The purpose of the Research System of the University of Cauca is to promote researching as an essential activity for the institution by developing comprehensive projects that involve the academic community, the state, society and the business sector as development actors who contribute positively to the progress of the regions.

It works as an open system with a network structure where their autonomous components interact with each other in a flexible manner. The research system seeks to ensure operability, sustainability, effectiveness and efficiency on the university research processes.

For information about the activities and projects, please visit the web address:

http://vri.unicauca.edu.co

Mission

Create conditions at a regional level for the development and socialization of scientific, technological and community knowledge including academic, government, social and business sectors as well as validating results and promoting their applicability.

Vision

The system envisions the University of Cauca as the leading institution in the pursuit of scientific and technological knowledge in the context of its strengths, potentials and regional needs.

 

Purposes

Encourage and support research projects of emerging research groups through specific invitations and calls for proposals.

Encourage and support projects and other research activities of active research groups.

Strengthen research groups and create a culture that allows ownership and generation of new knowledge.

Combine research, teaching and community outreach seeking to motivate the faculty and students, train new researchers, and contribute to the solution of relevant problems of the environment.

Coordinate and integrate the components of Research System, looking for better coordination and performance among the academy, the administration and the research processes.

Internationalize our research projects and strengthen links with the scientific community.

Give more visibility to the research results by following a consistent publishing policy that complies national and international requirements.

Strengthen the Research System Communications into and out of the University of Cauca.

Find founding resources the Research System through national and international technical cooperation through the development of research and technological development projects.

Operation of the Research System

The System Research of the University of Cauca is an open entity. The Research Vice-Rectory is in charge of the administration and the Research Council is the ultimate decision maker.

The School Councils provide advice while adopting strategies to integrate the methodology and the practice of research with the academic programs.  Part of their roles are the creation, modification or cancellation of Research Programs of the schools as well as monitoring compliance with the adopted research programs and proposing the institutionalization of the lines of investigation of the projects.

Each school has a Research Committee that advices the School Councils and act as an integrator entity between the academic programs, the research activities and the research institutional policies of the University of Cauca.

The Research Committee of a school consists of five (5) professors with high human and ethical qualities, and with extensive experience in the research field, they normally hold a doctoral or master degrees - or specialization in medicine - and the Director of the Institute of Graduate Studies, who chairs it.  The School Council appoints them by voting and for a period of three (3) years, with the option of re-election.   The faculty presents the candidates to be elected.

The School Research Committee works in parallel with the School Council to formulate plans, strategies, programs and projects for the development and evaluation of research activities in the respective academic unit consistent with institutional research policies.  They also propose lines of investigation, endorse research projects that comply with the institutional policies and recommend them to the Scool Council for approval.  The committee proposes integration strategies for methodology and research practices in the academic programs and ensures that the research papers have the academic and scientific rigor required.

Research Groups are the basic unit of the research process and are formed by professors or by a team of professors and students of the University that work together on research projects.

The research group is coordinated by a professor of the University who is responsible for design and implementing programs, projects and other research activities; proposing lines of investigation; programming the technical and budgetary execution of the research projects and present it to the competent authority.

The research groups are required to comply with the development of research activities. In addition, they must register the states of progress and results of their activities in the Research Information System and share the results of projects and other research activities.