Committees – Office of the Vice Provost For Research

Committees of the OVPR

Committees to the Vice Provost for Research include: the Provost's Council on Research, the Research Compliance Oversight Committee, the Conflict of Interest Standing Committee, the Human Research Advisory Committee, the Animal Program Advisory Committee, and the Human Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee.

The Vice Provost for Research serves as a resource for the University’s strategic research planning and development and Chairs a number of Penn committees, including:

The Provost’s Council on Research, a strategic advisory body comprised of the senior research officers from each of the twelve Schools;
The University Research Compliance Committee, a strategic advisory body that provides feedback regarding the Compliance Program and research related compliance concerns.
Human Research Advisory Committee, a consultative group that reviews and recommends policies and procedures governing human subject research and is comprised of faculty and administrators;
Conflict of Interest Standing Committee carries out the University’s formal, peer review process to identify, review and manage research-related financial conflicts of interest for Penn investigators;
Animal Program Advisory Committee, a faculty and administrative body that oversees animal care policies and practices at Penn.
Human Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee, whose purpose is to assist the Penn community with the scientific, legal, ethical and compliance considerations that arise from the use of human stem cells in research.
The Burden Reduction Initiative Steering Committee, who direct various projects undertaken by the OVPR which are intended to improve researchers’ administrative workloads.

The Provost's Council on Research

The Provost's Council on Research (PCR) is an advisory committee to the Vice Provost for Research and plays an important role in formulating and implementing research policies across the University. The Council is constituted of faculty leaders from each of the twelve Schools. Members of the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and the leadership of each of the reporting offices attends the Council and discusses issues of import with respect to strategic oversight and management of Penn’s research enterprise. PCR meets on a monthly basis during the academic year.

Member	Affiliation	Title
Dawn Bonnell	Office of the Vice Provost for Research	Senior Vice Provost for Research, Chair
Robert F. Boruch	Graduate School of Education	University Trustee Chair Professor of Education and Statistics
David Brainard	School of Arts and Sciences	Associate Dean for the Natural Sciences
Jonathan Epstein	Perelman School of Medicine	Executive Vice Dean and Chief Scientific Officer
Emily Falk	Annenberg School for Communication	Associate Dean for Research
Joao Gomes	Wharton School	Senior Vice Dean of Research, Centers, and Academic Initiatives
Dana Graves	School of Dental Medicine	Associate Dean for Translational Research
Emily Hannum	School of Arts and Sciences	Associate Dean for the Social Sciences
Cherie Kagan	School of Engineering & Applied Science	Associate Dean for Research
Mark G. Low	Wharton School	Professor of Statistics
Theresa Richmond	School of Nursing	Associate Dean for Research
Megan Ryerson	Weitzman School of Design	Associate Dean for Research
Phillip Scott	School of Veterinary Medicine	Associate Dean for Research
Phyllis Solomon	School of Social Policy and Practice	Professor of Social Policy and Practice
Christopher Yoo	Law School	John H. Chestnut Professor of Law

Inquiries regarding PCR should be directed to: Josie Rook, Senior Advisor to the Senior Vice Provost for Research, Office of the Vice Provost for Research, rookj@upenn.edu

University Research Compliance Committee

The University Research Compliance Committee serves in an advisory capacity to the Vice Provost for Research to ensure that the University’s and Schools’ senior management and academic leaders are informed regarding the status of the Research Compliance Program. The Committee may provide recommendations and feedback regarding the Compliance Program and the management of research related compliance concerns. The Committee provides a forum for discussing ideas and working collaboratively to promote the University’s research mission in conformity with regulatory requirements.

Member	Affiliation	Title
Dawn Bonnell (Chair)	Office of the Vice Provost for Research	Senior Vice Provost for Research
Charlene Compher	School of Nursing	Associate Professor of Nutrition and Science, Co-Chair
Kurt Barnhart	Director of Womens Health Clinical Research Center	William Shippen, Jr. Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
David Brainard	School of Arts & Sciences	Professor of Psychology, Associate Dean, Natural Science
Kim Craig	Office of the Vice Provost for Research	Research Compliance Officer
Lee Dobkin	Office of General Counsel	Chief Counsel, Penn Medicine
Jonathan Epstein	Perelman School of Medicine	Executive Vice Dean
Cherie Kagan	School of Engineering & Applied Science	Deputy Dean
Emma Meagher	Perelman School of Medicine	Vice Dean & Clinical Research Officer
Greg Pellicano	Office of Audit, Compliance and Privacy	Vice President, Audit, Compliance & Privacy

Inquiries regarding the URCC should be directed to vprgrant@upenn.edu.

Human Research Advisory Committee

The Human Research Advisory Committee (HRAC) advises the Vice Provost for Research on the need for and implementation of policies and procedures governing human subject research. The Committee is comprised of faculty and administrative stakeholders. Upon the recommendation of the HRAC, the Vice Provost conducts periodic reviews of the human research protection program and budget support for the various components of the program, either through independent mechanisms or as part of a scheduled accreditation process.

Member	Affiliation	Title
Dawn Bonnell	OVPR	Senior Vice Provost for Research, Co-Chair
Charlene Compher	SON	Associate Professor of Nutrition and Science, Co-Chair
Kurt Barnhart	PSOM	William Shippen, Jr. Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Director of Women's Health Clinical Research Center
Roger Cohen	PSOM	Professor of Medicine, Associate Director of Abramson Cancer Center
Kim Craig	OVPR	Research Compliance Officer
Lee Dobkin	OGC	Chief Counsel, Penn Med
Glen Gaulton	PSOM	Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Joel Gelfand	PSOM	Professor of Dermatology
David Heagerty	IRB	Associate Director, Human Research Protections
Sara Jaffee	SAS	Professor of Psychology
Hans-Peter Kohler	SAS	Professor of Demography
Andrew Maksymowych	EHRS	Associate Director Biosafety Programs
Emma Meagher	PSOM	Vice Dean & Clinical Research Officer
Joanne Rosenthal	RIO	Associate Vice Provost for Research, Associate Counsel
John Swartley	PCI	Associate Vice Provost, Executive Director of PCI
Robert Vonderheide	PSOM	Hanna Wise Professor in Cancer Research, Director, Abramson Cancer Center
James Wilson	PSOM	Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Inquiries regarding HRAC should be directed to vprgrant@upenn.edu in the Office of the Vice Provost for Research.

The Conflict of Interest Standing Committee

The Conflict of Interest Standing Committee (CISC) carries out the University’s formal, peer review process to identify, review and manage research-related financial conflicts of interest for Penn investigators. The CISC meets semi-monthly and serves in an advisory capacity to the Vice Provost for Research in accordance with the University’s research-related conflict of interest policy. Membership consists of standing faculty appointed by the Vice Provost for Research who have voting rights, as well as ex-officio non-voting representatives of various University and School-based research support offices.

Member	Affiliation	Title
Kurt Barnhart	Perelman School of Medicine	Professor OB- Gyn, Committee Chair
Patricia Corby	Penn Dental Medicine	Associate Professor, Oral Medicine Dean of Translational Research
Paul Ducheyne	School of Engineering and Applied Sciences	Professor, Bioengineering
Patricia D'Antonio	School of Nursing	Professor and Chair, Family and Community Health
Victor Ferrari	Perelman School of Medicine	Professor Medicine, Assoc. Director Noninvasive Imaging Lab
Loretta Flanagan-Cato	School of Arts and Sciences	Associate Professor, Psychology
Gary Freedman	Perelman School of Medicine	Associate Professor, Radiation Oncology
Nalaka Gooneratne	Perelman School of Medicine	Associate Professor, Medicine
Christopher Hunter	School of Veterinary Medicine	Professor, Pathobiology in Microbiology
A.T. Charlie Johnson	School of Arts and Sciences	Professor, Physics & Astronomy
Max Kelz	Perelman School of Medicine	Assistant Professor, Anesthesia and Critical Care
Gerald Kuncio	External Community Representative	Advisor, Ethics and Compliance
Scott Manaker	Perelman School of Medicine	Associate Professor, Medicine, Vice Chair, Regulatory Affairs & Clinical Documentation
Vladimir Muzykantov	Perelman School of Medicine	Professor, Pharmacology and Medicine
Saman Nazarian	Perelman School of Medicine	Professor, Cardiac Electrophysiology
Pamela Sankar	Perelman School of Medicine	Associate Professor, Bioethics
Donald Siegel	Perelman School of Medicine	Professor, Pathology & Lab Medicine
Virginia Stallings	Perelman School of Medicine	Professor, Pediatrics
S. William Stavropoulos	Perelman School of Medicine	Associate Professor, Radiology
R. Polk Wagner	Penn Law	Professor, Law

Inquiries regarding CISC, should be directed to the Research Integrity Office at coi@pobox.upenn.edu.

Animal Program Advisory Committee

The Animal Program Advisory Committee (APAC) is committed to ensuring the appropriate, humane, and ethical care and use of animals involved in research and research training activities conducted on our campus. APAC is the institutional committee charged with the continued review and improvement of all aspects of animal research at Penn. The Committee is advisory to the Vice Provost for Research and plays an active role in identifying short and long-range programmatic needs and assists in planning programs, policies, and future facilities which directly and indirectly impact the animal research community. Membership of this committee strives to include representation from each animal facility (within the Schools) that utilizes ULAR, supplemented with ex officio representation of all relevant administrative entities such as the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and the Office of Environmental Health and Radiation Safety (EHRS). The Committee meets monthly during the academic year.

Member	Affiliation	Title
Dawn Bonnell	Office of the Vice Provost for Research	Senior Vice Provost for Research, Chair
Michael Abt	Perelman School of Medicine	Assistant Professor of Microbiology
Marisa Bartolomei	Perelman School of Medicine	Professor of Cell and Development Biology
David Brainard	School of Arts and Sciences	RRL Professor of Psychology
Mariella De Biasi	Perelman School of Medicine	Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Margret Casal	School of Veterinary Medicine	Associate Professor, Medical Genetics
Lewis Chodosh	Perelman School of Medicine	Professor, Cancer Biology
Cynthia Clendenin	Perelman School of Medicine	Scientific Director, Mouse Hospital
Yale Cohen	Perelman School of Medicine, Office of Animal Welfare	Professor, Otorhinolaryngology & Vice Chair, OAW
Derrick A. Dow	University Laboratory Animal Resources	Associate Director, Lab Animal Husbandry
F. C. HANKENSON	University Laboratory Animal Resources	Director & Professor Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine
Stuart Isaacs	Perelman School of Medicine	Associate Dean for Animal Research
Michael Lampson	School of Arts and Sciences	Professor of Biology
Chris Lengner	School of Veterinary Medicine	Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences
David Meaney	School of Engineering & Applied Sciences	Solomon R. Pollack Professor and Chair Bioengineering
Claire Mitchell	School of Dental Medicine	Professor, Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology
Ali Naji	Perelman School of Medicine	J. William White Professor of Surgical Research
W. Timothy O'Brien	Perelman School of Medicine	Director, Neurobehavior Testing Core
Maureen O'Leary	Environmental Health & Radiation Safety	Executive Director
Missy Peloso	Office of Research Services	Assoc Vice President, Assoc Vice Provost
Gregory Reinhard	Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee	Director of Animal Welfare
Heath Schmidt	School of Nursing	Assistant Professor, Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences
Marc Schmidt	School of Arts and Sciences	Associate Professor of Biology
Phillip Scott	School of Veterinary Medicine	Associate Dean for Research
Lou Soslowsky	Perelman School of Medicine	Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
Charles Vite	School of Veterinary Medicine	Professor of Neurology
John Wolfe	Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine	Professor of Pathology and Medical Genetics

Inquiries regarding APAC should be directed to vprgrant@upenn.edu in the Office of the Vice Provost for Research.

Human Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee

The purpose of this committee, charged by the Vice Provost for Research, is to assist the Penn community with the scientific, legal, ethical and compliance considerations that arise from the use of human stem cells in research — including, but not limited to human embryonic stem cells. hSCRAC will work to ensure that stem cell research activity is in compliance with federal, state and local regulations, and with Penn policies, and that it is conducted in accordance with the highest scientific and ethical standards set by NIH and the National Academy of Sciences. It is the role of hSCRAC to provide procedural guidelines to the community on the derivation, procurement, banking and use for research of human stem cells. The hSCRAC reviews all covered activities and helps maintain a registry of human embryonic stem cell lines used for research at Penn.

Member	Affiliation	Title
Deborah A. Driscoll	Perelman School of Medicine	Co-Chair, Professor
Jonathan Moreno	Schools of Arts and Sciences and Medicine	Co-Chair, Professor
Ralph L. Brinster	School of Veterinary Medicine	Professor
Christos Coutifaris	Perelman School of Medicine	Professor
Kim Craig	Office of the Vice Provost for Research	Research Compliance Officer
Michal Elovitz	Perelman School of Medicine	Professor
Robert F. Firestone	Office of the General Counsel	Associate General Counsel, Ex Officio
Andrew B. Maksymowych	Environmental Health & Radiation Safety	Associate Director
Courtney Schreiber	Perelman School of Medicine	Professor

Burden Reduction Initiative Steering Committee

The University strives to decrease administrative burden on faculty in order to allow more time for the core missions of scholarship and research. The University is implementing this initiative to identify opportunities to reduce administrative burden on Penn’s research community imposed by the University’s research policies, practices, processes and systems.

Member	Affiliation	Title
David Brainard	School of Arts & Sciences	Associate Dean for the Natural Sciences
Jeanne Curtis	Information Systems & Computing	IT Executive Director of Application & Information Services
Glen Gaulton	Perelman School of Medicine	Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Edward George	Wharton School	Professor of Statistics
Missy Peloso	Office of Research Services	Associate Vice President, Associate Vice Provost
Phil Scott	School of Veterinary Medicine	Associate Dean for Research
Doris Stoffers	Perelman School of Medicine	Sylvan H. Eisman Professor Of Medicine
John Vohs	School of Engineering & Applied Science	Carl V.S. Patterson Professor