Robert Nobles, Ph.D.

Education:

• Ph.D., Health Policy and Management, Epidemiology, Health Economics, University of Texas Health Science Center
• M.P.H., Epidemiology, Florida A&M University
• B.S., Molecular Biology, Florida A&M University

Background:

Robert Nobles is currently vice president for research administration at Emory University. In this role, Nobles oversees more than 300 staff within 11 research administrative and compliance departments. Nobles and his team are responsible for providing the foundation for the research growth that Emory continues to experience while pursuing discovery. Responsible activities at the strategic and operational level include promoting Emory’s research growth through oversight and execution of a strategic direction and effective operations for research enterprise wide; furthering new and on-going research initiatives that comply with all regulatory requirements; and supporting innovative technology-transfer and commercialization programs; managing a budget of $20 million to enhance research safety, compliance, and operational efficiencies.

Prior to this role, Nobles was interim vice chancellor for research and associate vice chancellor for research at the University of Tennessee, where he provided leadership across campus and within the office to reach the most successful year of research on all accounts.

Accomplishments include driving total research expenditures to an all-time high of $260M (was $178M in 2015); increased the total number of faculty with external funding or writing proposals for external funding to an all-time high of 54 percent; grew the number of undergraduate students conducting research to 3,900 (was less than 500 in 2015); and increased commercialization activity in partnership with UTRF to realize 121 invention disclosures, 44 US patents filed, 13 US patents issued, 10 licenses on inventions, one new start up, and $4.1M in revenue for the year.

Nationally, Nobles serves as the vice chairperson on board of directors for Public Responsibility for Medicine & Research (PRIM&R), is a member of the executive committee for the Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP), and is a member of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Advisory Committee for Business and Operations (Committee).