Vice President for Research
Christopher J. Cramer
(612) 624-5054 | cramer@umn.edu
419 Johnson Hall 101 Pleasant St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455
Since November 2018, Christopher J. Cramer has served as the University of Minnesota’s Vice President for Research, a position that oversees the University’s billion-dollar research enterprise across all campuses and facilities. Along with the OVPR Leadership Team, Chris manages units responsible for sponsored projects, research and regulatory compliance, and technology commercialization, as well as ten interdisciplinary academic centers and institutes.
Cramer is an active part of the University’s systemwide strategic planning process and has identified three tactical objectives for his office: Sustainability in the Face of Global Climate Change; Data Science and Informatics; and Clinical Investigations and Studies. He and his team have helped lead the University’s research enterprise through Minnesota’s initial COVID-19 Stay-at-Home order to its “Sunrise” status today, where several thousand researchers have safely returned to onsite work that cannot be performed from home.
Chris shares his thoughts about the University, research, academia, and, occasionally, his cats, at @VPRCramer on Twitter.
Prior to his appointment as vice president, Chris served as associate dean for research and planning, and for academic affairs, in the University’s College of Science and Engineering, as well as at one time chair of the Faculty Consultative Committee. Throughout his administrative career, Chris has remained an active scholar in the field of theoretical chemistry.
A dedicated educator, he is a Distinguished McKnight and University Teaching Professor who has mentored more than 30 doctoral students, and he often highlights the critical connection between the University’s research and education missions and the unique opportunities that students at the University of MInnesota, the state’s only major research university, have to learn by doing research.
Chris joined the University of Minnesota in 1992 after earning his A.B. from Washington University in St. Louis and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, and then serving four years as an officer in the United States Army, including combat duty in Operation Desert Storm.
Selected awards and accomplishments:
2021 Arthur C. Cope Scholar (American Chemical Society)
Editor-in-Chief and Associate Editor, Theoretical Chemistry Accounts (1997-2014); Associate Editor, Journal of Physical Organic Chemistry (1997-2018).
Fellow: American Chemical Society, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and John Simon Guggenheim Foundation.
Recent research support: US Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, and Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
Author: Essentials of Computational Chemistry, Theories and Models (textbook); Statistical Molecular Thermodynamics (Coursera Massive Open Online Course).
Appearances & Presentations
The Vice President for Research shares regular updates with the Board of Regents and, upon request, engages with key stakeholders.
Cramer Highlights U Research Incentives, Possible Research Directions (October 11, 2019)
Board of Regents: State of Research 2020 (YouTube, December 12, 2019)
VP for Research Testifies Before House Climate Caucus on U Commitment to Climate Change Work (February 10, 2020)
Things I've Learned Essays (LinkedIn, August 2020)
Request an Engagement with VPR Cramer
VPR Cramer welcomes the opportunity to speak to your organization, conference, or at an upcoming event. Please get in touch with the scheduling team by submitting a Speaking Request.