General Information of the Vice Rector’s Office for Research

HISTORY

Research activities have a long tradition at the University of Costa Rica (UCR, for its acronym in Spanish). Since its foundation in 1940, it has been an institutional concern to generate research spaces as a way of contributing to the development of Costa Rican society.

Although six research units (centers, institutes, etc.) were created during the 1950s and 1960s, the Institution was more oriented towards the training of professionals, which was the most pressing demand of society at that time.

Once a certain degree of development was achieved and in response to new social demands, the UCR began to give more emphasis to research, which led to the creation of more centers and institutes, experimental stations, programs, and other units in specific fields of research.

On March 22nd, 1974, the Vice Rector’s Office for Research (product of the Third University Congress 1972-1973) was created as the authority responsible for supervising, coordinating, encouraging and disseminating research at the University of Costa Rica.

UNITS

These are run by an Academic Vice Rector and a Research Management Director (DGI, for its acronym in Spanish).

The DGI coordinates the units of Promotion, Projects and Quality Management. The Administrative Management Department, Computing, Archive and Legal Counseling complete the Vice Rector’s Office.
Also, the Unit for the Management and Transference of Knowledge for Innovation (PROINNOVA, for its acronym in Spanish), the University Agency for Entrepreneurship Management (AUGE, for its acronym in Spanish), the Museum of the University of Costa Rica (museum + UCR) and the Special Research Unit Network of Protected Areas of the University of Costa Rica (RAP, for its acronym in Spanish) are assigned to the Vice Rector’s office.

ATTRIBUTIONS OF THE VICE RECTOR’S OFFICE FOR RESEARCH

In compliance with Chapter II of the Research Regulations of the University of Costa Rica, approved by the University Council in session No. 5972, article 2, of March 17th, 2016, the following are attributions of the Vice Rector’s Office for Research:

Article 10. Institutional coordination and supervision

The Vice Rector’s Office for Research coordinates, promotes, stimulates, supervises, evaluates, and it must follow up the research in the University of Costa Rica, either programs and projects or research support activities, regardless of the origin of the funds for its financing.

Article 11. Functions of the Vice Rector’s Office for Research

 

Regarding the management of research, the functions of the Vice Rector’s Office for Research are the following:

A. To establish institutional research lines that allow an effective coordination of programs and projects, as well as research support activities, in accordance with the policies established by the University Council and through a prior consultation with the units that develop research at the University.

B. To supervise, follow up, evaluate, and ratify the registration or closure of programs, projects or supporting research activities.

C. To evaluate, on a permanent way, the development of the research to propose actions that allow taking advantage of the opportunities of improvement and the resolution of problems.

D. To establish the guidelines, instruments, procedures, indicators, and academic standards of excellence for the formulation, implementation, follow-up and evaluation of programs and projects, as well as supporting research activities.

E. To promote and contribute to the exchange, cooperation and establishment of strategic alliances with other national and international institutions that allow the joint development of programs and projects as well as supporting research activities.

F. To promote, support and seek funds for academic activities that promote the improvement of the research abilities of the university personnel devoted to research; to assign competitive funds to encourage research programs and projects in those areas considered as priority for the country's development keeping a healthy balance that supports all areas of knowledge.

G. To establish and update, every six months, an institutional system of diffusion and information about programs and projects, as well as activities to support research, researcher, academic research networks or any other that may be relevant. This information should be available in the research portal and in the open access repositories of the University, if applicable.

H. To advise academic units, academic research units, and other institutional authorities, and researchers on intellectual property rights. The advice shall be provided, at least, in aspects related to the interpretation, application and use of legal instruments proposed to protect industrial property and copyright resulting from research, as well as in the field of technology management and innovation processes, according to the policies and institutional regulations in the field, and the national and international regulations applicable to the University.

I. To propose the promulgation, modification or repeal of the institutional regulation related to research before the Rector or the University Council, as appropriate, after requesting the Advisory Council of the Vice Rector’s office.

J. To define the institutional mechanisms of research management that allow the articulation and collaboration between the programs and projects, as well as the research support activities carried out in the University.

K. To establish institutional mechanisms directed to encourage the participation of the student population in the programs and projects, as well as in the activities of support to the research that are developed in the University.

L. To strengthen a scientific culture that promotes the diffusion, dissemination and recognition of science, technology and innovation as a social and cultural heritage.

M. To promote processes of communication of science, technology and innovation, as well as the production of audiovisual, multimedia or interactive contents through varied platforms of diffusion that technology offers, in a way that this benefits the dissemination of results and findings of research.

N. To accomplish with other functions established in the Organic Statute of the University of Costa Rica and in this regulation.

 

VICE RECTORS

For carrying out its tasks, through its trajectory, the Vice Rector’s Office for Research has counted on renowned academics who have been appointed Vice Rectors for Research. These are the people who have held the position of Vice Rector since its foundation to the present.
 

Vice Rectors for Research 1974-2016

 VICE RECTOR

PERIOD

Dr. Rodrigo Gámez Lobo

1974

Dr. Guillermo Chaverri Benavides

1974-1976

Dr. Manuel María Murillo Castro 

1976-1981

Dr. Gabriel Macaya Trejos

1981-1988

Dr. Primo Luis Chavarría Córdoba

1988-1992

Dr. Carlos Quesada Mateo

1992-1994

Dr. Jorge Gutiérrez Gutiérrez

1994-1996

Dra. Yamileth González García

1996-2004 

Dr. Henning Jensen Pennington

2004-2011

Dr. Ramiro Barrantes Mesén

2011-2012

Dra. Alice Pérez Sánchez

2012-2016

Dr. Fernando García Santamaría

2016-to date

 

Address

The Vice Rector’s Office for Research is located in the third floor of Luis Demetrio Tinoco Library (SIBDI), side entrance, Ciudad Universitaria Rodrigo Facio, San Pedro de Montes Oca, San José, Costa Rica.

Office Hours

Vice Rector’s Office opens from Monday to Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Contact Information

Emails: vicerrectoria.investigacion@ucr.ac.cr 
Telephones: (506) 2511-1330 / (506) 2511-1350
Fax: (506) 2224-9367
Zip code: 11501-2060, Costa Rica