MSCHE Self Study April 2021

2010 ‐ 2020, College faculty authored about 495 peer ‐ reviewed publications, including papers in major journals such as Nature, Nature Communications, Nature Neuroscience, PloS Biology, PNAS, Investigative Ophthalmology and Vision Science , and Optometry and Vision Science ( Faculty Publications and Presentations ). During this period, faculty made about 604 presentations at national and international conferences and gave about 175 invited lectures around the world. Institutional Support for Research A full ‐ time associate dean for research and graduate studies, who reports directly to the vice president and dean for academic affairs, oversees the research program. The Graduate Center for Vision Research (GCVR) has an office staff of four including 1.5 administrative assistants, a research compliance officer and a sponsored programs officer for grants administration. All extramural grants are maintained through the Research Foundation of the State University of New York (SUNY RF). The associate dean is the Institutional Officer for SUNY RF. As evidenced by the growth in extramural research funding over the past decade or so, there are sufficient faculty resources to provide those faculty members with research credentials adequate release from teaching and administrative responsibilities for research. Faculty with research interests and training typically receive a minimum of 0.2 FTE for research, which can be extended with salary offset from research grants. Accordingly, several faculty members have up 0.6 FTE for research currently. All graduate faculty members are expected to develop and maintain productive research programs that involve optometry and graduate students. The percentage effort assign to research, teaching, clinic and service is determined by annual negotiation between the faculty member, primary supervisor and vice president for academic affairs and depends on success in obtaining research grants. Graduate faculty are not required to fund more than 30% of their base salary from their grants, thereby allowing grant funds to be used for postdocs, graduate students, and other direct costs. The College provides externally funded PIs supplemental funds for discretionary use equivalent to 5% of the indirect (facility and administration) costs generated by grants. The administration also provides bridge funds for funded researchers for consumables and staff for up to two years when necessary to continue productive research programs between grants. New tenure ‐ track faculty with research programs are provided with start ‐ up funds for laboratory construction, equipment, salary and release time for research development, and project support negotiated with the vice president and dean for academic affairs at the time of hiring. Laboratory and common research space assigned for all research activities is currently 20,189 SF. In 2019 ‐ 20, the College expended approximately $571,098 for graduate student stipends and tuition waivers and approximately $48,000 to support students in the OD/MS program. In addition, the college holds an NIH T35 training grant (recently renewed) that provides approximately $50,000 annually to support a research ‐ training program for optometry students. The college maintains the Biological Research Facility (BRF) for animal care, which has a budget

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