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Update

The Research Office Newsletter Featuring OSU research and scholarship in all disciplines, and the services of the Research Office
Volume 4, Issue 2 October, 2003
	Eric Burns, window washer, helps to keep the vision of the Research Office clear.

The OSU Federal Agenda Demystified

Each fall, OSU goes through a process to identify programs that our federal congressional delegation can support and contribute to in multiple ways. The product of this process is called OSU's Federal Agenda.

Faculty over the past two years have suggested that the overall rationale and mechanics of the Federal Agenda process are unclear. Because the Federal Agenda has a critical role to play in building OSU's overall strategic agenda, it is important that faculty and staff understand the considerations that drive the process and how it aligns with other components of the university's research enterprise.

To demystify this critically important component, the Research Office has prepared a brief explanation of the background, selection criteria, and process, available at OSU Federal Agenda.

After reviewing the posted explanation, please contact Nagwa.Naguib@oregonstate.edu with any questions or suggestions for how we can further clarify the process.

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Biosafety/Biohazards

Biohazards on this campus? Yes, there are some: but fear not. The OSU biosafety program and committee are in place to assure that research is conducted in a manner that: protects personnel from exposure to infectious agents prevents environmental contamination provides an environment for high quality research while maintaining a safe work place and complies with applicable federal, state and local requirements

Biological agents and materials which are potentially hazardous to humans, animals and/or plants, include infectious or disease causing agents, potentially infectious materials, certain toxins and other hazardous biological materials.

The OSU program provides information and support for laboratory safety training and inspection, waste disposal, shipping of materials, federal regulations, forms and permits, and more. The committee approves all research activities involving biological materials.

The biosafety manual provides university-wide safety guidelines, policies and procedures. Although the implementation of these procedures is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator (PI), its success depends largely on the combined efforts of laboratory supervisors and employees.

The Biosafety committee is currently chaired by Janine Trempy, with Steve LeBoeuf as the Biosafety officer. It is one of seven oversight research compliance committees that report to the Vice Provost for Research via Peggy Lowry, Director of the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Compliance.

LeBoeuf explains that researchers using potential human pathogens with animals can avoid delay if they initially contact not only the IACUC, but also the biosafety committee. "We are concerned for the safety of the human's involved," he says. "If there are biological agents or materials, IACUC will notify us, but it will be more straightforward if you get us in on the process early."

Full information about the OSU Biosafety Program can be found at: oregonstate.edu/dept/ehs/biohazrd/

NIH guidelines are explained at www4.od.nih.gov/oba/IBC/IBCcomposition.htm

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Memorial to Jack Dymond

The community has been celebrating the life and mourning the recent passing of Jack Dymond, emeritus professor of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences.

Jack was once quoted in the Oregonian about his research trips to the depths of Crater Lake in a single-person submarine, "Deep Rover" :

"How can I convey the sensation of a journey to the bottom of the deepest lake in the United States –a descent into the throat of a volcano?

"In a few minutes I was sinking through lapis bubbles. Moment by moment the colors shifted to ultramarine, then indigo, and finally at a depth of 1,200 I was engulfed in blackness. . . . When I turned off all the lights and the fans that ‘scrubbed’ the carbon dioxide from my air, I experienced the absolute quiet and darkness of this part of the Earth. During these brief moments, I felt attuned to the significance of life and the uniqueness of our planet."

Gazette Times article: www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2003/09/21/news/community/loc03.txt

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Interview in the Elevator: Jock Mills, Government Relations

Busy Mills going all directions

Update: We heard a faculty member say he knows someone who knows the governor, so the faculty member was going to make calls about funding for a certain research project. Would it help chances for research funding if faculty members themselves establish connections in Salem? Jock Mills, Director of the OSU Office of Government Relations: I encourage all faculty who have connections with the Governor's office and legislators to use them in any positive way. Before they do, however, I strongly encourage our faculty to work with me. The only currency we have in the legislative process is our credibility. If faculty or others are independently working with legislators and I don't know about it, that harms my credibility. If a legislator approaches me following a conversation with a faculty member, and I don't know about it, it also harms the faculty member's credibility.

If we work together, we enhance each other's reputation. And we ensure that we are furthering the University's priorities.

Having individual faculty members seek funding from legislators creates confusion and disrupts a longstanding process. We may lose the priority funding we're seeking as well as any chances of funding for an individual project.

Legislative funding requests are developed through each of the universities, consolidated and balanced through the Oregon University System and then go to the Governor's budget office—the Department of Administrative Services. We need to follow that process.

Update: At what point should faculty contact you? With their ideas? Prepared proposals? Publications?

JM: I'm happy to hear from faculty at any point in the process.

Update: Any other message?

JM: It is always helpful to inform legislators of the work we're accomplishing—both with state funds as well as other funds—especially when that work is important to Oregonians across the state. I routinely inform a broad array of legislators about what we're doing in areas that I know interest them.

Update: In what way can faculty help on that?

JM: Keep me informed. In an effort to increase my knowledge of what OSU is doing—and to help faculty and staff work effectively in the state political process—I'm always looking for opportunities to meet either at departmental meetings or one-on-one.

I welcome any help I can get from faculty to increase our ties to legislators.OSU enjoys a great reputation with legislators and stakeholders across the state. I'm looking for every opportunity to increase our reputation.

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New Director of Space Grant Consortium: Jack-Be-Nimble

Jack Higginbotham, professor of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics, has been named director of the Oregon Space Grant Consortium. The program supports education, research, and careers in aeronautics, space and related fields. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) funds a Consortium in each state, as a part of the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program. One major effort of the network of universities and community colleges is the recruitment and training of professionals for careers in aerospace-related science and engineering—especially women, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities.

Oregon Space Grant supports an array of programs to benefit Oregon students and faculty from middle through graduate school. SMILE's Challenge Weekend, and Saturday Academy's Apprenticeships in Science and Engineering program, provide aerospace-related opportunities for K-12 students. Through the Native Americans in Space Science program, undergraduate student gain research experience and Oregon Space Grant offers undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships at affiliate campuses across the state.
Higginbotham has served as associate director of Oregon Space Grant Consortium since 2000. He says “I am excited about expanding our successful programs. With an increased staff and a new office at OSU – our lead institution – we will be better able to promote solar system, earth, and life sciences related to space exploration.”

Higginbotham also serves as Faculty Liason in the Research Office. Space Grant's new office will be in the basement of the Kerr Administration Building.

oregonstate.edu/research/SummDoc/Programs.html#SpaceGrant

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Sponsored Programs Workshops

The Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Compliance is offering the following workshops for OSU faculty and staff. To register, contact Toshie Gordon at toshie.gordon@oregonstate.edu or (541) 737-9525.

• October 28, 3:00-4:00: Proposal Budget Basics

• November 17, 3:00-4:00: Funding Databases: Learn Search Techniques to Identify Funding

• January 30, 1:00-4:30: Proposal Writing A—Z

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Links to Resources

Reading List: Books by Faculty and Staff

Each fall, the Provost celebrates all books published, and patents obtained by faculty over the past year. The list will be shared in an upcoming Research Office Newsletter.
Please send information about your new books to the Research Office.
link to Recent Books by Faculty and Staff

Funding Resources

OSU and external programs and other opportunities for faculty.
Link to IRIS external funding database and alert service

Shared OSU Facilities and Services - Resource List

Access research resources across disciplines on campus. Please let us know if you have facilities to add to this list.

Online OSU Newsletters and Magazines

News and feature publications abound around campus. Link to a list of those available online, about everything from academics to cultural events.

Scholarship and Research across Campus

The broad, deep, and diverse research and scholarship activities of OSU faculty across campus are summarized at Research Summaries

Update, The Research Office Newsletter

This newsletter is produced approximately monthly and announced via email to all OSU faculty and staff. Link to archived issues. Please send any news, announcements, or comments to jana.zvibleman@oregonstate.edu

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© 2003 Oregon State University