West Virginia University is requesting applications for the position of Director of the Regional Research Institute. 

The Regional Research Institute, established in 1965, is an internationally prominent center for the advancement of regional science, an interdisciplinary field that links economics, resource management, geography, planning, and other social sciences. The Institute serves as a center for regional-level social science research at West Virginia University and creates learning and research opportunities for faculty research associates from six colleges, outstanding students, and an extensive national and international network of scholars. It takes a leadership role in conducting and promoting multidisciplinary research on the theory, history, economics, and politics of regional development, and evaluating public policy using qualitative and quantitative methods as they relate to Appalachia, elsewhere in the U.S., and abroad. Priority research interests will support the Institute’s ongoing mission, focusing on economic development of lagging regions, and emphasizing topics related to sustainability, energy, environment, and public health. 

The Institute Director is a full-time position reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Creative and Scholarly Activity. The Director is expected to: 

• • Provide intellectual leadership to WVU faculty and students engaged in basic and applied regional research, 
• • Foster a stimulating environment that supports interdisciplinary research, 
• • Develop internal and external support for research and other scholarly activities that advance the mission of the Institute, 
• • Conduct high-quality scholarly research that maintains WVU's standing as an internationally recognized center of excellence for regional research, 
• • Obtain competitively funded external support for his/her personal research and publish regularly in leading regional research journals of regional research. 

Additional detail on this position and online application instructions can be found here. 

The review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until a director has been named. The position will be available January 1, 2022. To receive full consideration, applications should be received by August 30, 2021.