Vice President Research

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For more than 150 years, Colorado School of Mines has focused on producing graduates, knowledge, and innovations needed by industry and society. As needs have changed, the university has evolved to meet them. Today Mines has a unique collection of programs, expertise, and facilities that reflects its origins in mining and metallurgy, the present and future industries in Colorado (e.g., aerospace, energy, IT/quantum), and our nation’s needs for affordable and reliable energy, secure and sustainable materials supply chains, and objectively-informed decision-making.

With respect to energy and critical minerals, Mines is one of the few schools with the expertise to operate at the intersection of science, technology, economics, and policy.

Mines is an R1 institution whose research capabilities are enriched by deep partnerships with the United States Geological Survey, multiple Department of Energy labs, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and many more. Mines also partners with Elevate Quantum (the U.S. Commerce Department’s Quantum Tech Hub), and is the owner/operator/developer of Quantum Commons, a new technology park supporting the growing quantum industry in Colorado.

Mines’ research ecosystem is connected to all aspects of its mission (undergraduate and graduate education, discovery, innovation, and being a trusted source of data and analyses), with a stronger connection to its education mission than most research-active universities. Mines strives for its research efforts to be relevant and impactful. That is reflected in the “Beyond MINES@150” strategic plan, where “impact beyond publication” is a strategic initiative.

Related to this, Mines has invested in facilities, people, and programs to grow its research impact through translation and commercialization.

Mines’ research funding has been largely federally-sourced, but with a higher percentage of industry funding than is typical. However, the research funding landscape is evolving rapidly. It seems likely that there will be less direct government funding to universities than in the past, and more direct federal funding to companies and start-ups. Therefore, faculty researchers are already adapting to pursue funding more from industry, mission-driven agencies, national lab collaborations, and philanthropic organizations, than they have before.

There will also likely be significant changes to how underlying research infrastructure and administrative costs are recovered.

The universities that will be most successful in the future will be those that are agile, act entrepreneurially, deliver tangible results and value, and take the time to learn and align with the needs of industry and mission-driven agencies. Being the preferred partner for industry, mission-driven agencies, and other funding entities is a key goal in Mines’ strategic plan.

• is passionate about all aspects of Mines’ mission and the role that research plays in it,
• is a good listener, stays up-to-date on the needs and interests of industry, mission-driven agencies, foundations, and other key partners, and works to ensure that Mines aligns with and becomes the preferred partner for those entities,
• is an effective communicator, capable of speaking to a broad range of audiences inside and outside the university about the scope, relevance, value, people, and impact of Mines’ research activities,
• works collaboratively with university faculty and leadership at all levels and across all organizations to promote Mines’ research efforts and outcomes, grow the impact of Mines’ research, and help connect faculty to grant/contract/philanthropic funding opportunities and opportunities for commercialization,
• works collaboratively with academic and university leadership to prioritize and track the results from university investments in research, with a focus on future funding opportunities, innovation and impact across the research enterprise,
• provides leadership and support for the pursuit and conduct of strategic initiatives that are large, complex, and involve multi-investigator/multi-partner teams,
• works closely with the…