Penn State administrator to lead Ohio State's research foundation

A research administrator with more than 30 years of experience has been selected as Ohio State University's associate vice president for research and executive director of The Ohio State University Research Foundation.

Robert A. Killoren will begin at Ohio State on July 17. Most recently, Killoren served as associate vice president and director of sponsored programs at Pennsylvania State University, where he has worked since 1989.
Prior to that, he served in several different leadership positions in grants administration, patenting and licensing at the University of Missouri.

“Bob Killoren brings to Ohio State a long and distinguished track record in research administration,” said Robert McGrath, senior vice president for research at Ohio State.

“Bob has a fundamental commitment to providing service to the faculty and assisting them with all aspects of grant procurement and execution. He is a great addition to our team.”

Killoren has been a national leader in academic research policy and procedures, McGrath said. For several years, Killoren has helped lead a formal dialogue on university-industry relationships sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences, and has made presentations on this subject to such groups as the Association of American Universities. He also recently served as president of the National Council of University Research Administrators.

His experience includes an administrative internship at the National Institutes of Health and continuing service to that agency as financial management site visitor for NIH programs across the nation.

“Many of the policies and procedures that Bob has authored have become research administration best practices and some have been formally endorsed by the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy and the Office of Management and Budget,” McGrath said.

Killoren received his bachelor's degree from St. Louis University in 1972, and a master's degree from the University of Missouri in 1976.