The Oregon Built Environment & Sustainable Technologies Center (Oregon BEST) encourages Oregon University System (OUS) faculty engaged in research related to the sustainable built environment and renewable energy to actively participate in Oregon BEST as Member Faculty. The overarching goal of Oregon BEST is to grow Oregon’s research funding and capacity in these two main thrust areas and to support economic development through commercialization and other activities that enable industry competitiveness.

A clear and formal relationship between Oregon BEST and OUS faculty members working in key research areas is mutually beneficial, ultimately helping build Oregon’s green economy. Oregon BEST research programs are currently centered at Portland State University, Oregon State University, University of Oregon, and the Oregon Institute of Technology. Faculty membership in Oregon BEST is open to research, tenured, and adjunct faculty members at these institutions. Member faculty must be willing to consider an active role in Oregon BEST and be involved or interested in Oregon BEST’s research thrust areas:

• Renewable Energy (including solar, biomass/biofuels, wind, wave, geothermal, and other sources)
• Sustainable Built Environment (including building materials, performance assessment, energy systems & efficiency/integration/smart grid, sustainable mobility/transportation, and building & community design).

(Specific thrust areas will evolve and might include additional areas.)

An inventory of Oregon BEST’s current member faculty is available here.

RATIONALE

In order to allocate and monitor the effectiveness of state investments, the Oregon BEST Board of Directors and the Oregon Innovation Council expect accurate and useful measures of research and technology transfer activities related to the Oregon BEST thrust areas. One metric will be the volume of research proposed and funded by Member Faculty of Oregon BEST. The Faculty Membership Program will also enable effective communication between Oregon BEST and Member Faculty and will facilitate prioritization of resources and Oregon BEST program activities.

QUALIFICATIONS/EXPECTATIONS:

1. Maintain active research or interest in Oregon BEST research thrusts (as determined by respective campus research office).
2. Willing to be listed on the Oregon BEST website – including web link in researcher directory – and to have research activity (proposals, awards, expenditures) included in aggregate statistics for Oregon BEST in one or more Oregon BEST thrust areas. Willing to allow home university to share statistics with Oregon BEST about member faculty research proposals and funding for use in compiling Oregon BEST aggregate statistics.
3. Willing to specify one or more categories that most accurately describe research interests within the Oregon BEST thrust areas.
4. Willing to share, on an annual basis, a list of relevant publications, patents, honors, and other requested information.
5. Willing to participate in multi-institution collaborative proposals and projects.
6. Willing to acknowledge Oregon BEST in publications and proposals when appropriate (e.g., when benefiting from Oregon BEST funding or shared-user facilities).
7. Agree to actively participate in the Oregon BEST community by providing input on research ideas, collaborating with other OUS faculty on research topics, being available for outreach events (as time allows), and other efforts to promote research that builds sustainable economic development for Oregon.

BENEFITS:

1. Eligible to apply for Oregon BEST-related funding opportunities.
2. Participation in Oregon BEST-initiated financial and staff support for large proposals involving a number of OUS faculty and campuses.
3. Eligible for Oregon BEST sponsorship to bring research workshops to Oregon.
4. Invited to meetings/retreats with funding agency representatives, industry partners, and others.
5. Influence and provide input (through Oregon BEST Leadership Team members on each campus) on investment proposals to the Oregon BEST Board of Directors, selection of future thrust areas, and contribution to Oregon BEST-related white papers for federal clients and others.
6. Eligible to use Oregon BEST name and artwork and request Oregon BEST support letters for proposals.
7. Eligible to receive (and be featured in) Oregon BEST and thrust-area e-newsletters and to participate in workshops, brainstorming meetings, and other events.
8. Research connections to Oregon communities, industries, and businesses.

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