Vice President of Research, Graduate Education and Economic Development

Vice President of Research, Graduate Education and Economic Development

Montana State University is seeking to hire an effective and impactful leader to provide institution-wide leadership for the University’s nationally and internationally renowned research, graduate education and economic development initiatives. Montana State is one of only 130 universities in the U.S. designated as an institution with very high research activity by the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research’s Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. 

The Vice President of Research, Graduate Education and Economic Development is the principal research officer for the University. This position reports to the President and is a critical member of the leadership team. The Vice President provides the dynamic leadership necessary to foster significant increases in external funding for research, strengthening of scholarly dissemination, to promote growth, collaboration, and student success in appropriate and relevant graduate programs, and to foster innovative and nationally recognized scholarship and creative activity in all fields, including interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary collaborations as a champion of the University’s Strategic Plan, Choosing Promise.

The Vice President also plays a vital role in capitalizing on the intellectual wealth of the University’s research enterprise, transferring technology which can be a driver for the overall enhancement of the economic development of the state. The successful candidate will initiate and implement activities that further enhance Montana State University in innovative and transformational research and scholarship across a wide range of academic disciplines; and the incumbent will foster rigor, intellectual curiosity and synergies throughout the research enterprise. 

Founded in 1893 as a Land-Grant University, Montana State University is composed of ten academic colleges and a graduate school. Montana State University boasts a friendly, supportive faculty and campus environment. Currently, the University hosts an enrollment of over 16,900 students at its main campus, including approximately 1,980 graduate students. The graduate program encompasses 61 master’s degrees, 43 doctoral degree options and 13 certificate options. In addition to its main campus in Bozeman, Montana State University has campuses in the cities of Billings, Havre and Great Falls. Montana State has seven research agricultural centers and Extension offices that serve every county and tribal nation in Montana. 

Montana State University has the largest and most varied research portfolio in Montana and neighboring states. In fiscal year 2017, Montana State opened 562 new sponsored program grants and had $130.8 million in research expenditures, with major areas of research excellence in agriculture, biomedicine and health care, economics, education, energy, mental health, nanotechnology, optics and photonics. 

Visit http://www.montana.edu/research/ for information on Montana State University’s evolution into a world-renowned institution.

The Vice President of Research, Graduate Education, and Economic Development is responsible for guiding the University’s research mission and research-related strategic planning and direction; anticipating and promoting research opportunities for faculty; encouraging an institutional environment that fosters excellence in research and scholarship; developing financial strategies that support and promote research and economic development; and assuring legal compliance with proper and ethical research practices. Further, overseeing the Graduate School  and supporting the research experience and training of graduate students is a significant part of the portfolio.


Minimum Qualifications 

• Earned doctorate or equivalent degree from an accredited institution; 

• Rank of Full Professor or title equivalent to senior research manager in industry, non-profit, or government; 

• Demonstrated effectiveness in administration and management of a complex institutional organization or unit therein; 

• Demonstrated record of excellence in progressive levels of leadership, responsibility and expertise in research administration at a major research university, organization or government agency; 

• Outstanding, nationally recognized record of scholarship and success in attracting competitive research funding along with experience in leading multidisciplinary research/creative initiatives; 

• Demonstrated excellence in graduate student education/mentoring; 

• Must be able to obtain a U.S. national security clearance through Department of Defense and Department of Energy; 

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as a team member in a diverse, collaborative, campus environment and provide effective leadership to enhance the increasing diversity and global character of Montana State University;


Preferred Qualifications 

• Background in or familiarity with science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) research and associated issues; 

• Demonstrated excellence in leading or participating in a complex organization with a broad focus across disciplines, including the Social Sciences, the Arts and the Humanities; 

• Experience in cultivating diversity in research and education and fostering development of faculty research programs; 

• Demonstrated effectiveness in graduate student program development; 

• A comprehensive understanding of the role a public land-grant university plays in the vitality of the region and the state, and of the importance of research, creative activity, and scholarship across the university; 

• Demonstrated efforts and effectiveness in technology transfer activities and startups, collaborating with industries, working actively with state and local government and EDC’s; 

• Ability to articulate a vision for research, creative activities, technology transfer and graduate education that represents the diverse disciplines of a land-grant university.

Greenwood/Asher & Associates, Inc. is assisting Montana State University in the search. Initial screening of applications will begin immediately and continue until an appointment is made. For full consideration, materials should be provided by June 10, 2019. Application materials should include a letter addressing how the candidate’s experiences match the position’s duties, responsibilities and qualifications, an academic curriculum vitae and contact information for at least five references. Submission of materials as PDF attachments is strongly encouraged. Individuals wishing to place names in nomination should submit electronically a letter of nomination to include the name, position, address, and telephone number of the nominee.


Confidential inquiries, nominations and application materials should be directed to

Betty Turner Asher or Kevin Bennett 

Greenwood/Asher & Associates, Inc. 

42 Business Center Drive, Suite 206 

Miramar Beach, FL 32550 

Phone: 850.650.2277 / Fax: 850.650.2272 

E-mail: bettyasher@greenwoodsearch.com

E-mail: kevinbennett@greenwoodsearch.com


For more information about Montana State University, please visit http://www.montana.edu/

Montana State University is committed to continually supporting, promoting and building an inclusive and culturally diverse campus environment and strongly encourages applications from female and minority candidates.