Vice President for Research & Innovation

Department: Office of the President

Appointment Type and Duration: Regular, Ongoing

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Compensation Band: OS-EXEC-Fiscal Year 2025-2026

FTE: 1.0

Application Review Begins

March 10, 2026; position open until filled.

Special Instructions to Applicants

To apply to this position, please submit a current curriculum vitae and cover letter addressing how your experience aligns with and has prepared you for this position to Parker Executive Search: https://www.parkersearch.com/opportunities/oregon-vice-president-research-and-innovation.

Department Summary

Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation (OVPRI) is an advocate and catalyst within the University of Oregon for expanding the range and impact of UO's research, scholarship, and creative endeavors.

The OVPRI includes more than 350 faculty and staff and supports more than $150 million in annual sponsored research funding. The office oversees 1) Research and Innovation administration, 2) interdisciplinary centers and institutes (described below), and 3) research core facilities.

Research and Innovation administration includes sponsored projects services; research integrity; research development; industry, innovation, and translation; undergraduate research opportunities; and research finance and business administration and data analytics. Further details on our administrative structure can be found here.

Research core facilities include animal care facilities, which include a world-leading zebrafish aquatic animal research facility, the Center for Advanced Materials Characterization in Oregon (CAMCOR), which provides advanced materials characterization and electron microscopy for both academic and industrial users, Genomics and Cell Characterization Core Facility (GC3F), which provides cutting-edge DNA sequencing and microscopy facilities to researchers at the UO and nationally, and the Lewis Center for Neuroimaging, which provides access to a 3T MRI unit, among others (full list available here).

Research at UO

UO is designated as having very high research activity in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education and has a strong culture of multidisciplinary and collaborative research. The University of Oregon saw $153 million in total sponsored project funding in fiscal year 2024-25 (FY25). In this same year, there were $125 million in research expenditures. Exemplary research activities include the College of Education, which had $15.5 million in research expenditures in FY25, as well as our research centers and institutes under the OVPRI ($63M in expenditures in FY25). Our nationally and internationally recognized faculty drive excellence across our enduring research strengths, including education, children's mental and behavioral health, fundamental life and physical sciences, the humanities, and social and environmental sciences.

Position Summary

The University of Oregon (UO), a top-tier public research university, seeks a strategic and collaborative administrator and transformative leader to serve as its next Vice President for Research and Innovation (VPRI). Reporting to the President, the Vice President for Research and Innovation will lead efforts to enhance UO's research programs and impact by strengthening existing programs and developing new partnerships and collaborations across the state and globe.

The Vice President provides strategic leadership for the Research and Innovation portfolio, advancing research excellence, faculty success, and societal impact through collaborative vision-setting and strong administrative support. The role fosters an inclusive research environment, delivers service-oriented and compliant research administration, and empowers institutional partners to navigate an evolving regulatory landscape while minimizing risk. The Vice President will appoint and evaluate senior leaders and faculty directors, guiding divisional priorities and overseeing the stewardship of budget and resources. The role also collaborates across the University to align space planning and resource allocation with divisional and institutional strategic goals.

The Vice President serves as a senior advocate and ambassador for Research and Innovation, advancing the office's mission through strategic communications, fundraising partnerships, and engagement with internal and external stakeholders. As a key member of the President's cabinet, the role represents the University on critical committees and supports state and federal advocacy efforts.

To see a full position profile or to apply, click here: https://www.parkersearch.com/opportunities/oregon-vice-president-research-and-innovation.

Minimum Requirements

• Doctorate or equivalent degree from an accredited institution
• Significant leadership experience with university research administration and/or technology transfer and innovation activities, including management of budgets and personnel

Professional Competencies

• Outstanding communication and collaboration skills, including evidence of the ability to facilitate connections within and external to the University; to articulate a strong and clear vision for the University's research programs; to exhibit sound judgment; and to interact effectively with multiple and diverse constituencies
• A deep understanding of interdisciplinary research and team science, including its challenges and advantages
• Impeccable academic judgment, an eye for high-quality research, and a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges faced by world-class researchers
• Ability to enhance research impact through support of university-led efforts in entrepreneurship, commercialization, technology transfer, science communication, and/or industrial collaborations
• An understanding of and commitment to the mission of the University of Oregon
• A commitment to transparency in policy, strategy, and financial management, with an appreciation of and support for shared governance
• Highest ethical standards in all matters

Preferred Qualifications

• Distinguished record of management of external funding as a sponsored researcher or innovator
• Experience and interest in securing financial resources from a variety of public and/or private sources
• Demonstrated record of organizational leadership in higher education or similar complex organizations, as evidenced by experience having supervised a team; having led or contributed to the development of budgets and operational strategy; having fostered an inclusive, collaborative, and respectful work culture; having navigated political and legislative contexts, government agency bureaucracy, corporate sponsorship, and complex regulatory environments
• Distinguished record of capitalizing on and aligning university research with regional and national economic development priorities and issues
• Leadership experience heading a large, complex research program
• A demonstrated record of attracting and helping to recruit and retain research-active faculty
• Track record of growing institutional research and scholarship with a balanced funding portfolio