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Museum of Northern Arizona
Research Policy

Research Vision

The research goal of the Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) is to be a leading center of knowledge about the natural and cultural resources of the Colorado Plateau. The Museum will have an active and vigorous research program that produces both original and secondary research results about, and related to, this region. Museum research will actively promote the training of future researchers through internships, volunteer and docent training courses, and other hands-on learning opportunities. MNA researchers will be scholars and educators of broad outlook and rigorous training, will enthusiastically involve the museum community in their work, and will actively promote public support for the Museum.

Research Expectations -- MNA-sponsored research is expected to be:

Broadly Mission focused -- Research at the Museum of Northern Arizona shall be consistent with its mission to increase knowledge about the Colorado Plateau, and to share that knowledge with the public. MNA’s research must not only support this increase in regional knowledge, but must explicitly facilitate the exhibits, collections, and outreach programs of the Museum as well. This research should be designed, whenever possible, to use, support, or add significantly to MNA’s collections, and shall enhance the Museum’s reputation as a regional repository for scientific specimens and records from the Colorado Plateau. In addition, research programs shall include provisions for the dissemination of results through public outreach, school programs, articles, Ventures and Discovery programs, seminars, and/or exhibits. While research at MNA will be regionally focused, it will also have national and international perspective.

Relevant -- Research will be viewed as relevant for MNA sponsorship and support to the extent that it is clearly focused on the Museum’s broader mission, that it incorporates the Museum’s historical research domains within current research perspectives, and that it builds upon the Museum’s traditional and current research strengths with significant contributions to our understanding of the natural and cultural resources of the Colorado Plateau.

Interdisciplinary -- Since “no science really stands alone,” MNA will emphasize research that is interdisciplinary, so that results are as integrative and holistic as possible.

Collaborative -- MNA’s research will, whenever possible, be collaborative, cooperative, and facilitative, both internally and with other institutions and agencies conducting research on the Colorado Plateau. MNA should seek a substantial role as host and facilitator in such collaboration. The Museum will cooperate fully with land managing agencies on the Colorado Plateau to provide information and assistance to resource managers.

Fundable -- MNA-sponsored research must be sustainable and fundable through a variety of internal and external sources, including grants, contracts, and gifts. Research funding is the joint responsibility of both research and administrative staffs, though the preparation of grant and contract proposals will be the task of the lead researcher(s).

Creative -- Research at MNA will seek opportunities to capitalize on its inherent potential to stimulate curiosity, and promote involvement and participation through MNA internships, fellowships, summer programs, sabbatical year support programs, senior retired scholar programs, amateur science programs, junior research initiatives, Museum alumni, research associates, etc. In short, it will seek to balance as many of the Museum’s mission elements as possible, and at reasonable costs.

Ethical -- All MNA-sponsored research will be explicitly ethical in all respects, and will promote institutional and research integrity by strictly adhering to MNA’s Code of Ethics and to those of other relevant scientific disciplines. Such research will take into account the perspectives, interests, and political sensitivities of all parties involved, particularly those of tribal and local communities. All Museum research will fully comply with all relevant state, federal, and tribal laws, regulations, and guidelines through appropriate permits and agreement memoranda.

Research Structure – MNA-sponsored research will be organized as follows:

1. The MNA Director and staff will be responsible for developing programs and procedures that implement this research policy, including development of a general and comprehensive research plan that transcends the particular interests of current researchers and focuses the Museum’s resources on long-term research goals.

2. For the immediate future, research programs will be administered by disciplinary curators, who will be senior-level researchers and scholars with both administrative and research responsibilities.

3. Curators will be expected to contribute collaboratively and enthusiastically to the Museum’s administrative, public outreach, collections, exhibits, and institutional funding functions. They will actively participate with MNA’s director and development staff in securing funding for research in their discipline through grants, awards, contracts, and gifts.

4. Curators may or may not occupy endowed chairs in their respective disciplines, but for the foreseeable future endowed chairs should expect to serve as curators unless their contract or Memorandum of Understanding governing the Chair state otherwise.

5. MNA’s Director will be responsible for administering the process by which the Museum’s resources are allocated to Curators, researchers, and research programs, on the basis of regular reviews and assessments.

6. All MNA-sponsored research, whether conducted by Curators or other researchers, will be explicitly designed and methodologically sound. MNA researchers shall prepare specific research plans for each defined research project that clearly connect the planned research with the Museum’s broad, long-term institutional research goals, as well as provide the short-term research objectives to be accomplished in a logical sequence that ultimately achieves those broader goals. These research plans shall explicitly address the “Research Expectations” for MNA research outlined above. Research plans shall also include funding estimates to accomplish the research objectives, and identify potential funding sources.

7. Research plans shall include provision for both initial and continuing external peer review, organized by MNA’s Director and research staff. Research plans and budgets for continuing projects will be reviewed annually, preferably by January of each year, by the Director and the Research Committee of the MNA Trustees, to evaluate and assess long- and short-term accomplishments, as well as coordination among Museum research disciplines and contributions to MNA’s mission.

8. MNA’s Director and research staff will meet regularly to evaluate the status of the Museum’s research program, and to review new and continuing opportunities for research involvement, grants and contracts funding opportunities that may be available through either MNA’s tax exempt status or the taxable status of its for-profit subsidiary, MNA Environmental Solutions, Inc., and opportunities for the appropriate research involvement of both paid staff and volunteers.

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