VPDoR Chairs Letter: Apply to access Marlowe, Updates to annual closure...

Dear Chairs and Directors,

I hope that your winter quarter is off to a good start.

Congratulations to Sarah Soule on her appointment as the incoming Dean of the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Over the last few years, Sarah has been a tremendous faculty director for the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS). She will continue to serve in that role until she begins her deanship on June 16, 2025.

This month, I’m sharing updates on three topics:

  • Marlowe computing platform - open for business
  • Changes to the timing of annual disclosure reporting
  • C-ShaRP Instrument & Enhancement Program applications due February 3rd

 

Applications for Use of Marlowe Have Opened

Faculty may now submit an application for their group to obtain access to Marlowe, Stanford’s new GPU-based computational instrument. This can be done via the Stanford Data Science (SDS) website. In a recent Stanford Report article, several faculty shared their plans for taking advantage of Marlowe’s capabilities. Any questions about Marlowe or the application process should be directed to the SDS team at marlowe-info@stanford.edu.

 

Changes to Annual Disclosures of Outside Professional Activities

Starting January 2025, Stanford will transition its annual disclosure process for outside professional activities from an annual static cycle (historically, done in spring) to a rolling 12-month cycle. The change is designed to enable more timely certifications and reviews, while reducing peak workload burdens on school Conflict of Interest teams. Here is what you need to know:

  • New Faculty: Faculty who joined Stanford after May 15, 2024, will soon receive a notification via the Outside Professional Activity Certification (OPACS) system to complete their first disclosure. Their yearly disclosure timeline will then be based on the date they certify their submission. For example, a faculty member who certifies in February 2025 will have their next annual certification date set for February 2026.
  • Key Personnel on Sponsored Projects New to OPACS: Any key personnel on sponsored projects (funded awards and submitted proposals) who have not previously disclosed outside activities in OPACS will also receive a notification this month. Their annual disclosure schedule will follow the same rolling timeline as outlined above.
  • For all other faculty and key personnel on sponsored projects who have previously submitted an OPACS disclosure, their next certification is due 12 months after their most recent submission. For example, a person who certified in July 2024 will be asked to certify again by July 2025.
  • Please note that this shift to rolling annual renewals does not change the requirements for “transactional disclosures,” which must still be made as they arise during the course of the year.

The OPACS system will send individual reminders 30 days before their disclosure due date with links and pertinent information. If you have any questions about the annual certification process, please visit our COI: Training and Other Information page for additional details or contact your School COI Manager.

 

C-ShaRP Instrumentation & Enhancement Program Now Accepting Proposals

Faculty and shared research facility staff are invited to apply for the C-ShaRP Instrumentation & Enhancement Program by February 3, 2025, at the following website. The program welcomes proposals to acquire instruments that create new research capabilities, upgrade aging workhorse equipment, and enhance other aspects of shared instrumentation facilities across campus (e.g., education-related innovations). If you have further questions, please email Director of Shared Research Platforms Claudius Mundoma at cmundoma@stanford.edu.

Please share relevant parts of this letter with your faculty, staff, postdocs, and graduate students—who may find the information and links helpful.

 

Stay safe and be well,

David

David Studdert

Vice Provost and Dean of Research