Guidelines on content and format of the proposal are available in the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research. The increasing complexity of problems and research challenges faced by modern society often requires the formation of research groups comprised of faculty, students, and staff from several disciplines. These research units are expected to foster the quality and competitiveness of UAH's research and instruction, to promote the attractiveness of UAH to outstanding prospective students and faculty, and to increase the flexibility in responding to research opportunities through the pooling of resources and interdisciplinary team efforts. Research units may be formed within colleges or, in response to broader research tasks, as separate entities with university resources beyond and above those available to chairs and deans. A consortium will typically have strong industrial participation in its operation as well as in allocation of resources.
Research units report either through a dean or directly to the senior vice president for research.
The reporting route will be established at the initiation of a research unit. The senior vice president for research appoints for each unit an advisory committee consisting of nationally recognized research leaders and chairs and deans of the pertinent colleges. This committee assists in the identification of research themes and faculty expertise. The Research Institute fosters research within the colleges and research units through the establishment and maintenance of liaisons with research sponsors, particularly local and regional federal agencies and industries. It provides a focus for development and management of large multidisciplinary research grants, contracts, including specialized supporting laboratories.