Elevating Every Mind in Research
The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) supports research, scholarship and creative work across all three campuses. We do this by launching initiatives and providing essential services that help researchers succeed.
Our goal is to actively create enabling contexts that expand access, and create opportunities to address complex global challenges and improve lives.
To fulfill our mission to catalyze, support, and safeguard U-M research – and our vision to serve the public good – we are building a dynamic environment fueled by bold ideas, a wide range of talents, and many ways of thinking. When everyone in our research community has the support to contribute fully, we unlock innovation and create solutions that make a lasting difference in Michigan and beyond.
Why This Matters
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Research excellence doesn’t emerge by chance—it’s cultivated. As OVPR catalyzes, supports, and safeguards U-M research across all three campuses, we’re not only investing in ideas—we’re investing in people. Culture is the bridge between mission and execution. It shapes how we collaborate, communicate, and make decisions. It determines who thrives, defines how research ideas are generated, decides whose ideas move forward, and how effectively we meet the complex challenges of our time. When we build environments that reflect fairness, opportunity, and collaboration, we not only elevate all individuals—we enhance the quality, reach, and impact of U-M research. |
Guiding Principles
OVPR will continue to advance our efforts to improve the experiences and increase the success of all research faculty and staff with the following guiding principles:
Dedication (to our mission) is the driving force behind our pursuit of excellence, anchoring our commitment to supporting and catalyzing research that changes lives and improves the human condition. Our dedication ensures that we uphold the highest standards of academic excellence, integrity, and respect. It compels us to develop research policies and practices that honor the dignity of every staff member, scholar, scientist, artist, and innovator within our community.
Impact is the ultimate measure of our efforts. It drives us to move beyond ideas and into action, creating solutions that benefit communities, industries, and policymakers. True research impact isn’t defined by publications, patents, or grant dollars alone—it’s reflected in the trust placed in us to tackle society’s challenges and in how we ensure our work reaches those who need it most. Through this lens, every breakthrough becomes more than academic; it becomes a step toward a better future.
Collaboration is a catalyst for discovery and change. Progress in research depends not only on individual expertise but on the ability to work across disciplines, roles, and perspectives. In OVPR, we prioritize connection and coordination, recognizing that the most transformative ideas often emerge from shared effort. By strengthening relationships within and beyond the university, we create the conditions for more ambitious questions, more creative solutions, and more meaningful outcomes.
Empathy (for all we serve) is at the heart of our research enterprise, which seeks to be both excellent and responsible. Empathy requires recognizing the challenge of limited access to and past exclusion from research opportunities, resources, and career advancement. It calls us to work to actively create enabling contexts that ensure that every researcher and staff member, regardless of background, identity, or institutional standing, has the support needed to contribute, innovate, lead, and thrive.
Inspiration fuels innovation and discovery. In OVPR, we often draw inspiration from our research community’s unique talents and stories and celebrate the creativity that emerges from our collective experiences. We are inspired by the generation of new ideas and opportunities and are committed to ensuring every member of our research community has the confidence and support to pursue them.