POSITION PROFILE

 

Vice-President Research and Innovation

 

 

The Vice-President Research and Innovation is responsible for the management, administration, and leadership of research at Université Internationale Oasis and is instrumental in promoting, formalizing and embedding successful innovation throughout the University. Reporting to the President, the Vice-President Research and Innovation holds primary responsibility for the planning, development and implementation of all research administration initiatives in support of UIO’s vision, mission, and strategic directions. The Vice-President will play a key role promoting UIO research locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally, and will act as a UIO liaison with the State government on matters that relate to its interest in research, innovation and entrepreneurship.

 

The Vice-President of Research and Innovation is responsible for maintaining and enhancing our

commitment to faculty and student success in all areas of research. In this capacity, their office is

responsible for:

 

• strategically overseeing the University’s research programs on the main and remote campuses;

• creating an environment and culture inside the University that facilitates, encourages, inspires, nurtures, enhances and supports research;

• enabling and assisting faculty to identify and secure external funds through regional, national and international grants (institutional and individual), partnerships and contracts to support research at UIO, providing as much support as possible to faculty members when submitting applications;

• promoting and supporting basic (i.e. and not only applied) research in the different disciplines and areas of interest that characterize UIO;

• showcasing UIO faculty and student research programs and proposed research projects both within and outside the University;

• supporting joint research programs with partner institutions;

• fostering research that represents and promotes indigenous ways of knowing;

• overseeing the development of academic research policy;

• supporting the commercialization of appropriate UIO research projects;

• ensuring that intellectual property is managed in a way that supports the university and researchers;

• leading Research through the direction of an efficient and user-friendly Research Office that delivers services, support and training necessary to enable the effective functioning of research activities and operations and ensures compliance with requirements of granting agencies; and

• helping to secure and maintain positive local, regional, national and state partnerships with government and industry.

 

The Vice-President Research and Innovation will be actively engaged in the academic life of UIO. They will promote excellence in the academic community and be responsive to that community through a vision of innovation, high-quality scholarship and research.

 

The Vice-President Research and Innovation provides leadership within the university community by helping to define research priorities and implementing actions to support research and Vice-President Research and Innovation scholarship in consultation with Senate and faculty.

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The Vice-President Research and Innovation is responsible for fostering the highest standards of

research and supporting academic freedom, and is an advocate of scholarly integrity and research excellence in collaboration with partners, such as government agencies, other post-secondary institutions, and a wide range of external individuals and groups. The Vice-President Research and Innovation is involved with research communications and leadership in the public domain and with UIO’s governance structures and committees. The Vice-President Research and Innovation is responsible for the promotion of positive relations internally (with faculty, staff, and students) and externally (including research partners, alumni and with various aspects of government and communities).

 

The Vice-President Research and Innovation supports faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students and staff by actively seeking ways to foster excellence in research and scholarship and supporting the dynamic interplay among teaching, learning and research activities in all areas of scholarly activity including undergraduate and graduate programs. The Vice-President Research and Innovation conducts annual performance reviews of all direct reports and leads an effective management team for research, budgetary and administrative decision-making responsibilities.

 

In view of the university’s importance locally, nationally, regionally and internationally, the

Vice-President Research and Innovation will work to establish the university as an economic, cultural and innovation engine for Haiti and the Caribbean region. This will include a significant leadership role in planning and promoting the development of the UIO Research and Innovation Campus (es) (ORIC) and possibly help with a sustaining development of Haiti. The university views these two projects as transformational projects that have the capacity to transform Haiti in a positive way for all. The direction the projects take will be rooted in the university’s research interests.

 

In doing so, they will cultivate an ecosystem for scientific, business, social and cultural entrepreneurship and innovation. In both cases, the aim is to create a friendly environment for UIO researchers, and to make them places for research, student placements and for study. In their work on this development, the Vice-President of Research and Innovation will work closely with other Vice-Presidents and the President, and with the managers and planners who will oversee the day to operation of these developments.

 

Specific responsibilities of the Vice-President Research and Innovation are to:

 

• Provide administration, management and leadership to facilitate outcomes in support of UIO’s vision, mission and strategic directions.

• Provide leadership and coordination to foster academic excellence and scholarship by working with the managers of UIO’s research programs, research activities, research campus(es), and entrepreneurship and commercialization activities (including CFI, CRC, Indirect Costs).

• Lead or direct the strategic and operational planning and budget processes related to these activities in academic units and all related administrative functions within the broad research portfolio.

• As Oasis International University builds its campus (s), the Vice President Research and Innovation will play a leadership role in its development in partnership with the State. In particular, the Vice-President will play a role approving linkages with prospective tenants; overseeing the fostering of partnerships between university researchers and these tenants; ensuring (with the VP(Finance) and others) that all of our research projects become revenue generator for the university; and establishing and promoting student placements as a significant component of activities in the building process and future research.

• Lead the creation of a sustainable village with residential, commercial and cultural space. The goals for this development are many, and include the desire to create a model community which will showcase UIO’s commitment to diversity, social justice and environmental and social sustainability; which will provide valuable community space and offer experiential education for our students; and provide a significant, reliable revenue stream for the university.

• Facilitate the ongoing development of comprehensive, interdisciplinary research and innovation programs to further elevate Oasis International University at the provincial, national and international level.

• Liaises with funding agencies and governments; promotes industry partnerships and champions UIO’s research and innovation community externally advocating for small/medium research universities.

• Serve as an ex officio member of Senate and such committees of Senate as Senate may determine.

• Provide direction to all faculty, staff, students and organizational units in the development of their strategic research plans, and by supporting best practices, and monitoring progress through appropriate performance indicators.

• Provide leadership and oversee development of international research programs/efforts, including a focus on commercialization.

• Develop, protect and valuate intellectual property.

• Develop and maintain the University’s research programs and relationships with granting agencies, government ministries, regulatory bodies, community organizations, municipalities, other post-secondary institutions, and industry.

• Identify and pursue opportunities on behalf of researchers and the institution to increase UIO’s performance and reputation for outstanding research.

• Ensure compliance with all research administration requirements including legislative, ethics, regulatory, funding agency and others.

• Provide accurate, timely and comprehensive information and guidance on all pertinent matters within the portfolio of the Vice-President Research and Innovation to the President, Senate, the Board of Governors and their associated committees (e.g., Research Policy Committee of Senate).

• Work with the University’s Vice-Presidents to ensure achievement of mutual goals (including for example, the Vice-President Finance & Administration in planning, implementation and monitoring short- and long-term budget strategies, the Vice-President External Relations and Advancement in developing and implementation of research communications and advancement activities in support of research, and the Provost and Vice-President Academic in providing coordination and overall leadership to support academic excellence and integrated planning activities). The Vice-President Research and Innovation may delegate duties and functions as appropriate.

 

QUALIFICATIONS:

 

The successful candidate will have Doctorate/Ph.D., 10+ years experience in a relevant research, university, consulting, or thought leadership role.    

 

Required attributes include:

• Interest and experience in topics related to consumer demand, likely with a strategic consumer research background, a background in economics, or both. 

• A passion for and demonstrated expertise in using a range of data sources to answer big, uncertain questions about consumer demand.

• Facility with quantitative data and modeling to estimate or predict outcomes, working with statistical software.

• Excellent writer and speaker; ideally with publication and media experience

• Experience consulting with and presenting to senior executive audiences

• The ability to oversee projects end to end, including content development, people and timeline management, publication production, and delivery and communication; and doing so in conjunction with a broad network of colleagues and external collaborators

• Successful people manager who can coach and develop a team

• Knowledge of the Haitian culture and underdeveloped countries

• Speak more than one language (French or Haitian Creole would be the ideal)

 

We are looking for a VP, Research and Innovation who lives our values of simple, open, and integrated.  He or she must be a person of incredibly high integrity, with a passion for ensuring accuracy and strong, robust perspective in every piece of work.  We are looking for people who are aiming to deliver their best possible work every day.  Oasis International University faculty is a group of highly intelligent, curious and fun people who are on a mission to help Haitian youth, businesses and government leaders improve Haiti and our world.