SEU - Georgian National University

THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STRATEGY

1. The implementation of university education is unimaginable without the development of the research activities within the university. It is not possible to increase the potential of the university's academic staff and the competitiveness of its students and graduates, without the increase of the topicality, transparency, objectivity and applicability of the scientific research within the University, its academic corps and its educational program. 
2. The present strategy aims at defining organizing and support scientific research at the university, list of persons involved in research and those responsible for research support and development, support mechanisms for university research activities, structural units for research and general policies for conducting research.
3. The effectiveness of research activities and involvement in scientific research is one of the important indicators of the quality assessment of university academic staff.

MECHANISMS OF UNIVERSITY SUPPORT FOR THE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

The university research support system includes the introduction of research supporting organizational structures, research evaluation indicators, university grant system, anti-plagiarism policies and establishment of information provision.

 

AUTHORITY OF THE ACADEMIC BOARD IN RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT

The decision to fund research activities is made by the Academic Council of the University, according to the external independent evaluation of the author’s application.

STRUCTURES OF ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

1. In line with the overall goals and plans of the University, the University Research Development Service is set up to support and develop scientific research.
2. Office of the Research Development, supports the promotion of the development of academic and scientific research at University, coordination of  planning and evaluation of the scientific - research component of the educational program within the University, organizational support  of the  implementation of  scientific activity of academic staff, control of protection the academic honesty, in the framework of research.
3. In order to achieve its goals, the Research Development Office carries out the following powers:

Develops a plan of university research activities;

• Organizes university research activities (conferences, seminars, workshops, etc.);
• Participates in the process of recruiting and reviewing research papers with relevant staff;
• Analyzes the  reports of academic and scientific staff and university research centers;
• Administers university research grants;
• Prepares the report on the scientific-research work of the academic staff and develops the recommendations for the development of the academic research at the university;
• Ensures the protection of academic honesty within the University and participates in the implementation of plagiarism measures at the University;
• Together with the International Relations Office  develops and manages the  research activities in the international cooperation process for internationalization;
• Together with the International Relations Office,  supports  the coordination of joint grants, scholarships and research projects in the name of the University;
• Cares about inviting foreign researchers at university.

1. To carry out scientific research within the University, its separate educational unit or its educational program, an independent research unit (institute, department centre, etc.) may be established within the university.
2. The independent research unit is guided by its statute, and independently conducts relevant research in coordination with the university's Research Development Office.

SYSTEM OF AN INTERNAL UNIVERSITY FUNDING FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

1. In order to develop and encourage university’s research activities, the university, during the financial planning, takes into account the budget set for funding research projects and establishes rules, procedures and authorities for funding, co-financing and refusing on funding the research.
   
   

Sources of funding for research activities at the university are: 

• Planned funding of university budget for the research activity of the unit
• Funding received under a university grant
• Financing received from external sources
• The funding can be used in the research project as a whole as well as for co-financing
• The budget for research should be maintained or increased for each coming year.
  
  
  

 INFORMATIONAL SUPPORT FOR UNIVERSITY STUDIES

1. To enhance the university's involvement in international and local research projects, the University strives to increase the level of awareness of academic staff and researchers, about the research projects and opportunities to participate, as well as informing the academic community, on the university's scientific and research achievements.
2. The Research Development Office will provide information to university staff and students on local and international research grants conduct consultations and assistance for interested people in finding the desired grant.
3. The condition of the university’s  participation in the administration and coordination of the research grant is the involvement of the academic staff on behalf of the university.
4. In order to increase the awareness of academic staff and involvement in international research projects, the University conducts annual training on the following topics.

• To write a scientific research project
• Scientific management of the grant
• Scientific academic skills

1. In order to raise public awareness about the research activities of the academic staff of the University, the University strives to increase the rating and credibility of its publications, as well as their citations in the World Scientific Publications Database.

SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL OF UNIVERSITY

• University publishes scientific journal SEU & SCIENCE
• The university scientific journal is published once in every 6 months as a biennial book.
• The scientific articles of a specific direction may be published in the extraordinary, special edition of the university.
• The journal is divided into main trends that are consistent with the main directions of the university's educational activities;
• The scientific journal is administered by the University's Editorial Board and the Research Development Service, which will jointly develop and submit the journal's editorial policy for approval to the Academic Council.
• The editorial board invites at least two specialists for each direction. It is permissible to invite other University representatives and/or foreign specialists to the Editorial Board.
• The scientific papers published are subject to compulsory review (peer review).
• The review is carried out with the primary examination of the article (desk review) by invitation of the specialists of the relevant field  (blind review) or by public review in the web of scientific society (crowd review), using the software developed by the university.
• Publishing an article in the university's scientific journal is free of charge and all expenses related to the publication of the research work are financed by the University.
• Copyright of published work goes to its authors / co-authors.
• The University is entitled to disseminate a collection of relevant scientific articles gratis in the form chosen by it, without any agreement with the author, to use it for the development of scientific research and library funds.  

ACADEMIC HONESTY AND THE FIGHT AGAINST PLAGIARISM

1. The University reserves the right to be a guarantor of academic honesty within its educational or research process, and to identify and respond appropriately to violations of academic honesty, implement policies to fight against  plagiarism, introduce mechanisms of academic honesty and disciplinary response to these violations, as well as take particularly drastic measures in the event of plagiarism and its recidivism.
   
   
2. Plagiarism is considered to be intentional misappropriation of other's work, in whole or in part, as his or her own use, or its attempt, in particular:

• Misappropriation of the intellectual work of another person;
• Presentation of another person's work or  its part on his / her behalf;
• Use of someone else's work without  required citation;
• Sketching quotes word for word  of  someone else's work  in the presented text, changing of word or sentence, without change of the content,
• Drawing conclusions from someone's work without reference to the source.
• The University reserves the right to use the plagiarism detection software and other information resources necessary in its organized/coordinated scientific activities.
• The anti-plagiarism system is integrated into all levels of academic activity. All scientific papers, any literature created/translated by the University, will be examined on plagiarism;

INCREASING ENGAGEMENT WITH ACADEMIC STAFF IN RESEARCH

1. Until all subsequent academic contests, contract extensions to academic staff or lecturers, the University considers its potential for scientific research and engagement in scientific research.
2. The University Human Resources Management Service, together with the Research Development Office, evaluates the research work of the university staff according to the research component's involvement in the research and teaching process. Both professors and students will participate in the study.
3. The results of the research are based on the action plans of scientific research development at the university.

CERTIFICATION OF ACADEMIC STAFF

1.  The work of the academic staff of the University is graded once every 3 years (attestation of professors).
2. One of the criteria for attestation is the professor's obligation to fulfil any of the following three points, or the sum of his or her scientific activities to have a significant positive impact on the scientific activity of the university.

• Publish 2 articles in 3 years, at least in one peer-reviewed journal:
• Participate in 3 international scientific conferences in 3 years:
• 2 international or local research grants in 3 years.

1. The results of the three-year scientific activity may be taken into account for the academic staff that came into force of this rule.
2. Additional criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of research work may be established for affiliated academic staff in a particular field.

INDICATORS FOR EVALUATION OF RESEARCH QUALITY

• University Indicators for the Evaluation of Scientific Research by Academic and Research Staff are:
• Scientific publications in university publications
• Scientific publications in other publications in Georgia and abroad
• Scientific publications in publications with Impact Factor;
• University grants
• Research grants
• Participation in scientific conferences
• Published textbooks and monographs
• Number of citations
• Hirsch Index  - The number of cited papers in relation to the total number of papers.