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A big part of my responsibility as vice president for research is to track our progress. I’m happy to report that our award and expenditure levels for the July to January period are ahead for fiscal year 2008 compared to our progress at that point in fiscal year 2007.
We continue to gather data for February and March, but we already see an increase for the month of February as compared to February 2007. This increase is most likely credited to the approval of the National Institutes of Health budget—a move that allowed for funds to be released that were being held during the continuing resolution.
We still have a few more months to go before we can fully evaluate 2008, but I can say that arts and sciences and engineering have already exceeded their fiscal year 2007 funding levels.
As always, we welcome your feedback and encourage you to check out research.uc.edu for the latest research magazine, news and announcements.
Sandra Degen, PhD
Vice President for Research
NEWS/GRANTS
New Online Tools for Researchers
A new electronic submission process and resource-filled Web site will provide UC researchers with speedier service and convenient access to research information.
Researcher’s Gateway (http://researchgateway.uc.edu) is a new portal designed as a single point of entry for accessing the myriad sources of research information. The site is password-protected and contains information on sources of funds, collaborators, facilities, resources, education and training, and regulatory support. It also features information specific to new researchers and a “Quick Links” section for experienced investigators. The Gateway will feature regular announcements about upcoming events, link you to newsletters and research news articles, and point you to information of particular note in a section called “Did You Know?” For additional information contact Dawn O’Neill, executive director for research programs, at dawn.oneill@uc.edu or (513) 558-6565.
In addition to Researcher’s Gateway, investigators can now submit protocol modifications to UC’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) electronically. Other forms will soon be electronic. This process change will be adopted in phases. The electronic protocol modification form is now available for use. The current hard copy form will be accepted through April 30, 2008. However, beginning May 1, 2008, the hard copy forms will no longer be accepted.
To access the electronic modification form:
- Log on to the Researcher’s Gateway http://researchgateway.uc.edu
- Click on “Protocol Manager” on the top tool bar.
- Select “Modification” under IRB.
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
For additional information, contact O’Neill at dawn.oneill@uc.edu or (513) 558-6565, or Andy Gardner, IRB manager, at anthony.gardner@uc.edu or (513) 558-5105.
Summer Graduate Student Research Fellowship Winners Announced
Nearly 180 applications were submitted for the University Research Council’s Summer Graduate Student Research Fellowship program. Sixty-five students from 10 UC colleges will receive stipends to support their continued work throughout the 2008 summer months. See the full list of winners.
New Grants Awarded in March
Writing winning grants is tough. We understand the hard work that goes into preparing a proposal and want to make sure that effort doesn’t go unnoticed. Check out your great work—and that of your colleagues—at uc.edu/ucresearch/new_grant_winners.html.
GREEN BITS
The university is working collaboratively with four other major organizations in the Greater Cincinnati area to reduce its carbon footprint. There are several things you can do in labs and offices to improve energy and waste management. Research Update—with the help of Eric Gruenstein, PhD, professor of molecular genetics—provides monthly “greening” tips for research faculty and staff. This month, Gruenstein focuses on computers, printers a.
Tip #4—Computers, printers and Xerox machines
The Department of Energy estimates that 40 percent of the electricity used in the average home to power electronics is consumed while the products are turned off! This led me to wonder what things are like in my workplace. My department has a computer room where we have 10 computers, four printers and one Xerox machine. None of these devices is ever turned off. So, I took a little device called a Kill-A-Watt EZ energy meter (available online for about $25) and began measuring. Here’s what I learned:
| Device (number) |
Awake (watts/unit) |
Asleep (watts/unit) |
| Computers (10) |
66 |
53 |
| Monitors (10) |
31 |
4 |
| Printers (4) |
32 |
- |
| Xerox (1) |
28 |
- |
Let’s look first at the computers. While they do have a sleep mode, it turns out that they were programmed to never use it so they are drawing 66 watts 24/7. If we assume an average cost to the university of 5 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), then a simple calculation shows that each computer is consuming about $30/year of electricity. Simple timing devices that can be programmed to turn power to the computer off at night and on again in the morning during the week and off on weekends are available online for about $17. Using one of these devices for each computer would save about $18.60 per year per computer for a total savings of $186/year. If each computer required its own timer, this would still give a return on investment of over 100 percent. Furthermore, it should be convenient to include the monitor on the same timer as the computer, thus increasing the ROI even further.
Wouldn’t we all like to find more investments like that? The fly in the ointment here, of course, is that it would be the department that would be investing its money in the timers while the university would be getting the savings. Hmmm, seems like there ought to be an easy a way around that problem—one which would allow all three parties (UC, the department and the environment) to benefit.
Similar calculations for the four printers and the Xerox machine give smaller savings of $36/year and $8/year, respectively. Not much, perhaps, but still excellent returns on investment, good for the environment, and virtually no inconvenience to us. And this is just one room in one department in one building of our university. Something to think about.
SPOTLIGHT
Nelson Vincent, EdD
Nelson Vincent, EdD, serves as the chairman of the Institutional Review Board Task Force on Roles and Responsibilities. Vincent is also associate dean for research and development and administrative services in the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH). His areas of teaching and research are in the social foundations of education in the history, politics, and philosophy of education, educational policy, and multicultural education. He coordinates and supports grant-based research and development, outreach with community partners and business and administrative services for CECH.
EVENTS
Grant Writing: Write Winning Grants Seminar
Presented by Stephen Russell, PhD
Monday, May 5, 2008
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tangeman University Center (TUC), Great Hall
Register online
Grant Writing: NIH Career Development Award Seminar (NIH K Awards and F32s)
Presented by Stephen Russell, PhD
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
8:30 a.m. to noon
Rieveschl Auditorium, Vontz Center for Molecular Studies
Register online
Grant Writing: NSF CAREER Award Seminar
Presented by Stephen Russell, PhD
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Rieveschl Auditorium, Vontz Center for Molecular Studies
Register online
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