Working Group #5
Research
Co-Chairs: Carol Erting and Regina Nuzzo
What’s the most important thing I should know about your report?
We’ve recognized that our deaf and hard of hearing faculty and staff face unique
challenges when doing research, and we’re recommending that Gallaudet make it a priority to
improve this situation. We’re also suggesting that the University strengthen and expand the
offices that support the business of research on campus.
What is Goal E about?
This ambitious goal aims to make Gallaudet an “epicenter of research, development and
outreach leading to advancements in knowledge and practice for deaf and hard of hearing people
and all humanity.” The University leadership decided that in order to do this, Gallaudet must
create the necessary research infrastructure (Objective E.2).
What is a “research infrastructure”?
Conducting research is a complicated business, and to make that happen, the University
needs a strong foundation, or infrastructure, that combines many seemingly different elements.
For example, Gallaudet needs a strong culture of research; the administration needs the right
leaders and policies; departments need people to help win and manage external grant money;
researchers need facilities and equipment; and faculty need time, resources, and motivation.
What did your working group study?
We examined the six GSP strategies that the University decided were good first steps in
creating a strong research infrastructure (E.2.1–E.2.6). For each strategy, we asked ourselves, “Is
this step helpful in achieving our goal of becoming an epicenter of research? How do we know?”
Then we looked at all the strategies together and asked, “Is there anything missing from this list
that should be addressed now? Should any strategy be clarified or changed?”
What are these six infrastructure strategies about?
Briefly, the strategies say that Gallaudet should (1) set up administrative structures that
better promote research, (2) enhance the Office of Sponsored Programs and other offices that
support the business of doing research, (3) improve the faculty evaluation system to better
encourage and reward faculty for research, (4) determine a leadership plan for the University’s
externally funded research centers, (5) set goals for each doctoral program to get more grant
money, and (6) determine the pros and cons of revitalizing the Gallaudet Research Institute (GRI).
What did you learn about the history of research on campus?
When the University established GRI in 1978, research had a high-profile role on
campus. Then in 1996, the University changed paths and decided that research would exist
mostly to support the teaching mission. Research infrastructures were weakened and dismantled.
Since 2010, however, we again have had an ambitious plan for the role of research at the
University through Goal E. Yet the infrastructure has not yet fully caught up.
Gallaudet University MSCHE Selected Topics Self-Study (January 2013)
Working Group Summaries
1
What is Goal E doing right?
Each strategy supporting the development of a research structure is indeed necessary.
Many have been cited repeatedly in internal and external reviews as being important steps for
Gallaudet to undertake in order to maintain or increase externally funded research. Strategies 1
and 4 are particularly crucial, because without leadership and accountability, it’s difficult to
make changes to culture, policies, or procedures. What’s more, results from a faculty/staff survey
support strategies 2 and 3, because faculty reported they would benefit from more training,
stronger research incentives, and evaluation systems that better rewarded research.
What Is Goal E overlooking?
As a whole, the strategies supporting research infrastructure are not enough. Namely,
Strategy 2 is too narrowly focused, neglecting for example the important issue of who ensures
the University’s compliance with the many regulations surrounding research (which the federal
government has been enforcing more strictly, and for which many universities dedicate a
separate office). Strategy 5 focuses only on expectations for graduate programs rather than a
comprehensive plan for getting outside funding. All the strategies overlook an area of unique
importance to Gallaudet research: the barriers for our deaf and hard of hearing faculty to
conducting research and advancing their research careers. For example, the University needs
policies to ensure that faculty have good and easy access to interpreting at conferences, seminars,
networking events, or meetings with visitors.
What do you suggest that Gallaudet should change in Goal E?
Reword Strategy 2 more broadly, such as to “enhance services for pre-award support,
post-award support, and research compliance” and include accountability for senior Academic
Affairs leadership. Either expand Strategy 3 or add a separate strategy that will address the
identification and removal of barriers to research that exist for deaf and hard of hearing faculty.
Revise Strategy 4 to include the three externally funded research centers’ unique requirements
for funding and for lab space. Finally, revise Strategy 5 to include a broad plan for graduate
programs to pursue external funding for mentoring doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows.
Gallaudet University MSCHE Selected Topics Self-Study (January 2013)
Working Group Summaries
2