Department of Research Planning and Development

Introduction | Responsibilities | Integrated Research Grants |
Grant Lists | Members

Mission

The mission of the Department of Research Planning and Development is to promote research excellence, support NHRI development projects, and expand NHRI research network through contracting out research projects to organizations across the country.

Within the NHRI, the Department supports the intramural research divisions in various ways that include:

• Assisting the recruitment of scientists with excellent qualifications.
• Arranging the external merit review or competitive merit review for the purpose of gathering information to be used as a reference for resource allocation.
• Assists in the procurement and competition for the research grants provided by the government agencies.
• Assisting with the coordination between intramural research divisions
• Compiling and editing the institutes' annual report and submitting the annual achievement materials to form the “NHRI Annual Reports” and self-appraisal reports in different fields for the government assessment.
• Integrating constructive opinions stemming from symposiums or conferences on the feasibility of a contract research project and elaborating related proposals, and conduct the administration, review and evaluation of contract research projects.
• Assisting in the preparation and negotiation of the other research institutions, universities, etc. around the island and the administrative affairs associated with the agreement.
• Evaluating ethical standards for human subjects in clinical studies.

Establishment

The Department was established during the early stage of the founding of NHRI. The primary mission of the Department lies in assisting the original ten research divisions in NHRI fulfilling their missions: from planning of the new divisions, recruitment of division directors, organizing advisory committees of divisions, coordination of research operation, to evaluation of research divisions as well.

The responsibilities of the Department include helping each intramural research division reach their set goals, elevating the standard of research accomplishments as well as promoting collaboration and interaction among research divisions. In addition, it plays a role in creating an effective research collaboration network that serves to promote communication and experience sharing between NHRI and other domestic research organizations. The Department also assists the President of NHRI in soliciting operation funds from exterior sources.

The first Director of the Department was Professor Chen-Kung Chou. Professor Chungming Chang has assumed the position between February 1997 to March 2006. Since 2005, the organization has undergone a gradual alteration due to the maturation of NHRI and shifting of the mission of the Department. In 2005 the subunit of the Department, Office of Technology Transfer, was transferred to the President Office. In Fall 2006, the Office of Environmental Health and Safety as well as the Laboratory Animal Center were also relocated to the President Office. Then the original Office of Planning and Evaluation has moved out from the President Office and merged with the Department and the Department was renamed as Department of Research Planning and Development. Dr. Chun-Chin Liang is the Acting and Associate Director, and currently there are 13 other full-time staff members.

Integration with the Extramural Research Affairs Department

The Extramural Research Affairs Department (ERAD) was one of the earliest units established in the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI). Since 1992, while in the NHRI preparatory period, it began to operate as an important funding agency to provide medical and health related research grants to research institutions throughout Taiwan. In January 1996, ERAD was officially established along with the NHRI, it also began to support academic activities such as NHRI conferences, symposium, workshops, educational series and lecture series to promote communication among scientists of scientific communities in Taiwan. Moreover, the NHRI provides various fellowships and awards programs to promote bio-medical research by expanding human researches. In August 2007, ERAD was integrated with the Department of Research Planning and Development. The Department of Research Planning and Development will continue the efforts of ERAD.