University Research Board

Mandate

The University Research Board (URB) encourages and supports quality research, innovation, and creative endeavors across all disciplines in The American University in Cairo (AUC). The URB promotes basic and applied research and creative endeavors, as well as inter and multidisciplinary research and the production of scholarly and creative works. The URB helps maintain an enabling environment for research and creative endeavors at AUC. In doing so, the URB focuses on excellence for the creation and advancement of knowledge. The URB facilitates faculty research and creative endeavors through appropriate policies and procedures, as well as different support mechanisms. It ensures the maintenance of high standards of research ethics, integrity, and conduct.

Responsibilities

The URB provides oversight, guidance, regulation, and evaluation of research, innovative and creative activities at the University. The URB responsibilities include the following:

  • Develop and review policies, establish guidelines, and set forth regulations on matters relating to research and creative endeavors
  • Advise the provost on the implementation of policies pertaining to funding research and creative endeavors
  • Advise the provost on recommendations of IP policy updates, and/or recommendations on IP policy implementation issues
  • Advise the provost on guidelines concerning research ethics, integrity, and conduct
  • Review faculty support grants (as detailed in the faculty support grants guidelines)
  • Provide feedback, advice, and forward-looking ideas on AUC’s annual research productivity and intellectual output
  • Look into and address challenges to research and creative endeavors
  • URB members act as a liaison with their respective constituencies, communicating issues from their respective constituencies to the URB, and disseminating URB policies and decisions among their constituents

Composition

The Board is a standing committee formed by the provost and serving at his pleasure. Its members serve ex-officio and its membership comprises:

Adham Ramadan
Associate Provost for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies (Chair)

Matthew Hendershot
Academy of Liberal Arts

Hani Henry
School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Samer Atallah
School of Business

Karim Seddik
School of Sciences and Engineering

Naila Hamdy
School of Global Affairs and Public Policy

Dina Adly
Office of Sponsored Programs (non-voting)

Susanne Rizzo
Undergraduate Research (non-voting)

Ahmed Ellaithy
Technology Transfer Office (non-voting)

Dina Elhennawy
Board Secretary