Research Council Bylaws

Faculty Senate Bylaws, Article III, section 2, Part J

Research Council. Membership shall consist of at least 12 appointed faculty or faculty/administrator representatives. In addition, there shall be three graduate students selected by the Graduate Student Senate. Ex-officio members shall include the Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement, the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement, the Dean of Libraries (or designee), Associate Deans for Research or equivalents (or designees), the Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer (or designee) of the Office of Information Technology, and up to two additional designees. The composition of the Research Council shall reflect balance among externally funded and institutionally supported research, between research and other creative activity, and among disciplines. Members must be actively engaged in research or other creative activity and must (1) hold full-time or continuing part-time appointment with the rank of lecturer, clinical instructor, assistant professor or higher; and (2) perform academic duties consisting of at least half-time teaching, research, or service. To serve as Chair of the Research Council, an individual must have served at least one year on the Council prior to assuming the position. The immediate past Chair of the Research Council will serve as an ex-officio member of the Council for the next academic year.

The Research Council acts as an advisory body to the Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement. The Research Council shall promote excellence in research, scholarship, and other creative activity through the study and recommendation of policies. The Research Council shall initiate and support efforts to communicate an understanding of and appreciation for research, scholarship, and other creative activity to the campus community and the community at large. The Research Council co-administers some programs of the Office of Research and Engagement, as requested by the Vice Chancellor or Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement. Areas of concern include research incentives and support, intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary research activities, compliance with state, federal and university regulations governing the conduct of research, rights to and commercialization of intellectual property, the broad range of research infrastructure including all forms of telecommunications and computational support, and other research-related resources. The Research Council conducts the initial phase of the periodic review of University research centers and units. Further, the Research Council shall concern itself with the institutional policy on research grants and funding, with copyright and patent policy, with protection of investigators, with the protection of human subjects of research, with the protection of experimental animals, and with policies affecting compliance of research activities with environmental and occupational health and safety requirements. The Research Council shall also encourage publications and the development of specialized research facilities for intercollegiate and/or interdisciplinary uses in accordance with any other policies pertaining to research programs. The Research Council shall furthermore encourage media releases of research successes by UTK, UTIA, and UTSI researchers. When appropriate, the Research Council shall report its actions for approval to the Faculty Senate.