Office of Corporate & Foundation Relations

The Office of Corporate & Foundation Relations (OCFR) works with faculty and staff throughout the University to raise funds for priority programs and institutional initiatives. Its primary charge is to support, complement, and enhance campus efforts to secure corporate and foundation funding in the areas of student scholarships and financial aid, faculty research, and program operation funds. Services include:

• Facilitating the development of program concepts.
• Identifying potential funders.
• Developing strategies for working with corporations and foundations.
• Reviewing and approving construction and endowment proposals for Duke University as a whole (campus and Medical Center).

Office of Sponsored Programs

The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) exists to perform the post-award administration of sponsored projects at Duke University, for both campus and the Medical Center. OSP's mission is to safeguard project funds, maximize Duke's cash flow position, maintain good relations with sponsors and Duke personnel, and to be viewed by principal investigators and departmental administrators as facilitating the progress of their sponsored projects. Specific responsibilities include:

• Preparing financial and other non-scientific reports to sponsors on sponsored projects.
• Monitoring projects for compliance with sponsor and Duke requirements.
• Assuring reimbursement of project expenditures.
• Providing training and support to departmental administrators.
• Coordinating award documentation and approval processes with ORS, G&C, and other Duke service departments.
• Answering questions and providing information to sponsors and Duke personnel.

Office of Corporate & Venture Development

The Office of Corporate & Venture Development (CVD) is dedicated to facilitating the technology transfer process for Duke University and Duke University Medical Center intellectual property. CVD is responsible for commercially-sponsored research, patents and licenses, new venture activity, corporate gifts, and corporate vending relationships. CVD provides these services:

• Maintains a database of university technology and capabilities, which businesses and investors can use to identify needed inventions and expertise.
• Facilitates the establishment of joint research projects between Duke and the private sector.
• Pursues venture capital opportunities.
• Develops commercialization plans.

CVD, formerly the Office of Science & Technology, contains the following offices:

• Vice Chancellor Corporate & Venture Development
• Office of Licensing & Ventures (Tech Transfer) - The Office of Licensing & Ventures (OLV) is responsible for patents, technology licenses and new venture development for Duke University and Duke University Medical Center.
• Office of Corporate Research Collaborations
• Corporate Alliances & Development
• Corporate Programs

Medical Center Office of Research Administration

The Office of Research Adminstration (ORA) is responsible for the institutional review and approval of all Duke University Medical Center externally sponsored research. Like ORS on the campus side, it is responsible for all pre-award activities, as well as certain post-award activities, as detailed below. As at ORS, proposals (except for construction and endowment proposals – see OCFR above) are reviewed to determine that they comply with both agency and institutional guidelines, that budgets are accurate and consistent with clear and concise justifications, and that both direct and indirect costs are appropriately recovered. Likewise, ORA is responsible for negotiating and accepting grants and contracts, issuing subcontracts, serving as liaison to sponsors, and approving programmatic and budgetary changes (including new fund codes). Additional functions of ORA include:

• Facilitating closeout documentation.
• Administering the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).
• Administering the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC).

Office of Federal Relations

Part of the Office of Public Affairs and Government Relations, the Duke University Office of Federal Relations represents the university in Washington, D.C., on legislative and regulatory matters of interest to Duke involving the federal government, Congress and the administration. These issues include research and student aid funding, the reauthorization of relevant statutes (such as the Higher Education Act), visa and immigration matters, tax policy, technology transfer and intellectual property law.

Office of Postdoctoral Services

The Office of Postdoctoral Services is the central resource for postdoctoral appointees on campus, and serves as a liaison between postdocs, faculty, administrators, and staff. By providing a complete menu of services, from orientation seminars to career development programs to exit surveys, the OPS promotes postdoctoral training at Duke and prepares Duke postdocs for successful careers. Duke established the Office of Postdoctoral Services on January 2, 2006.

• The Duke University Postdoctoral Association (DUPA) is a organization of postdoctoral fellows which works to address the needs and concerns of Duke postdocs. WEB.

Medical Center Office of the Vice Dean for Research

The Office of the Vice Dean for Research is administratively responsible for several aspects of research operations at the School of Medicine. Areas of oversight include the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the protection of human subjects in medical research, the Medical Center's Office of Research Administration, faculty affairs (through the Associate Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs), conflict of interest, and misconduct in research. The office can be of assistance in questions regarding institutional resources and "dry lab" (clinical research) space, and it will be increasingly involved in faculty mentoring. One component of the office seeks to match investigators and funding opportunities, and the office is also a good place to start when investigators have a new research idea and are looking for collaborators. The office (through the Administrative Development Group) is also responsible for the institutional research databases, including the Faculty Research Directory (FReD), the Research Executive (REX), and the Sponsored Projects System (SPS)

Medical Center Office of the Vice Dean for Basic Science

Also serving the School of Medicine is the Office of the Vice Dean of Basic Science. This office serves as a liaison between the dean and basic science faculty. The Vice Dean of Basic Science works with department chairs and faculty to implement the School of Medicine's strategic initiatives concerning research and education. The Vice Dean is also the administrative head of the graduate program within the School of Medicine. As well, the Director of the Division of Laboratory Animal Resources reports directly to the Vice Dean.

Last updated, July 5, 2007.