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Office of Research (University of Michigan) records, 1911-2013 (majority within 1950-2010)

323.5 linear feet (In 324 boxes) — 1 oversize volume — 157 MB (online) — 4 digital video files

Online
Officially established in 1959, the Office of Research supports and administers large interdisciplinary projects called research centers and administers research institutes. The record group includes individual vice president's files, central office files, staff files, financial records, administrative files, committee and task force documents and reports, special event files, and project and institute files.

The records of the vice-president for research date from 1911 to 2013 and measure 323.5 linear feet, 1 oversize box and 157 MB of digital materials. The records document the activities of the office overseeing grant funded research at the University of Michigan and offer some insight into the range of research undertaken at the university. Records include administrative files of vice-presidents, including correspondence, memoranda, and budgetary material relating to research projects and grants of university units and departments; and photographs.

The organization of the records, particularly the early accessions, reflects the tenure of the successive vice presidents for research. Later accessions included files of associate vice-presidents and senior staff officers as well topically organized files that spanned the tenure of several vice presidents. The records are organized into the following series:

  1. A. Geoffrey Newman -- Boxes 1-15, 70-71
  2. Charles Overberger -- Boxes 15-69
  3. Charles Overberger/Warren Sussman -- Boxes 72-87
  4. Linda S. Wilson,-- Boxes 88-100
  5. William C. Kelly -- Boxes 102-105
  6. Central Files -- Boxes 108-127, 180-210, 266-275, Boxes 277-301, Boxes 311-322
  7. OVPR Staff Files -- Boxes 128-134
  8. Julie Ellison -- Boxes 135-136
  9. Marvin Parnes -- Boxes 137-146
  10. OVPR Financial and Administrative Files -- Boxes 147-148
  11. Administrative Files -- Boxes 149-150, Boxes 323-324
  12. Committees and Task forces -- 151-164
  13. Michigan Memorial Phoenix Project and Ford Nuclear Reactor -- Boxes 165 --166, 218-219
  14. Special Events, Symposiums, and Promotional -- Boxes 167-170, 275
  15. Presidential Initiatives Fund -- Boxes 171-179
  16. Contractual Restrictions Requests (PAF-R's) -- Boxes 213-216
  17. Michigan Life Science's Corridor -- Boxes 216-218
  18. Discretionary Fund -- Boxes 220-264
  19. Indirect Waivers -- Boxes 265
  20. Research Faculty Appointments -- Boxes 276, Box 322
  21. Washington D.C. Office -- Boxes 302-310
Folder

Charles G. Overberger, 1950-1982

The Charles G. Overberger series (1950-1984) dates primarily from 1972 to 1981. When Overberger first took office, the file arrangement bore some similarity to that of his predecessor, however about 1978 the structure of the files was radically altered.

Prior to 1978 the Overberger series consisted of three subseries, General File, Report Files, and the Consortium File. The General File is made up of three subdivisions, Reference (1958-1972), Research Support/Interests (1961-1972), and Budget (1973/74 to 1976/77). The first two subdivisions continue the files of the same name established by Norman. The Reference File is particularly informative in the matter of Awards, Equipment (usually major pieces of research equipment), Indirect Costs, Patents, and Willow Run Laboratories. The Research Support/Interest Files again contains a large amount of information about funding received through various federal agencies. The Budget file is an addition grafted onto the General Files by Overberger.

Also unique to the Overberger series is the Report File. Arranged alphabetically and primarily dating from 1972 to 1978 (span dates 1950-1982), the series contains information about the various university units that report to the vice-president for research, as well as a small amount of information about research in General at the university. Information about many of the units listed in the Reports File are also found in the General File. Major activities and units found in the Reports File include the Dental Research Institute, the Division of Research Development and Administration, the Institute of Environmental Quality, the Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, and Radiation Policy Committee, and various projects involving computers and computerization and Great Lakes research.

The Overberger series contains a Consortiums Files (1972-1977) similar in purpose and arrangement to the same file in the Norman series. Within the Overberger Series Consortiums File there is some material created by Norman. Norman continued to serve as the university representative to two consortiums well after his retirement as vice-president. In addition to continuing files on the Argonne University Associates, the Institute for Defense Analysis and the University Research Association, the file contains a quantity of information on the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

Around 1978 the Overberger filing system was radically altered. The vice-president's office abandoned the multiple file system in favor of a single alphabetically arranged Topical File, generally divided on an annual basis. The Topical files generally focused on a single year, but included material form earlier years, and later material was sometimes added to the file. Four such Topical files have been received from Overberger and his successors; 1973-83 (primarily 1978-79); 1975-83 (primarily 1979-80); 1976-84 (primarily 1980-81); 1966-1985 (primarily 1982-1984, Overberger/Sussman).

Office of Research (University of Michigan) records, 1911-2013 (majority within 1950-2010)
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