Journal of Dental Medicine

The major activity for vice chancellor for research at Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) is to monitor research projects undertaken by the academic staff. Sometimes projects have been failed in meeting their objectives. The aim of this project was the evaluation of the failure of the research projects at TUMS from the establishment date to 1379. A case-control survey was designed and 70 failed projects with 71 successfully completed projects were considered and compared. Results showed that type of study, location of administration, methodology, qualification of executive and duration of project were the factors of failure of the projects. Number of executives, experienced in research projects and executive position were not the effective factors. The most important reason for failure was unsustainably of executive. So, university research council (URC) should pay attention on forecast of time and budget of projects and realization of mentioned matters, besides of attention to methodology of project.