Mission
The University of Georgia (UGA), as a land-grant and sea-grant university, has the tripartite mission of teaching, research, and service. The central role of research in this three-fold mission is reflected in the UGA motto, "to teach, to inquire into the nature of things, and to serve the people." Through creative research activity and scholarly reflection, UGA personnel seek to contribute to the general reservoir of knowledge, to extend the horizons of the human intellect, and to use this knowledge for the good of mankind, thus contributing to the means by which civilization advances.
Research gives a university its intellectual vitality and distinguishes it from all other educational institutions. A university's research mission includes teaching not only how to answer, but also how to question. For UGA students, the most important part of education must be the capacity for critical thinking. By encouraging the incessant "why," research strengthens the foundation of the undergraduate program. At the graduate level, learning to conduct research is the prime component of the educational process. Research activities at all levels, from undergraduate through faculty, are encouraged and supported at the UGA.
The mission of the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) is to create and maintain an environment in which UGA research can develop to a position of enhanced national prominence.
The following priorities of the OVPR emphasize the importance of the UGA Strategic Plan:
- Assist with recruiting, retaining, and developing the best possible faculty members;
- Increase the amount of externally funded research at the UGA;
- Enhance the effective transfer and utilization of knowledge generated by research;
- Assure that animal care and use facilities comply with standards required by the U.S. Public Health Service and animal welfare laws;
- Enhance the effectiveness of interdisciplinary research, especially between basic and applied sciences;
- Increase the visibility and presence of the UGA as a research institution on the national scene; and
- Develop a strong outreach program to increase corporate awareness of research strengths at the UGA and, hence, increase the extent of industry-sponsored research.