Research Staff Profile -- Paul Kostecki

Creating and Enhancing Research Opportunities

Paul Kostecki is a familiar face on campus. As an alumnus with over twenty-five years of research and teaching experience at UMass Amherst, he knows the ins and outs of the University. After serving three years as Interim Vice Provost for Research, Paul was permanently appointed to the position in June after a national search. Over the past three years, Paul implemented several new programs and policies to position the campus to maximize its potential as a research institution. Kostecki isn't content with the campus measuring itself against peer institutions. "We have to strive for excellence at the next level of institutions that we compete with, or we'll never be much better than we are today. Higher expectations are a powerful force."

Kostecki is aware that higher expectations require more support at the institutional level. "My job is to work with the entire research community, from those involved in scholarly and creative activities to scientific and technical research to make sure that they have what they need in order to be successful. I really believe that in order for a university to be truly first class, it has to have strong humanities and social sciences programs as well as the science and technology component--otherwise we are just an institute of technology."

One way to balance research between the disciplines is to promote greater collaboration between the schools. Collaboration, team work and transparency are key tenets for Kostecki. Twice a semester he meets with the deans on campus. Greater contact between the Vice Provost and the deans and between the deans themselves has allowed for stronger relationships and increased interdisciplinary collaboration. Paul notes, "More and more funding sources, especially from the federal government and groups like NSF, want to see how the project will help society. This means that even on the most technical proposals, there is a social science or policy component. Multi-PI, interdisciplinary proposals are a great opportunity for the whole campus."

Kostecki believes that the atmosphere of collaboration and partnership on campus has helped to make everyone more effective. Collaboration with the private sector has also taken off over the past three year as universities realize that the private sector is an important source of research funding. A new campus program, Research Leadership in Action (RLA), was created to help build collaborations between the private sector and draw national attention to the campus's research and scholarly activities. The Office of the Vice Provost (OVPR) matches the funds provided by the private sector. Matching programs such as these give the campus a big return on their investment. Paul explains, "For every dollar the OVPR puts in as a match, we are able to leverage $18 dollars of total grant activity over the life of the grant. A great example of this was how the polymer science department was able to secure funding for a National Science Foundation proposal that will promote the VISUAL program in the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center after receiving RLA support for a symposium on the bridging of art and science."

Kostecki sees his role on campus as that of creating and enhancing opportunities for faculty to do their research which also means working to strengthen the research infrastructure. From making sure that OGCA has a failsafe back-up system for the electronic grant system to improving CVIP policies and procedures to encouraging sponsored research from the industrial sector, Paul is leading the effort to make the campus more customer friendly to faculty and industry partners. "We've hired more staff in OGCA and are about to expand the staff in the animal safety area, and we're getting new software that will make it easier for faculty to manage grants," says Kostecki.

"This is an exciting time for the University," remarks Kostecki, "research activities are growing across the campus and we are welcoming more high-quality researchers each year." Paul looks forward to hearing innovative ideas for the coming years. Contact Paul Kostecki (413-545-5270) with questions and comments.