RESEARCH IN THE UNIVERSITYHOW DOES SOCIAL WORK FIT?

Presentation to the National Association of Deans and Directors

of Schools of Social WorkMarch 13, 2008

REFLECTIONS OF A SOCIAL WORKER IN A FOREIGN LAND

Nancy Koroloff, Associate Vice Provost for Research and Sponsored

Projects

PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY• Medium sized public university without a

medical school.• Founded in 1946, 25,000 students• 430 MSW students, 650 with Ph.D. and

B.A.• Emphasis on research in last 10 years• Revenue from research and sponsored

projects in FY 2007 was $38M

SSW RESEARCH AT PSU

• Regional Research Institute for Human Services founded in 1972

• Brought in first IDC to University• Annual revenues of $6-$7M.• Social Work has traditionally generated

between 20-25% of research revenue at PSU.

Associate Vice Provost for Research and Sponsored

Projects(The job description)

• Pre award development and processing• Research contracting• Post award policy and procedures• Compliance

Associate Vice Provost for Research and Sponsored

Projects(What I do)

• Problem solving and conflict management

• Forming and supporting teams• Training, communicating, informing • Clarifying and documenting procedures,

policies, guidelines• Glorified paper pusher

How did I get into this job?

• 12 years as the Director of the Regional Research Institute for Human Services.

• 35 years of active researcher.• Taught research, policy, macro HBSE,

administration practice.• Relationships and reputation as a

boundary spanner.• Advocate for research infrastructure.

WHAT DOES SOCIAL WORK FIT IN THE

UNIVERSITY’S RESEARCH ENTERPRISE?

What does Social Work bring to the research potluck?

What’s on the menu?Research that is:• Translational, transformative,

application, adaptation, implementation

• Multi-disciplinary and inter-professional

• Research teams (Centers, Institutes)• Mixed method (more acceptance of

qualitative components)

Design research with the use in mind

What does Social Work bring to the research potluck?

PEOPLE SKILLS

• Building relationships, trust• Working with groups

Forming, facilitating, getting work done

• Manage conflicting viewpoints• Involve diverse constituent groups

What does Social Work bring to the potluck?

ABILITY TO DEAL WITH COMPLEX PROBLEMS

• Ecological perspective• Able to live with ambiguity• Willing to grapple with a complex

environment • Understand limits of real world

Ceteris parabus: Everything else being equal

What does Social Work bring to the potluck?

UNDERSTANDING DIVERSE

POPULATIONS

Working in partnership:• Racial, ethnic and linguistically

diverse communities. • Community members• Community based organizations• Consumers of services and their

families

What does Social Work bring to the potluck?

HUMAN SUBJECTS REVIEW(IRB)

• Knowledge of vulnerable populations.• Ability to give voice to groups that

others might be overprotect.• Community based participatory

research.

WHAT ARE OUR CHALLENGES?

• Isolation and insulation– Orient to community and not to other

parts of the University.• Competition with instructional program.

– Resources, hiring• Research training in doctoral programs

– Post doctoral fellows, summer training• Lack federal funding sources where

social work influences the priorities.

More challenges…….

• Partial indirect costs• Orient to sharing power, don’t

stake claims• Comfortable with “research with

a goal” (advocacy).• Don’t encourage entrepreneurs.

SOME IDEAS …….

• Encourage faculty to collaborate with non social workers (non social scientist).– Provide incentives.

• Invest in building long term research relationships.

• Get to know your commercialization officer

• Encourage SW faculty to join the IRB.• Be a Dean who understand the research

process.

Nancy KoroloffAssociate Vice Provost for Research

Professor, School of Social Work

koroloff@pdx.edu

503-725-9675