Boston University (BU) seeks an outstanding individual with exceptional academic, administrative, strategic, and interpersonal capabilities to join the University’s senior academic leadership team as Vice President and Associate Provost for Research (VPAPR).
Under the leadership of President Melissa Gilliam and Provost Gloria Waters, both appointed in 2024, Boston University is developing a new strategic framework for achieving impact and excellence. The framework will position BU as a global intellectual and academic destination by focusing on recruiting, developing, and retaining worldclass faculty, staff, and students while achieving operational excellence for sustainable growth and efficiency.
Working closely with the Provost and President, the next VPAPR will support Boston University’s plan to expand its research enterprise substantially. The VPAPR cultivates multidisciplinary groups of faculty from across the institution to dream big and coalesce around bold, new ideas that can attract substantial support for training and research and promise outcomes that will improve society.
The next VPAPR will have an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate convergent research across BU and build further on cross-campus partnerships; diversify resources that support research and scholarship, including through expanding industry partnerships and tech transfer; and strengthen research infrastructure.
Reporting to the University Provost and Chief Academic Officer, the VPAPR oversees industry engagement, technology development, sponsored programs, and research development and compliance. The VPAPR also provides oversight and periodic assessment of existing and proposed University-wide interdisciplinary research centers and institutes.
To learn more about the opportunity, see the detailed leadership profile linked at the bottom of this page.
Under the VPAPR’s leadership, BU’s Office of Research provides support for training grant and major infrastructure and center proposals, including for Engineering and Scientific Research Centers, Multidisciplinary University Research Initiatives, and Major Research Instrumentation grants. The office also oversees processes for limited submission opportunities and proposals requiring institutional cost sharing.
Boston University, a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), is one of the leading private research and teaching institutions in the world, located in the heart of Boston and spanning campuses in the Kenmore Square neighborhood and the Medical Campus in the South End.
The University enrolls more than 37,000 students, including more than 11,600 graduate and professional students, and employs 3,700 faculty across 17 schools and colleges. Boston University is the fourth largest private university in the United States and one of the Boston area’s largest employers.
Boston University’s growth over the last quarter-century has been profound. BU has evolved into an internationally recognized research university, attracting more than $600 million in sponsored research in 2024 across both the Charles River and Medical campuses.
The successful VPAPR candidate will have a doctorate with at least 5–10 years of experience in research administration or leadership roles within a university or research focused institution. The VPAPR will be a member of the faculty and eligible for consideration for a tenured appointment in the appropriate school/college at Boston University.
All applications, nominations and inquiries are invited. Applicants should provide a CV or resume and a letter of interest by clicking on “Apply” below. The search will remain open until an appointment is made.
Inquiries can be directed to Lucy Leske, Philip Tang, and Sarah Seavey at [email protected].