Expanding UNLV’s research potential through support of faculty scholarship
Overview
As a Carnegie R1 institution that aspires to be recognized as one of the top public research universities in the nation, UNLV must strengthen its capacity to provide support for the research, scholarship, and creative work of faculty. An important campus priority is the construction of a campus-wide infrastructure to expand the availability of information. The need for more information is three-fold:
- Academic faculty members need access to information on prospective research collaborators and sponsored research opportunities in order to increase their scholarly output and impact.
- University administrators need access to information required for strategic planning and decision-making in connection with the research enterprise. Supplied with better insights into the scope and impact of faculty scholarship, university leaders will be better positioned to allocate funding and resources in support of short- and long-range goals.
- The university needs to make information on faculty members and their scholarship available to the public for both promotional purposes and to share the outcomes of research supported by federal, state, and other public sources of funding.
To fulfill these requirements, UNLV has licensed a set of products from that will increase the availability of relevant information for campus constituents and external stakeholders. A private company founded in 2005, Academic Analytics is a leading provider of academic business intelligence information to research universities across the nation.
Tools
Tools for Administrators (e.g., Deans, Associate Deans for Research, Chairs)
Academic Analytics Portal (Benchmarking Suite / Research Insight)
(Login via ACE credentials)
The Academic Analytics portal for administrators includes access to the Benchmarking Suite and the Research Insight tool. Administrators can request access through the . During the initial login, administrators are required to watch three brief training videos before use.
Benchmarking Suite
This tool provides academic administrators and university leaders with unit-level comparative/benchmarking data for strategic decision support. The Benchmarking Suite helps to identify strengths and areas of growth, conduct academic program review, and support faculty development. It offers Analysis on Demand, or a comprehensive set of analytical reports that can be run instantly or adjusted to meet particular objectives.
Research Insight
This tool offers university administrators information on funding opportunities and subject matter experts to help advance research initiatives. Research Insight helps with finding experts in order to form effective research or grant-writing teams, including interdisciplinary ones, and can also be used to identify faculty members with strong research profiles for nominations of national and international awards.
Tool for Faculty Members
Faculty Insight
(Login via ACE credentials)
This tool helps faculty to advance their research agenda by identifying collaborators, finding grants and funding opportunities, and searching opportunities for external honorific awards.
Tool for Everyone
External Discovery Site
(Login not required)
This website presents the university’s research activities and impact to external stakeholders (e.g., faculty at other institutions, legislators, media, and members of the public). The site also provides prospective faculty and graduate students with information about existing UNLV research expertise.
Resources and Support
Academic Analytics Portal (Benchmarking Suite / Research Insight)
Click on the Resources tab at the top right of the page below the user name. Under the Benchmarking tab, click on Videos to view on-demand training videos and how-to guides.
Faculty Insight
Refer to the Faculty Insight Quick Reference Guide.
UPCOMING TRAINING WORKSHOPS
FAQs
Academic Analytics is a set of business intelligence tools used by universities to support planning and decision-making for their academic and research missions. It provides insights on faculty research activity and supports faculty development.
Academic Analytics aggregates a comprehensive range of publicly available data on faculty research, including publications, citations, grants, awards, and other scholarly achievements across various disciplines. The database is regularly updated to ensure accuracy and relevance. Additionally, to provide a more complete view of faculty achievements, the platform is supplemented with faculty-entered data from UNLV Folio, which captures information not available from external public sources.
Academic Analytics helps universities maintain a competitive edge by identifying strengths, supporting faculty development, and making informed decisions that align with strategic goals. It also enhances transparency in faculty research metrics.
At UNLV, Academic Analytics’ Benchmarking Suite and Research Insight inform decision-making related to the progress of the research mission. The Faculty Insight tool supports the work of individual faculty members to advance their own research agenda by finding opportunities for funding, collaboration, and recognition. The Discovery Site promotes UNLV faculty research impact and helps forge external connections.
Academic Analytics supports UNLV’s efforts to sustain and enhance its Carnegie R1 research classification by highlighting areas of research excellence and areas for growth, finding funding opportunities, building strong research and grant-writing teams, and identifying faculty for nominations for external honorific awards.
Access to Academic Analytics' Benchmarking Suite is granted to select administrators responsible for academic planning and decision-making within their respective units. For example, deans and associate deans for research have access to data relevant to their colleges or schools, while department chairs can access data specific to their departments. Additionally, a limited number of administrators in the Provost’s office have access to data across the entire university to support institution-wide strategic initiatives.
Academic Analytics relies on publicly available data and periodic updates from recognized academic sources. UNLV works closely with the platform to ensure data accuracy, but faculty can report discrepancies if they find any inaccuracies in their data. Please contact Winnie David, Faculty Information Systems Manager, in the Office of Faculty Affairs.
Faculty can edit their profile name, research summary, research interest, and research keywords from the drop-down menu with the body icon in the top right corner of the page. To make changes to the research profile, please contact Winnie David, Faculty Information Systems Manager, in the Office of Faculty Affairs.
The data are refreshed every two weeks. If any edits made in UNLV Folio are not reflected in Faculty Insight within a timely manner, please contact Winnie David, Faculty Information Systems Manager, in the Office of Faculty Affairs.
Resources
Click on the Resources tab at the top right of the page below the user name. Under the Benchmarking tab, click on Videos to view on-demand training videos and how-to guides
Refer to the Faculty Insight Quick Reference Guide.
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee oversees the integration of Academic Analytics into faculty processes, ensuring data is used appropriately and that key stakeholders are engaged, while promoting awareness and supporting ongoing improvement efforts.
Members
- Gary Totten, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs (Committee Chair)
- Skip Crooker, Vice Provost for Decision Support
- Maggie Farrell, Dean, UNLV Libraries
- David Hatchett, Vice President for Research
Advisory Committee
The Advisory Committee provides recommendations on the needs of faculty and academic units, training and resources, and best practices.
Members
- Gary Totten, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs (Committee Chair)
- Jacimaria Batista, Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction, Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering
- Jennifer Cárdenas, Special Projects Coordinator, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost
- Eric Chronister, Dean, College of Sciences
- Winnie David, Faculty Information Systems Manager, Office of Faculty Affairs
- Ashley Guyer, Institutional Research Data Analyst, Office of Decision Support
- Yvonne Houy, Learning Technologist, College of Fine Arts
- Rajiv Kishore, Professor, Department of Management, Entrepreneurship, and Technology, Lee Business School
- Eduardo Robleto, Professor, School of Life Sciences, College of Sciences
- John Tuman, Executive Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts
Contacts
Benchmarking Suite
Skip Crooker, Vice Provost for Decision Support
Email: john.crooker@unlv.edu
Phone: 702-895-3772
Faculty Insight
Gary Totten, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
Email: gary.totten@unlv.edu
Phone: 702-895-0043
Research Insight
David Hatchett, Vice President for Research
Email: david.hatchett@unlv.edu
Phone: 702-895-0213
Maggie Farrell, Dean of University Libraries
Email: maggie.farrell@unlv.edu
Phone: 702-895-2286
External Discovery Site
Ashley Guyer, Institutional Research Data Analyst, Office of Decision Support
Email: ashley.guyer@unlv.edu
Phone: 702-895-3771