The University's research program covers a range of clinical and other topics important to both the military and public health. Infectious diseases, trauma medicine, health maintenance, and cancer are areas of particular strength. Researchers are also making important new efforts in state-of-the-art fields that cut across disciplines, such as genomics, proteomics, and drug-delivery mechanisms.
Research Facilities and Programs
Research at USU is administered through the Office of Research or by grant agreements with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine or other non-profit foundations.
Office of Research
The Office of the Vice President for Research (VPR) was established at USU to facilitate, promote and oversee the research activities at USU. This office monitors, reviews, and coordinates approvals for all matters dealing with research at the University, including the following responsibilities: identification of potential funding sources; pre-award administration; post-award administration; grant award and receipt; administration of the Program for the Protection of Human Participants in Research (PPHPR), including Institutional Review Board (IRB) review and approval; and monitoring of compliance with all federal regulations regarding the conduct of research. It also runs the intramural grant program and staffs the USU Merit Review Committee, which provides peer review of applications for intramural funding for research and instructional development.
The Office of Research provides service to three communities: faculty investigators, the University, and the approximately 80 funding organizations that support University research. The roughly 500 active research protocols at USU cover a variety of scientific areas, including basic biomedical areas central to the mission of the Military Health System. In addition to administering the University's research program, the Office of Research leads the coordination of Research Week, which is conducted each year in conjunction with the Graduate Student Colloquium. This event includes faculty and student presentations as well as nationally prominent keynote speakers.
Several other symposia also may be offered to members of the USU community throughout the year. "Write Winning Grants" (in both lecture and hands-on formats) and "IRB 101" (a lecture and small-group workshop for investigators who perform research involving human subjects) have been offered in past years when funding has been available. Additional workshops, panels, and speakers have addressed several topics of interest in military research; "Communicating Science"; and specific questions about adequately protecting the human subjects of USU research.
