With mixed emotions and well wishes, the Office of the Vice President for Research (VPR) would like to announce that VP Andrew S. Weyrich has accepted a new position as President of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF), effective January 4, 2022. Dr. Weyrich is working with the U to develop a seamless transition plan for the VPR Office that will be announced in the near future. While we celebrate this wonderful opportunity with Dr. Weyrich, we are also saddened to lose a remarkable VPR whose dedication to enhancing the U’s position as a global leader in research innovation and discovery has helped the university reach new heights.

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Joy Blatchford as the Associate Director of the Pre-Award team for both the Senior Vice President of Health Sciences (SVPHS) and Office of the Vice President for Research (VPR), effective October 18, 2021. Ms. Blatchford will succeed Ms. Kami McNeill who will continue her role as the SVPHS Pre-Award Manager and will play an integral role in the transition process.

The Office of the Vice President for Research is hosting the Third Annual F&A Town Hall on November 3, 2021, from 12-1 pm. The town hall is open to all faculty, staff, post-docs, and students, and will consist of a presentation and open Q&A session.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Milind Deo as the Director of the Energy & Geoscience Institute (EGI), effective on July 1, 2021. In January 2021, Dr. Deo assumed the role of Interim Director from Dr. Raymond Levey who recently retired as Director of EGI for over 20 years. Dr. Deo comes with a wealth of knowledge and experience to lead EGI as a premier energy research institute in oil and gas, geothermal energy and carbon management.

The VPR Office is excited to announce that the Research Incentive Seed Grant Program is now accepting applications! We will continue to collaborate with College leadership to conduct this program. The goal of the Research Incentive Seed Grant Program is to support investigators in collecting preliminary data in new, innovative research areas that will be leveraged for extramural grant applications.