Overview
The Vice Deanship of Research and Innovation at the College of Pharmacy manages the research, innovation, and graduate studies ecosystem within the College. It aims to create a high-quality research environment, boost research capacity among faculty and graduate students, and promote collaborations both locally and internationally. These activities support the College's and the University's missions, align with national research priorities, and help realize Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Additionally, the Vice Deanship oversees research efforts, ensures adherence to policies and ethical standards, optimizes research infrastructure use, and enhances outputs such as scholarly publications, competitive funding, capacity building, and societal benefits.
Vice Dean of the College of Pharmacy for Research and Innovation
Dr. Khalid Ahmed Alamer
Email: kaalamer@iau.edu.sa
Vice Deanship Email: CCP.VDRI@iau.edu.sa
Units
Research and Innovation Unit
Reports to: Vice Dean for Research and Innovation
The Research and Innovation Unit is responsible for promoting and coordinating research activities across clinical, pharmaceutical, and basic science domains. The unit supports proposal development, builds research capacity, and maximizes the scientific and innovative impact of the College’s research outputs.
Responsibilities
- Support and facilitate scientific research in clinical, pharmaceutical, and basic science fields.
- Identify internal and external research funding opportunities and maintain an up-to-date funding opportunities database.
- Support the preparation and development of research proposals, including aims, study design, budgets, and letters of support.
- Coordinate access to research infrastructure, including laboratories, equipment, databases, and analytical software.
- Organize training programs in research methodology, statistical analysis, research integrity, and ethics.
- Support and strengthen local and international research collaborations with universities, hospitals, industry, and non-profit organizations.
- Promote a research culture through seminars, workshops, scientific forums, and visiting scholar programs.
- Monitor research projects against approved research KPIs and issue quarterly progress reports and an annual research report.
- Oversee compliance with institutional policies, ethics committee requirements, and relevant national regulations.
- Support research dissemination through journal publications, conference participation, and enhancement of the College’s research visibility.
- Maintain an annual research funding calendar and conduct proposal support clinics.
- Mentor graduate students and early-career researchers.
- Promote interdisciplinary research within the College and with health colleges and external partners.
- Implement research data management practices, including data management plans and open science principles where applicable.
- Coordinate with clinical and experimental units regarding feasibility, recruitment strategies, and study activation.
- Manage internal seed grant programs (if available) and track outcomes, including publications, grants, and intellectual property.
Scholarship and Academic Promotion Unit
Reports to: Vice Dean for Research and Innovation
This unit manages academic scholarship and promotion affairs and supports faculty members in their academic career pathways, ensuring compliance with institutional regulations and standards.
Responsibilities
- Administer academic scholarship programs, including announcements, application intake, evaluation, selection, and follow-up.
- Provide guidance to scholarship applicants regarding requirements, timelines, reporting, and renewals.
- Monitor the academic performance of scholarship recipients and ensure compliance with scholarship conditions.
- Design and deliver orientation programs and skills-development workshops for scholarship recipients.
- Prepare periodic reports on scholarship programs and their performance indicators.
- Develop and maintain promotion readiness checklists for faculty members.
- Review promotion dossiers prior to submission to ensure completeness and compliance with criteria.
- Verify journal indexing and publication eligibility in accordance with approved regulations.
- Standardize and update researcher identifiers (ORCID, Scopus Author ID).
- Monitor promotion timelines and send reminders regarding key deadlines.
- Maintain approved templates and exemplary promotion dossiers and update them regularly.
- Track academic promotion KPIs and submit quarterly performance reports.
Laboratories Council
Reports to: Vice Dean for Research and Innovation
The Laboratories Council oversees the safe and efficient operation of teaching and research laboratories, maximizes resource utilization, and ensures readiness for accreditation and inspection.
Responsibilities
- Supervise the safe and efficient daily operation of laboratories.
- Develop and enforce standard operating procedures for safety and equipment use.
- Manage laboratory assets and equipment, including procurement, maintenance, and calibration.
- Operate digital systems for inventory management and equipment booking.
- Activate and manage a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) and integrate it with procurement and usage tracking.
- Implement structured training and competency certification programs for laboratory technicians and users.
- Monitor compliance with health, safety, and environmental regulations.
- Support interdisciplinary projects and maximize laboratory utilization.
- Track laboratory KPIs.
- Manage laboratory budgets and forecast future needs.
- Ensure accreditation and inspection readiness.
- Support the establishment of new research centers through technical planning and sustainability assessment.
- Align laboratory capabilities with research funding opportunities.
- Submit periodic reports on laboratory performance, risks, and recommendations.
Graduate Studies Unit
Reports to: Vice Dean for Research and Innovation
The Graduate Studies Unit oversees the academic and administrative aspects of graduate programs within the College, ensures program quality, monitors student progress, and supports a strong research-oriented learning environment.
Responsibilities
- Oversee graduate programs (Master’s programs) academically and administratively.
- Coordinate with academic departments on graduate study plans and curriculum updates.
- Monitor student admissions and registration and ensure compliance with admission requirements.
- Track academic and research progress of graduate students.
- Oversee the appointment of supervisors and supervisory committees.
- Review and approve research proposals and study plans in accordance with regulations.
- Support students in research methodology, ethics, and academic writing.
- Organize workshops for graduate students on research and scientific writing skills.
- Monitor graduation requirements and adherence to academic timelines.
- Prepare periodic reports on graduate program performance and indicators.
- Coordinate with the Research and Innovation Unit to integrate graduate students into research projects.
- Ensure graduate programs comply with accreditation and quality assurance requirements.
Organizational Structure
