As the principal academic officer of the University, the Vice Chancellor has the overall responsibility for all academic matters including research. He is supported by the Deans of schools who are vested with the power to monitor and review research and postgraduate programmes in their respective schools. They are in turn supported by an associate or assistant dean for research responsible for promoting and monitoring research activities within the school. Each school also comprises a significant number of Research Associates who support teaching and add value to ongoing research programmes at each school. Administration of research activities takes place primarily through University and school-level committees within a framework defined by policies to promote, support and reward research.
At the highest level, the Academic Council provides overarching guidance to the University’s research activities while the Board of Management makes provision for research and the advancement and dissemination of knowledge. The Deans of the schools are members of these two bodies.
At the practical level, the University has three research committees that are responsible for framing research policies and dealing with related issues. The Research Grants Committee reviews research proposals from faculty members and decides on grants to be awarded. It is comprised of the Deans of all schools, the Registrar, a Member of the Governing Body and Advisor to the Vice Chancellor. Grants are awarded on short, medium, and long term basis.
The University Research Degree Committee considers applications to the JGU doctoral programme, and reviews progress reports and arrangements for the management of doctoral degree programmes ensuring high academic standards. The school-level Doctoral Committee administers the doctoral programme within each school under the guidelines provided by the University Research Degree Committee. These committees play a significant role in promoting JGU’s research culture, and enhancing the quality of our research work. For instance, the Research Grants Committee has made several important recommendations that have been implemented. Faculty workshops are organized to allow the presentation of research work to colleagues and receive feedback; this has positively impacted research quality and faculty performance.
Faculty methodology seminars are conducted where domain experts interact with faculty members on research methodologies. Scholarship schemes that require students to support faculty research have enabled the facilitation of research oriented relationships between students and the University’s research centres. In addition, JGU also instituted a Research and Ethics Review Board (RERB) in 2014.
The principal objective of the RERB is to ensure that research conducted in or sponsored by JGU adheres to international standards for research and ethics. This in turn supports the maximization of publication possibilities of research findings in leading international journals, award of external research grants to JGU applicants, and the strengthening of the overall academic and research environment in the University. Adherence to the RERB guidelines for research undertaken in the University is also aimed at protecting both JGU as well as the researcher from unwarranted issues and delays in completion of research, dissemination of research findings and, most importantly, in enhancing the credibility of our research work.
The administering of research grants is subject to the proposing faculty member clearing their study through the Board. Specific University policies have also been formulated to promote and encourage research culture. The Rewarding Research and International Publications Policy is intended to develop the University’s international profile and reward faculty members who publish their work in international journals. Research output also forms part of each faculty member’s annual assessment and impacts yearly compensation reviews. For instance, at the Jindal Global Law School, an Assistant Professor is expected to produce a minimum of two law review articles and one book chapter per year, and Associate Professors and Professors are expected to produce at least three law review articles each year.
The Academic Staff Development Policy is aimed at encouraging research and supporting the participation of academic staff members in national and international conferences, and publication of research through national and international publishers. Research goals are built into staff development programmes. In addition to the Staff Development Policy, the Policy on Academic/Development Allowance encourages research and training among all staff members and supports these pursuits to the benefit of the University.
The University’s Policy on Compensation to Faculty Members for Taking Consultancy and Other Assignments outside JGU (Consultancy Policy) allows faculty members to engage with external organizations on consultancy assignments; deliver guest lectures; undertake management development programmes; and/or conduct seminars or workshops. The research culture in the University is also supported and strengthened through the annual Research Excellence Awards that recognizes outstanding publications in reputed international journals.
The awards have helped to stimulate both independent research and greater collaboration through JGU’s many research clusters. Collaborative research efforts have also helped encourage student research endeavors. In addition, an annual award is presented to an outstanding student researcher.
An additional approach to promote excellence in research is through the integration of the concept of the scholarship of discovery and integration in the University’s annual appraisal system which is associated with targets relating to individual or collaborative research work and publications. Key Academic Results.
Areas also include campus and community citizenship comprising participation in professional bodies; strategies for the promotion of the University; attracting research funds; and facilitating training/ solutions related to local issues.
