• Establish an Advisory Committee
• Establish a faculty research development program including:
  • Training sessions
  • Workshops on proposal writing and other professional
  • development areas;
  • Faculty mentoring
  • Provide funds for seed research
  • Subsidize travel to regional and national meetings
  • Increase collaborative relationships among research
  • institutions and across disciplines
  • Establish a Student in Research (SIR) program

ORD Staff

Jillian Inouye, PhD, APRN, Associate Dean for Research,  jinouye@hawaii.edu
Dominic Estrella, Research Center Coordinator, dominice@hawaii.edu

The research committee supports ORD by helping with the solicitation of submissions for pilot projects, reviewing and selecting projects for funding; mentoring the pilot PIs in extramural proposal submission; reviewing the six month and annual reports of the grant and of the pilot projects; and participating in evaluation of the program.  In addition, they will also assist with professional development workshops for students and faculty.

Faculty Professional Development

Consultant: An NIH recommended consultant will be recruited to provide the on-campus seminars/workshop series.

Workshops: The EA will lead the effort to develop the plan for the annual workshop series by the ORD.

Faculty Development: The Research Program Planning Group (RPPG) will support a faculty who is seeking to establish or strengthen his/her research program and to assist them in submission of grant applications for research support.  The Research Development Working Group (RDWG) will strengthen research capacity at the individual faculty member level and will facilitate the stimulation of new research ideas and intra- and inter-departmental partnerships.

Pilot Projects

For years 2 & 3, three to five pilot projects will be funded annually for a total expense of $20,000.  The formation of research clusters across disciplines and specialty areas will be encouraged to support researchers in the conduct of multidisciplinary and collaborative research while maximizing research efforts of faculty.  In concert of multidisciplinary and collaborative research designated for interdisciplinary research and focus on areas related to translational research.

The criteria for selection include:
A biomedical or behavioral research focus; Soundness of scientific method; Able to be completed in one year; Plan for continued effort and extramural proposal development.

Plans to Involve Scholars in Research

The Scholars in Research (SIR) Program was developed for undergraduate students involved or interested in faculty research.  The goal of the program is to increase student understanding of the role of inquiry in the health professions.  The SIR will provide student-oriented seminars by members of the advisory group on topics such as research design, ethics, networking, career planning, funding in research.  Student involvement will be ensured by requiring pilot investigators to include funding for one woman or minority student in their research team.  In addition, the Students in Research Program will provide student stipends for travel to scientific meetings.  Students will be invited to participate in all workshops and seminars.  Students who complete the seminars will receive a certificate of completion, have their names publicized, and be offered letters of recommendations.

Faculty Incentive Opportunities

Research Program Planning Group (RPPG)

Support for a faculty to participate in research by providing release time from one course for the purpose of research planning, examining approaches for effective and meaningful student engagement in research, identifying funding sources, and sharpening grant writing skills. To provide an opportunity to learn state of the art techniques or methodologies to use in their work, and/or to engage consultants or mentors to assist with their research design (i.e., to engage a statistician to assist with determining the appropriate sample sizes, analyses, etc.) if needed.

This will be accomplished with the following objectives:

1) Initiate a faculty research development support program where one targeted faculty will receive 25% workload release time for two semesters to work on a prescribed program of research and grant submission;

2) Develop a detailed program of research to include research planning, examining approaches for effective and meaningful student engagement in research, identifying funding sources, and sharpening grant-writing skills under supervision of a senior mentor; and

3) Submit a research grant to NIH.

Research Development Working Group (RDWG)

To strengthen at least three elements of the framework for research capacity. The objectives of this aim are to:

1) Strengthening researchers in the area of research problem identification and sharpening grant writing skills;

2) Enhancing the research environment—developing a culture that values the contribution of research to its mission, facilitating partnerships, etc.; and

3) Increasing research funding through the submission of competitive grant applications.