Research Analysis & Data Integration Office

Welcome to the Research Analysis & Data Integration Office (RADIO) at the University of Michigan. Harnessing the power of data to inform and elevate research and creative practice pursuits across campus, RADIO is U-M’s central hub supporting data-driven decision-making about the research enterprise. From sophisticated integration of multiple data sources to insightful cyclical reporting and rigorous analysis, RADIO provides the systematic evidence research leaders need to propel U-M’s work toward groundbreaking discoveries that shift the frontiers of human knowledge and address the world’s most pressing problems. Explore RADIO’s mission, work and collaborative ethos. Connect to shape the future of research excellence.

Mission

Supporting U-M research to improve the world.

Vision

Knowledge to inform research leader decision-making.

Values

Rigor:

RADIO conducts systematic, replicable analyses of all aspects of the university’s research, scholarly and creative mission using the tools and methods of social, network, and data science.

Responsiveness:

 RADIO is a service unit. We seek to provide timely, informative, and reliable insights to university and unit research leadership by identifying and addressing informational needs across the institution’s entire research portfolio.

Transparency:

Within the bounds of secure and ethical data stewardship, RADIO seeks to make its methods, processes, and findings as clear, communicable, and accessible as possible.

Collaboration:

RADIO work must always be informed by collaborators and stakeholders from across the institutions. We build with partners, taking pains to engage and learn from domain and institutional experts.

Care:

RADIO is committed to privacy, security, and ethical data stewardship in all aspects of its work. Care for the data, the programs, and the people with whom we work is paramount to our operations.

WORK

Data Integration:

RADIO develops, maintains, and uses data from multiple sources to support the research enterprise and reporting to meet our mission and goals.  A significant portion of our work is dedicated to data integration, rigorously linking large scale datasets developed by U-M (for instance, Sponsored Projects, HR, and Financial data streams) with data on research outcomes (such as publication metadata), inputs (such as public award information) and survey data (including public release datasets maintained by the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies). Creating, maintaining, and routinely updating such integrated datasets enables all other aspects of RADIO’s work.

Cyclical Reporting:

Using integrated data, RADIO works with research leaders and other stakeholders across schools, colleges and units to develop, implement, and improve reliable, informative, routine reporting capabilities to meet identified needs for research information and insight.

Rapid Response Reporting:

Up to date integrated data resources also support the development of new information to help understand and address emerging problems or opportunities relevant to the University’s research, scholarly and creative mission. Quick turnaround of relevant information in response to unexpected needs and urgent questions is another part of RADIO’s work.

Evaluation Research:

Long-term retrospective and prospective evaluation studies of programmatic investments in research by the university or other funders are the third component of the office’s analytic work. These studies may be retrospective and  based on the integrated datasets we maintain or prospective and designed in consultation with research development work undertaken by OVPR or other research units.

Translation & Interpretation:

RADIO strives to translate sometimes complex descriptive and analytic findings into digestible, actionable knowledge for busy audiences and to contextualize those findings in a broad understanding of the research process and our institution.  Data visualizations, presentations, reports and policy analyses will always include technical documentation suitable for expert consumers, but our primary products are designed to be easily accessible.

Consulting & Support:

RADIO works with research leaders and research development professionals at U-M to contribute expertise to and support decision-making for both strategic purposes and specific projects or initiatives.

TEAM

  • Jason Owen-Smith, Associate Vice President for Research – Institutional Capabilities and Research Intelligence, [email protected]
  • W. Carson Byrd, Faculty Associate Director, [email protected]
  • Peter Eldred, Business Intelligence Analyst Senior, Research Analysis & Data Integration Office, [email protected] 
  • Sabrina Ervin, Assistant Director, Process and Portfolio Management, Research Analysis & Data Integration Office, [email protected]
  • Raphael Ku, Business Intelligence Analyst, Research Analysis & Data Integration Office, [email protected]
  • Rob Truex, Business Intelligence Analyst Intermediate, Research Analysis & Data Integration Office, [email protected]
  • Contact: [email protected]

References & Resources

New OVPR unit informs, supports U-M research mission with data