Research and Scholarship Committee

November 9, 2004 - 3:30-5:00 p.m.

Garret Hall Conference Room

Present: Larry Bouchard, Alison Booth, Ruth Hill, Susan Kirk, Stephen Wilson, John Wilson, Claire Cronmiller, Michael Fowler, Steven Nock, Marcia Childress

Guests: David Hudson, Office of the Vice President for Research

Nicole Hurd, Center for Undergraduate Excellence

Larry Bouchard, Chair of the Research and Scholarship Committee, called the meeting to order. Mr. Bouchard distributed a copy of the meeting minutes for the October 28, 2004, meeting. The Committee reviewed the minutes, a motion was made to accept the minutes, the motion was seconded, and it passed unanimously.

The Committee discussed the funding for this year's Harrison Undergraduate Research Awards. An additional $10,000 has been made available for this year's awards through the office of the Provost (Gene Block). Also discussed was the possibility of some day adjusting the funding for the Awards to account for inflation, and initiatives the Faculty Senate might be able to undertake in order to raise current funding levels for the Awards. Ms. Hurd, who will report further on several aspects of the award, arrived after the discussion had moved to other matters and had to leave early.

Mr. Bouchard introduced Dave Hudson who had been invited to discuss whether and how the administration and faculty should review and communicate matters involving "sensitive research." Such issues might by entailed by research projects potentially dangerous to the participants, or harmful to the University, or hard to communicate to the public, yet issues not necessarily of the sort addressed by IRBs (institutional review boards). After a wide-ranging, exploratory discussion with Mr. Hudson, all members present expressed their appreciation. Mr. Bouchard said he would take into consideration the idea of forming a subcommittee to help the Research and Scholarship Committee formally respond to concerns raised by Mr. Hudson and others having administrative oversight of research matters at the University of Virginia.

The meeting adjourned at 5:00 p.m.