Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to announce the formation of a university-wide Faculty Research Awards Committee.
Chaired by Dan Carson, biosciences professor and former dean of the Wiess School of Natural Sciences, the committee will review limited submission faculty research proposals and award nominations. The committee will also periodically provide guidance on policies, procedures and other administrative tools considered by the Office of Research.
“I’m excited to chair a committee I believe will do important work to better serve our faculty and the Rice research community as a whole,” Carson said. “Having a uniform way of reviewing limited submission research proposals and nominations should better position Rice to receive such awards and enhance faculty confidence in the process.”
Including Carson, the Faculty Research Awards Committee is comprised of eight members from various schools across campus. The members serve one-year, renewable terms and are selected by Provost Reginald DesRoches and Vice Provost for Research Yousif Shamoo based on expertise in a range of topics that are typically covered in limited submission proposals and nominations.
Depending on the volume of limited submission proposals and nominations coming in, the committee will meet monthly to determine which proposals and nominations to recommend to the vice provost for research for final submission.
“I am thrilled to have the support of a Faculty Research Awards Committee,” Shamoo said. “The committee will streamline a key step in our awards submission process.”
DesRoches agreed and said the committee will make the review process more efficient and equitable, which should bolster Rice’s profile among a variety of high-profile funding sources and prestigious award-naming institutions.
“The people sitting on this committee are experts in their fields and are extremely adept at navigating the research proposal and award nomination process,” DesRoches said. “They will do a phenomenal job at reviewing proposals and award nominations and recommending the best ones for final submission.”
Members of the Faculty Research Awards Committee are:
- Dan Carson, Chair, Wiess School of Natural Sciences
- Caroline Ajo-Franklin, Biosciences
- Simon Fischer-Baum, School of Social Sciences
- Bruce Carlin, Jones Graduate School of Business
- John Mellor-Crummey, George R. Brown School of Engineering
- Jeff Kripal, School of Humanities
- Emilia Morosan, Wiess School of Natural Sciences
- Rafael Verduzco, George R. Brown School of Engineering
The committee will routinely consult with and be supported by Ashley Booher, assistant director, Corporate and Foundation Relations, and Ted Walker, associate director of Corporate and Foundation Relations.
Kind regards,
Reginald DesRoches, Provost
Yousif Shamoo, Vice Provost for Research
Dan Carson, Faculty Research Awards Committee Chair