University Research Council

The University Research Council (URC) enhances collaboration between the Senior Vice Chancellor for Research (SVCR) and the ecosystem of centers and institutes in order to strengthen Pitt’s research enterprise.

Centers and institutes play a key role in Pitt’s regional, national and international academic collaborations and support deeper community engagement. They facilitate relations with funding agencies and foundations and advance our scholarly mission. Centers and institutes also amplify the visibility and reputation of the University’s research, scholarship and creative activities in the public realm.

The Council, chaired by the SVCR, has the following roles:

Disseminate information about research from the top levels of the university.
Provide a venue where URC members discuss issues or problems.
Foster crosstalk between centers and institutes to build a better research community.
Assist in identifying peer reviewers for internal funding competitions, limited submissions for sponsored projects and honorific award nominations.
Participate in other research-related matters as deemed necessary by the SVCR.

The membership is broadly constituted to reflect the diversity of centers and institutes at the University.

The Committee meets at least once per semester and is hosted by the SVCR and Pitt Research Senior Staff.

Please contact Mike Holland, Vice Chancellor for Science Policy and Research, with any questions.

University Research Council Membership

Rob Rutenbar, Senior Vice Chancellor for Research, Chair

Members

Scott Beach, University Center for Social and Urban Research (UCSUR)
Melissa Bilec, Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation
Jonathan Burgess, Pittsburgh Collaboratory for Water Research, Education, and Outreach
Clifton Callaway, Clinical and Translational Science Institute
Theresa Chapple-McGruder, Center for Health Equity
Kyaien Conner, Center on Race and Social Problems
Philip E. Empey, Center for Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences
Julie Fiez, Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition
Bryan Hanks, Center for Comparative Archaeology
David Hickton, Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security
Gary Jackson, Center for African American Poetry and Poetics
Jeanne Marie Laskas, Center for Creativity
Adrian Lee, Institute for Precision Medicine
Edouard Machery, Center for Philosophy of Science
David Marshall, Humanities Center
Jeremy Rich, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Corinne Richards-Zawacki, Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology
Elizabeth Votruba-Drzal , Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC)
*Melanie Scott, Department of Surgery, Faculty Senate Representative