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Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) seeks outstanding candidates for the role of Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation. Acting as the chief research officer and reporting to the Chancellor, this individual will provide leadership, direction, and strategic vision for the Office of Research and Innovation. Key functional domains within this area include sponsored programs, proposal development, research compliance, faculty fellows, and related administrative support staff.

The Role

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) seeks outstanding candidates for the role of Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation. Acting as the chief research officer and reporting to the Chancellor, this individual will provide leadership, direction, and strategic vision for the Office of Research and Innovation. Key functional domains within this area include sponsored programs, proposal development, research compliance, faculty fellows, and related administrative support staff. The Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation will also oversee a growing portfolio of programs and services in the areas of technology transition, research commercialization, and economic development. Successful applicants will have significant experience in one or more of these domains, a sustained history of visionary leadership within a research enterprise, and an impressive record of research achievements within scholarly, government, or industry settings.

The Vice Chancellor will provide executive oversight of existing research centers, including four new Kummer Institute centers of excellence in 1) Advanced Manufacturing Technologies, 2) Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems, 3) Advanced and Resilient Infrastructure, and 4) Resource Sustainability.  The successful candidate will cultivate new research opportunities, ensure compliance, and serve as a strategic leader in engaging Missouri S&T’s constituents to continue the growth of the university’s research portfolio. The successful candidate will work effectively within this organizational context to enact Missouri S&T’s “North Star” goal of advancing from an R2 Carnegie Classification to that of a R1 Carnegie designation, as well as contributing toward ancillary goals in elevating the institution’s ranking and reputation and supporting enrollment growth at the graduate and undergraduate levels. The Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation will serve as the primary liaison between campus research units, university researchers, federal and state funding organizations, industry partners, foundations, and other collaborating institutions.

About Missouri S&T

Missouri S&T is a leading technological institution and one of four campuses within the University of Missouri System. In FY21, the university was awarded nearly $80 million in research funding and reported nearly $61 million in research expenditures. Missouri S&T offers leading expertise in several signature areas including advanced manufacturing, advanced materials for sustainable infrastructure, enabling materials for extreme environments, and smart living. The university also holds designations as both a land-grant and space-grant institution.

A recent philanthropic gift of $300 million from the Kummer family created the Kummer Institute of Student Success, Research, and Economic Development, which has spurred new faculty endowments, research centers, and STEM education and outreach initiatives. These investments have been further leveraged through subsequent public and private funding, with exciting initiatives such as the Missouri Protoplex Facility being planned to support economic development throughout the region. In 2022, Missouri S&T officially launched the Kummer College of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development to further expand the university’s innovation ecosystem and drive the success of S&T’s graduates in a global, information-based economy. Many of these emerging initiatives at Missouri S&T will require close collaboration between the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation and Kummer College and Kummer Institute stakeholders.

Qualifications and Experience

Preferred candidates will have a terminal degree and the scholarly credentials necessary for an advanced rank and tenure appointment within one of the university’s academic departments. In addition, successful applicants will have the following qualifications:

• Visionary leadership skills and accompanying abilities in strategic planning, policy development, professional development and functional support for researchers of all levels, and day-to-day management of a large complex research enterprise
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate an innovation ecosystem and increase the amount and breadth of research, entrepreneurship, and commercialization activities within a research university setting
• Demonstrated expertise in research compliance, policy, and ethics and related accountability processes for these areas
• Substantial knowledge and experience in technology transfer and intellectual property work, preferably within an academic research university or similar setting
• Collegial and transparent leadership style with the ability to cultivate effective and mutually-beneficial research partnerships among internal stakeholders and external collaborators
• Proven administrative skills in areas such as budget management, fiscal accountability, HR/personnel management, organizational development, and related attributes
• Keen understanding of current and emerging trends within higher education and related sectors; ability to shape university strategy to ensure high performance and competitive advantage within the research and innovation enterprise
• Demonstrated commitment to and service as a champion for diversity, equity, and inclusion within a research university setting
• Ability and willingness to obtain a U.S. government personnel security clearance (or already in possession of such credentials)