Article 1

An office for research and development (R&D Office) shall be established at the Lebanese University (LU), with the aim of organizing research and laying down development strategies.

Article 2

Under the supervision of the LU President, the Office undertakes the following tasks:

1. Propose research strategies and priorities and follow up on their implementation after approval by the University Council;
2. Approve the research plans submitted by the faculties and follow up on their implementation;
3. Supervise the work of research centers and research management committees in the faculties;
4. Coordinate the policy of establishing research laboratories in all faculties;
5. Supervise treaties and research agreements with universities and research institutions in Lebanon and abroad in coordination with the International Relations Office (IRO);
6. Propose and manage the LU research budget and oversee its implementation in a manner that ensures the smooth running of research work and continuity in the various faculties, in coordination with the research management centers and committees;
7. Suggest incentive means for research production, urge all Teaching Staff members to carry out research tasks in addition to their teaching and administrative tasks, and stimulate cooperation with institutions of the public and private sectors;
8. Update the process of evaluating research and development publications in accordance with the mechanisms in force, and in line with international standards;
9. Document research work, establish a database containing researchers and research output, and supervise its publication and circulation;
10. Prepare the annual research report.

Article 3

The Office is managed by a Director who is assisted by a Research Council that represents the LU core research fields.

The Office Director and members are appointed by a decision of the President for a period of four years, renewable from among the Teaching Staff members (tenured or full-timers) who hold the rank of professor and have expertise in research work.

Article 4

The Director assumes the following duties and powers:

1. Invite the Research Council to meet, prepare the meeting agenda and chair the meetings;
2. Prepare the annual work plan of the Office and submit it to the Research Council;
3. Prepare the research budget project in coordination with the scientific research management centers and committees in the faculties, submit it to the Research Council for approval and duly refer it to the LU President within the time limit specified in the financial system;
4. Propose the formation of committees required by the Office work;
5. Sign in the name of the Office, the projects, recommendations, proposals and reports approved by the Council and submit them to the LU President;
6. Prepare the annual report on research activity and submit it to the LU President;
7. Perform all other tasks assigned by the LU President.

Article 5

The Office coordinates with scientific committees among which:

1. Committee to manage the process of evaluation of publications and research production;
2. Committee to manage the evaluation process of the research teams and laboratories;
3. Committee to manage scientific research budget.

Article 6

Each committee is managed by a Coordinator and six members appointed by the LU President upon the proposal of the R&D Council, provided that the coordinator of each committee is a member of the Council.

Article 7

The committees are appointed for a period of three years, renewable once, and the members are among the tenured or full-timers who hold the rank of professor and have expertise in research work.

Article 8

The headquarters of the R&D Office will be located in the building of the Central Administration.

Article 9

The LU Presidency Secretariat shall be in charge of the Office’s secretariat, and administrative and technical assistants shall be assigned to the Office.

Article 10

This decision is communicated where needed.