Title: Administrative Correspondence File, 1979-1993
ID: 7/16/1
Primary Creator: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Office of Research Services
Extent: 9.0 cubic feet
Arrangement: by correspondent, then chronologically
Subjects: Databases, Electronic Mail, Research Administration, Sponsored Research
Formats/Genres: Papers
Languages: English
Administrative Correspondence File of the Research Services Office, including correspondence, memoranda, and minutes, relating to the activities of the office including overseeing and maintaining the Illinois Researcher Information System (a database of external funding sources for research used by universities--including the University of Illinois--and other organizations across the U.S.); acting as campus liaison to the Illinois Resource Network (a statewide database of faculty and their areas of expertise); disseminating information about outside funding opportunities for research to faculty across the campus through both print and electronic media; providing grant-writing workshops to faculty; and maintaining a library for research into external funding sources for research. Also included is correspondence and minutes pertaining to the director's other duties as an assistant vice chancellor of research, to RSO staff involvement in professional organizations (National Council of University Research Administrators and the Society of Research Administrators), and to the director's involvement as a member (1989-1993?) of the Campus Committee for Network Planning.
In 1972, a Research Services Office was created by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences "to assist the faculty in certain departments on any aspect of grants and contracts" by keeping announcements of funding sources, grant applications, and related materials.1 The office published a Grants and Contracts Handbook and a regular Research Report. In 1979, the office's purview was extended to include the Departments of Agriculture and Education. The office developed and maintains a computerized Illinois Researcher Information System (IRIS). This includes the IRIS expertise service, previously known as the Illinois Researcher Network (IRN), which contains biographical and professional information on University faculty and researchers.
In December 1979, the Research Services Office was reorganized as the Campus-Wide Research Services Office, placed under the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, and made responsible for collecting and disseminating grant information for all University colleges and departments.2 On June 30, 1994, the office was renamed the Illinois Research Information Service and placed under the Library.3 It is partially supported by income from subscriber institutions which contract to use the IRIS databases.
1. Research Report, Vol. 3, No. 1, September 10, 1974. (RS 7/16/805)
2. Research Report, Vol. 8, No. 8., January 18, 1980.
3. Memo from Vice Chancellor for Research Chet Gardner, August 4, 1994.
URL: https://files.archon.library.illinois.edu/uasfa/0716001.pdf
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