Motivation for this Strategic Initiative:
Highly visible research Centers, Institutes, and Organized Research Units (ORUs) are a hallmark of R1 institutions and draw the attention of other universities, national laboratories, granting agencies, donors, and the general public. During our brief history, SNS faculty have had remarkable success in winning center grants in computational biology, nanomaterials, and biophysics. Additionally, SNS Faculty Leadership identified five broad areas of research in which we are reaching “critical mass”: Computational & Data Science, Materials, Biomedical Sciences, Sustainability & Environment, and STEM Education. Centers, institutes, and ORUs will provide research opportunities and fellowships for graduate and undergraduate students, lead to publications in high-profile journals, generate more extramural funding, and focus attention on our outstanding faculty. They are critical to fulfilling our vision of being a world-class research campus that is a hub for integrative, transformative, and translational research and sustainable development.
Summary of Task Force Report (see appendix for full report)
The action items for this Strategic Initiative are organized to address three goals: 1) Organize long-range planning and sequencing for new centers, institutes, and ORUs; 2) Establish mechanisms to provide technical and administrative support for preparing center proposals; and 3) Develop strategies to support funded centers, institutes and ORUs. To address Goal 1; we will poll faculty and departments periodically to identify groups interested in developing center proposals and arrange for discussions amongst faculty as well as postdocs and graduate students to identify synergies and highlight independent efforts. The Dean’s Office will also schedule periodic workshops for faculty to discuss new center ideas and upcoming funding opportunities (eventually this will be assigned to an SNS Associate Dean for Research.) To address Goal 2, we will organize a meeting with current and prospective leads of centers to identify support needed to develop and submit large proposals and consider possible incentives to stimulate faculty interest in writing such proposals. Additionally, we will work with faculty and representatives from various administrative units to work out timelines for center grant planning. To address the third goal, SNS will consult with current and past UCM center directors to determine where they most need active administrative help from other campus units, including HR, facilities, events, and campus housing. This will be followed by meetings with leads of the campus units that centers need to work with to establish common grounds for optimal cooperation on center activities.
Proposed Action Items (see Task Force Report for more details and metrics)
2021-2022
- Organize a meeting of interested faculty to review and prioritize ideas for new center grants and forward recommendations to other faculty, the Dean, and, as necessary, the Vice Provost for Research or Provost.
- Schedule annual workshops for faculty to discuss new center ideas and upcoming funding opportunities.
- Arrange a meeting with or survey current and prospective leads of large center grants to identify support needed to develop and submit large grants, include ideas for direct or indirect incentives for faculty leading new proposals.
- Organize a meeting of current and past UCM center directors to discuss the administrative tasks where they most need active administrative help from other campus units, including HR, facilities, campus housing, etc.
- Meet with leads of the campus units that centers need to work with to establish common grounds for optimal cooperation on center activities.
2022-2023
- Set up a process for coordinating with campus units during the development of center grants to establish what help is available and what costs are involved.
- Arrange a meeting between current center PIs and representatives from SPO and possibly HSRI, SNRI, or other campus entities to draft a template timeline for center grant planning and make this available to interested faculty.
2023 and after
- Create a single informational website or CatCourse page that posts information about new center proposals being developed in SNS.
