Procedures for conducting classified research at UVA:
Step 1.
Notify your department chair and dean of your intention, providing each of them with an unclassified description of the project and a plan for preserving academic freedom for all faculty and students involved. The plan will specifically include appropriate counseling regarding the impact of the project on related dissertations, promotion and tenure, and student mentoring. The chair and dean will be responsible for making sure that all involved faculty and students have received the appropriate counseling for preserving academic freedom.
Step 2.
Your Dean will need to contact the Faculty Senate Research, Teaching, & Scholarship Committee, and ask for them to designated two representatives. Once designated, provide them with the unclassified description of the project and a letter enumerating what safeguards are in place to preserve academic freedom for all faculty and students involved. The R&S Committee designated representatives will recommend additional steps if necessary to the dean to assure that all appropriate counseling has occurred. The R&S Committee will not be reviewing the academic merit of the research.
Step 3.
After acting on the recommendations on the preservation of academic freedom from the R&S Committee, your dean will then need to forward the unclassified proposal to the Office of Sponsored Programs (Stewart Craig, Executive Director) for initial review of contract terms and requirements.
Step 4.
The faculty member is required to submit a written description and justification of the project, its academic merit, and the restrictions on the dissemination of its results. This classified proposal will be submitted to the Vice President for Research for review and approval.(Dave Hudson, Senior Associate Vice President for Research).
The primary review criterion will be that the proposal be consistent with the University’s pursuit of its mission and not compromise basic human dignity or freedom. If the project is approved by the Vice President for Research it will be processed through the normal sponsored program process. The Office of Sponsored Programs will receive only an unclassified version of the proposal.
The faculty member shall annually inform, in writing, the dean and Vice President for Research of any changes in faculty and students working on the project so the dean can ensure that appropriate counseling for preserving academic freedom has occurred.
Related Information:
template/example request letters