Vice President for Research

In 1968, the Office of the Vice President for Research (VPR) was created to promote and build research excellence at the University of Utah. The VPR office oversees numerous research administration units that provide support services, research opportunities, and professional development for researchers, students, and staff on campus. The reporting VPR units are responsible for; compliance and safety, research education and training, technology patent and commercialization, grant proposal development and submission, and more. Through strategic leadership and planning, the VPR office is dedicated to providing effective resources that serve the University’s research community and accelerate innovation and discovery at the U.

Pre-Award Unit

Coming Soon! Replacing the Research Development Office (RDO), the Pre-Award Unit will support the University of Utah’s research and scholarly community with the pre-award steps for external grant proposals. Please check for more information to come soon on the VPR Office's website here.

Office of Sponsored Projects

The Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP) was established in 1967 at the University of Utah. Our mission is to enhance research by providing service and support to administration, faculty, and staff in their efforts to secure and manage external funding for University activities.Each Sponsored Projects Officer is part of a specialized area (federal and foundation grants & contracts, industry contracts, or clinical trials) and is assigned to focus on proposals and awards for a set of departments, schools and/or colleges. Find someone in their staff directory.

Sabbatical Resources

A sabbatical is a research leave for tenure-line faculty members lasting either one or two semesters. The purpose of a sabbatical leave is to increase the scholarship and professional development of members of the faculty and thereby enhance their capacity for continued research, teaching, and service. Leave of this type from academic duties is a privilege granted to afford the faculty member the opportunity for intensive study, investigation and research.

For Sabbatical Requests:

• Please submit your request to your Chair/Director. The Chair/Director must submit requests for faculty Sabbatical leaves (including the Chair/Director letters of support and ranking) to the Dean by November 24, 2020. In addition, the Chair/Director should consider all the grant and leave applications that their faculty are submitting each cycle/year – both inside and outside the College/University – in order to determine whether Department/School responsibilities will be adequately covered if all the applications are successful.

• Please read all information carefully on the downloadable forms. You will turn in the completed application form and all supporting documentation to your Department Chair/Director by their internal deadline. The Sabbatical Compensation Confirmation Form should be sent to the Office for Faculty once your sabbatical has been awarded, and is due to them by May 15th.

Request Forms for 2021-22 Sabbaticals:

• Sabbatical Application for AY2021-22 (PDF)
• Sabbatical Application for AY2021-22 (Word Doc)
• Sabbatical Compensation Confirmation Form - Due May 15th (PDF)
• Sabbatical Compensation Confirmation Form - Due May 15th (Word Doc)

For more information about the rules governing sabbatical leaves please see sections 4 & 9 of University Policy 6-314.  Under this policy, faculty members whose last sabbatical leave was in academic year 2014-15 are presumably eligible for another sabbatical.  Note that other leaves taken since that year may be taken into consideration in recommending individuals for sabbatical leave.  In addition, if an untenured faculty member meets the criteria of six completed years of service and is recommended for sabbatical, approval will be contingent upon the faculty member being tenured at the time the sabbatical begins.

For questions about the application process please contact the CFA Dean's Office.