Vice President for Research

Texas A&M University invites inquiries, nominations and expressions of interest for the position of Vice President for Research (VPR). This prominent leadership role provides an exciting opportunity for an ambitious and entrepreneurial individual to advance the discovery and innovation enterprise of one of the nation’s foremost research universities that has grown and achieved remarkable success over recent years. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, Texas A&M is ranked 16th among all U.S. institutions and 9th among public institutions in annual expenditures in research and development funding by the National Science Foundation. 

Reporting to the Executive Vice President and Provost, the VPR serves as a member of the President’s cabinet and contributes to the University’s senior leadership. The VPR provides broad, strategic vision and collaborative leadership that supports faculty and students to elevate the quality and scope of Texas A&M’s research mission and portfolio to further strengthen its contributions to the discovery, development, communication and application of knowledge for the benefit of the state of Texas, the nation and the world. 

Texas A&M University comprises 19 colleges and schools and two branch campuses with over 3,700 faculty and an enrollment of 51,232 undergraduate and 14,943 graduate and professional students. It is in the top 10 universities in enrollment of National Merit Scholars. Rooted in its legacy as the first and largest public institution of higher learning in Texas and one of only 17 institutions in the nation to hold the triple designation as a land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant university, Texas A&M stands today as one of the largest research universities in the United States. Faculty-researchers generate more than $892.7 million in research expenditures, all while enhancing undergraduate and graduate education by providing hands-on research.

Texas A&M’s next VPR will contribute to the creation of a dynamic, exciting, discovery-driven intellectual environment that draws and nurtures superior faculty and students. She or he will be a highly accomplished individual with a track record of successful, transparent leadership of a complex organization and who possesses the interpersonal, managerial and communication skills necessary to build and operate an effective enterprise and to work collaboratively with colleagues across many disciplines to develop large multi-investigator research initiatives and creative projects. The VPR will have demonstrated success as a principal investigator of substantial competitive federal research grants (or equivalent) and in attracting support for research from private partnerships and other funding entities. He or she will have knowledge of and a deep commitment to research compliance and integrity, and possess the ability and acumen to help translate research for societal gain, transfer technologies for commercial applications and enhance workforce development for economic growth. The desire and ability to work with agricultural and engineering research and extension agencies is essential. Candidates must be qualified to hold an appointment at the rank of full professor with tenure at Texas A&M. Additional information about the position and Texas A&M can be found at http://vprsearch.tamu.edu/

Inquiries, nominations and candidate materials, including a CV and narrative describing background, qualifications, and brief strategic vision for advancing university research, can be sent in confidence to consultants Brian Bloomfield and Suzanne Teer via email to TAMU-VPR@wittkieffer.com. The position will remain open until filled. For fullest consideration candidate materials should be received by September 1, 2017. 

The Texas A&M University System is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer committed to diversity.