Administrative Support and Intellectual Property Rights & Open Science Policy
Interdisciplinary Research ยท Al-Ahliyya Amman University
Effective interdisciplinary research depends as much on institutional infrastructure as on academic talent. AAU has established an integrated administrative support model that accompanies research teams throughout the full research cycle โ from idea development and project design, through funding, ethical clearance, and implementation, to publication, dissemination, and performance evaluation. This model operates in alignment with internationally recognized standards for research governance, open science, and intellectual property management.
Administrative Support
IP Rights & Open Science Policy
AAU's administrative support for interdisciplinary research is structured as a unified institutional service that covers every stage of the research lifecycle. Rather than leaving researchers to navigate multiple disconnected offices, each unit below plays a defined role in a coordinated system that ensures no research initiative falls through administrative gaps. This integrated approach reduces administrative barriers, improves coordination across units, and strengthens the effectiveness of interdisciplinary research activities across all four research teams.
Administrative Support Units
1
Interdisciplinary Research Committee
The governing body responsible for formulating policies, directing strategy, evaluating the state of interdisciplinary research, proposing development pathways, organizing capacity-building workshops, and recommending the formation of interdisciplinary research teams. It is the institutional anchor for all administrative decisions related to cross-disciplinary research at AAU.
2
Interdisciplinary Research Support and Project Management Office
Oversees the management and coordination of interdisciplinary research projects across all faculties and research centers. Ensures that approved projects have defined timelines, responsible leaders, and clear reporting lines to the Deanship.
3
Interdisciplinary Research Funding and Support Unit
Provides consultations to researchers on grant applications, funding strategies, and eligibility for national and international funding sources. Manages the internal grants scheme for interdisciplinary priority projects and supports preparation of external funding proposals.
4
Research Partnerships and Scientific Collaboration Office
Facilitates local and international research partnerships and MoU-based collaborations. Currently managing AAU's strategic agreement with MDPI for open-access publishing support, and coordinating the six-university IRPD partner network for interdisciplinary research performance benchmarking.
5
Scientific Publishing and Research Communication Unit
Supports researchers in preparing and submitting interdisciplinary work to reputable indexed journals. Develops the communication strategy for AAU's interdisciplinary research portfolio, ensuring outputs reach academic, policy, and industry audiences.
6
Electronic Systems for Research Project Management
Offers integrated digital platforms to monitor, document, and analyze research projects. Provides structured data flows that feed into AAU's Interdisciplinary Research Performance Dashboard and KPI reporting system.
7
Interdisciplinary Research Marketing Department
Promotes the dissemination and visibility of interdisciplinary research results to academic and industrial stakeholders, organizes research exhibitions, and supports researchers in communicating the societal and practical relevance of their work.
8
Scientific Research Ethics and Institutional Review Office
Ensures adherence to ethical standards and research integrity requirements in all interdisciplinary projects. Works in conjunction with AAU's Institutional Review Board to provide clearance for research involving human participants, sensitive data, or vulnerable populations.
9
Research Training and Support Unit
Provides workshops, training courses, and capacity-building events to develop interdisciplinary research skills across faculty, researchers, and graduate students. Delivers the four-module training program covering research fundamentals, THE ISR standards, SciVal and Scopus bibliometrics, and SDG integration.
10
Research Performance Evaluation Department
Monitors and analyses the quality and impact of AAU's interdisciplinary research portfolio using bibliometric indicators drawn from Scopus and SciVal, including FWCI, Topic Prominence, international collaboration rates, and SDG alignment. Provides periodic reports to the Interdisciplinary Research Committee and University Council.
11
Scientific Research Committees in Faculties and Research Centres
Guide, organize, and coordinate cross-disciplinary publishing collaboration within and beyond each college. Serve as the primary academic governance layer at faculty level, ensuring that interdisciplinary research activities align with both faculty priorities and the university's overall research strategy.
12
Office of Research Publication Enhancement
Dedicated to improving the quality, reach, and impact of AAU's research publications. Provides editorial support, journal selection guidance, and publication readiness review to help researchers maximize dissemination of interdisciplinary outputs in high-impact indexed outlets.
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Administrative Foundation
Collectively, these twelve units provide the administrative foundation necessary for interdisciplinary research to function effectively at AAU. They strengthen coordination among colleges, centres, and researchers, enhance research quality and visibility, and support the university's broader objectives in research excellence, partnership development, and international competitiveness.
Intellectual Property Rights and Open Science Policy
AAU's institutional policy framework for intellectual property and open science is designed to protect research innovation, clarify ownership and responsibility, and promote research visibility, accessibility, and responsible knowledge sharing. This framework is particularly important for interdisciplinary research, where collaboration across multiple disciplines and partners requires clear institutional guidance on ownership, dissemination, confidentiality, and data use.
A. Intellectual Property Policy
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1. Ownership Framework
Research outputs generated using AAU resources, facilities, or funding are classified as university-owned intellectual property. Where research is jointly funded with external partners, IP ownership is governed by the terms of the signed research agreement. Individual researchers retain moral rights and receive a defined revenue share from commercialization.
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2. Revenue Sharing Model
AAU's revenue-sharing model for commercialized research distributes returns transparently across three beneficiaries, ensuring researchers, their academic units, and the broader interdisciplinary research program all benefit from successful commercialization.
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3. Patent and Commercialization Process
The IP Office provides researchers with patent search assistance, filing support, and commercialization guidance. Technology Transfer Agreements are negotiated by the IP Office on behalf of the university. All active interdisciplinary research teams receive IP orientation at project launch to ensure researchers understand their rights and obligations from the outset.
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4. Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure
Research involving proprietary data from industry partners is governed by signed Non-Disclosure Agreements managed by the Research Partnerships Office. All researchers involved in such projects complete mandatory IP and confidentiality training before project commencement.
B. Open Science and Research Data Management Policy
AAU is committed to the principles of open science, recognizing that transparency, data sharing, and open access accelerate scientific discovery and maximize the societal return on research investment. This commitment is aligned with the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science (2021) and EU Horizon open access requirements, both of which represent internationally recognized standards for responsible research practice.
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1. FAIR Data Principles
All publicly funded interdisciplinary research at AAU must adhere to FAIR data principles. Datasets must be deposited in an approved institutional or international repository within 12 months of project completion.
F โ Findable
A โ Accessible
I โ Interoperable
R โ Reusable
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2. Open Access Publication Policy
AAU encourages, and for externally funded research requires, open access publication through Green OA (repository deposit) or Gold OA (direct open access journals). AAU's strategic agreement with MDPI directly supports this policy by expanding researcher access to a wide portfolio of open-access interdisciplinary journals. AAU also maintains institutional memberships with DOAJ-listed journals and provides Article Processing Charge support for researchers publishing in high-impact open access journals.
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3. Research Preprint Policy
Researchers are encouraged to deposit preprints of interdisciplinary manuscripts in recognized servers such as arXiv, bioRxiv, or SSRN prior to formal publication. This practice increases early visibility, enables faster scientific discourse, and supports the open science mandate that underpins AAU's research culture.
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4. Data Privacy and Sensitive Research
Research involving personal, clinical, or sensitive data is subject to AAU's Data Privacy Protocol, aligned with Jordan's Personal Data Protection Law and international data protection standards. IRB clearance is mandatory before data collection commences for such projects.
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5. Long-Term Data Preservation
Minimum 10-Year Digital Research Data Archive
AAU maintains a digital research data archive ensuring preservation of datasets for a minimum of ten years post-publication. This supports reproducibility, secondary analysis, and longitudinal interdisciplinary studies, meeting the data retention standards required by major internationally indexed journals.
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Institutional Commitment
Together, the intellectual property and open science framework provides AAU with an institutional basis for protecting research outputs, encouraging responsible dissemination, supporting collaboration, and enhancing the long-term scientific and societal value of interdisciplinary research. It also strengthens institutional integrity, research confidence, and the sustainable management of knowledge generated across the university.