include tuition policy and financing, capital renewal and replacement, research funding, planning and budgeting, and cost and productivity. (Author/MSE)

American research universities addressed issues of shared funding and overhead for research long ago. British universities are now establishing their own rules. The Commission of European Universities has worked on a model contract that represents progress, but major issues of partnership and patronage arising from differential institutional…

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…

In search of increased support for graduate students in plant science and upgraded laboratories, the College of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, offered the college's expertise in exchange for major financial backing from the single company making the best offer. The resulting five-year, $25-million alliance with one…

A discussion of federal policy on research integrity and scientific misconduct chronicles the history of federal involvement in accountability in the scientific community, forms of intervention, determination of the boundaries of misconduct, and the rights of whistle blowers. Official definitions and standards are presented. (MSE)

Differentiates between the legal functions that college- and university-sponsored research officers are required to perform and the quasi-legal functions in research administration. Introduces and discusses legal concepts integral to research administration, and offers practical pointers in carrying out both legal and quasi-legal functions.…

In recent decades, governments and universities in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries have relied on six major mechanisms to safeguard quality in university research. More recently, many countries have added new quality-assurance mechanisms, particularly reviews of disciplines and academic audits. Two recent…

Although multidisciplinary research teams are well-equipped to attack complex problems, actually succeeding in such endeavors is not easy. This paper explores problems that may arise in multidisciplinary research teams, develops a grounded theory, and offers suggestions to help teams reach their goals. It also offers advice to administrators for…