Strategy:  Invest in targeted areas of established and emerging excellence and distinction

Point People:  Barry Klein and Phyllis Wise

Narrative Summary of First Year Implementation Efforts:  

The Office of Research has developed various mechanisms over the past year to promote collaboration and large-scale, interdisciplinary research projects.  For example, the new Research Vision Study Group brings together faculty from across campus to investigate possibilities to foster more collaboration in selected research areas.  Further, the office has instituted a new joint research seminar series with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, which allows UC Davis and Livermore scientists to learn more about potential areas of collaboration.

In the last year, the office has created the "Nano-science and Nano-technology Steering Committee" and the "Cyber-security Working Group," consisting of faculty from diverse backgrounds; both groups will play crucial roles in coordinating our campus's efforts in these fields, and will catalyze more and larger-scale proposal efforts.                                     

Advances and Ongoing Programs Consistent with Strategy:     

·         Facilitation and assistance in the development of two DHS proposals

·         Cost-share funding for the Texas A&M DHS Animal Safety Center of Excellence

·         Planning activities for the NIH Roadmap

·         Establishment of the External Research Advisory Board, consisting of senior and high-ranking representatives from industry, national laboratories and the policy sector

·         Research Vision Study Group established

·         Nano-science and Nano-technology Steering Committee established

·         Cyber-security Working Group created

·         Active engagement of the campus Research Coordinating Council.  The council consists of Associate Deans for Research and other key faculty members, who provide guidance, specifically in the context of becoming more effective in large proposal preparation.

·         Creation of the Office of Interdisciplinary Research Support, to assist with the coordination and preparation of large-scale and multi-disciplinary research grant proposals, which support the campus’s research priorities

·         More proactive role in communicating proposal opportunities that require multi- or inter-disciplinary teams

·         McClellan Nuclear Radiation Center Research Advisory Board’s development of research priorities to support campus initiatives

·         Enlistment of key faculty members to attend national conferences focusing on emerging areas of research, such as nanotechnology and cybersecurity

·         Proposal for a new Organized Research Unit (ORU):  Air Quality Research Center (headed by Professor Tony Wexler; proposal submitted to Academic Senate for review) (http://airquality.ucdavis.edu/)

·         ORU Budget Review Committee established to ensure that the core budget best supports emerging areas of research

·         New Organized Research Projects (ORPs):

o        Center for Biostabilization (Professors John Crowe and Fern Tablin) (http://biostabilization.mcb.ucdavis.edu)

o        Center for Combinatorial Chemistry (Professors Kit Lam and Mark Kurth) (http://wwwcsif.cs.ucdavis.edu/~leeeu)

o        Center for Information Technology in the Interest of Society (CITRIS–UC Davis branch) (Professor Ben Yoo) (http://citris.ucdavis.edu)

o        Institute for Complex Adaptive Matter (Professor Daniel Cox)

·         New research initiatives under discussion:

o        Energy Systems (Professor Bruce White)

o        Mathematical Biology (Professor Alan Hastings)

o        National Cancer Bioinformatics Grid (research infrastructure) (Professors Cecil Lynch and David Rocke)

·         In the area of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, there is the initiation of pioneering research on the possible health effects of certain nanomaterials, such as "nanotubes" (newly approved EPA project by Professors Kent Pinkerton and Ting Guo).  This project could develop into a center.

·         Action plan underway for the project to identify ways to streamline technology transfer with industry through projects related to the California Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency

·         New grants program research ideas/results to patent in progress, developed in conjunction with UCDHS

 Short Statement of Plans for 2004-05:   

·         Develop strategic connections with federal and private program managers in key programs at NIH, NSF, DHS and DOD

·         Review each ORU and Central Facility goals and priorities to assure continued and expanded commitment and support of excellence

·         Establish metrics for investment of the Office of Interdisciplinary Research Support unit under Dr. Richard Meisinger

·         Create a Faculty Steering Committee in the area of Mathematical Biology

·         Expand collaborative efforts with national laboratories

·         Work more closely with ORU directors to develop effective strategies to foster more collaborative efforts with industry

·         Promote more aggressively campus research strengths in areas that are likely to lead to valuable industry-university relationships

Evaluation of Metrics:

In addition to the existing Strategic Plan metrics, new metrics will be used:

·         Increase in the number of ORPs moving to ORU status

·         Significant support for the homeland security efforts funded by DHS and other federal and private sources

·         Expanded collaborations with the UC Davis Development Office

·         Increase in outgoing proposals and funded large-scale research efforts

·         Increased recognition of an even more collaborative and multidisciplinary research culture

·         Increase in the number of research efforts done in collaboration with national laboratories and/or industry partners