Senior Research Officers from public and land grant universities across the nation are convening in Reno. The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities' Council on Research hosts its 2017 Summer Meeting at the Silver Legacy Resort Casino July 9-12. Research collaboration, multidisciplinary work, innovation, advocacy and impact are some of the themes that weave through the agenda for the Council's largest ever Summer Meeting, attended by than 150.

"APLU is a leadership organization, bringing trending and emerging topics to the fore and facilitating a unified voice for our nation's public universities," Marc Johnson, University of Nevada, Reno President, said. "It is a pleasure to welcome APLU's Council on Research and to introduce our campus and community to colleagues from across the country."

The agenda gives further insights to topics on the minds of leaders guiding research programs and research infrastructures at America's public research universities:

• Encouraging collaboration between the arts, humanities and science.
• Encouraging multidisciplinary programs and approaches, and breaking down organizational barriers that impede multidisciplinary development.
• Developing innovation, investment by angel and capital groups, and partnerships to move discoveries into the marketplace.
• Balancing open data and public access.
• Addressing Controlled Unclassified Information and exploring best practices.
• Advancing political activism and advocacy for science.
• Communicating research impact and outcomes to the public.
• Supporting large proposal development.
• Discussing APLU's Commission on Innovation, Competitiveness and Economic Prosperity and the Tech Transfer Evolution Working Group.

"The duality of our roles in research administration is seen in the topics we are discussing," University Vice President for Research and Innovation Mridul Gautam, also a member of the Council on Research's Executive Committee, said. "In addition to topics related to operations and administration, we also are exploring ways to grow research programs in a meaningful way, to foster innovation and creativity, and to better connect with our communities and have greater societal impact."

Beyond the meeting agenda, the Summer Meeting will introduce these higher-education leaders to Reno, giving them a glimpse at the month-long Artown event and introducing them to the University campus through a tour that includes the College of Engineering's Large Scale Structures Lab and the historic Quad.

Gautam and College of Liberal Arts Dean Debra Moddelmog are part of panel presentations during the meeting.