Strategy: Invest in targeted areas of established and emerging excellence and distinction
Point People: Barry Klein and Phyllis Wise
Narrative Summary of Second Year Implementation Efforts:
The Office of Research has developed various mechanisms to promote collaboration and large-scale, interdisciplinary research projects. For example, the new Interdisciplinary Research Support (IRS) unit supports scientists with the preparation of large proposals.
The office has increased its interdisciplinary steering committees and working groups. Currently, they include the Nano-science and Nano-technology Steering Committee, the Computational and Mathematical Biology Working Group, and the Cyber-security Working Group. These committees and working groups consist of faculty members with diverse research backgrounds. They 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
- Facilitated and assisted in the development of two DHS proposals
- Provided cost-share funding for the Texas A&M DHS Animal Safety Center of Excellence
- Planned activities for the NIH Roadmap
- Established the Nano-science and Nano-technology Steering Committee, which is instrumental in catalyzing efforts, including a multi-million dollar NIH grant application seeking support for an NIH cancer research center based on the development and utilization of novel nano-technologies
- Established a working group in Computational and Mathematical Biology, with the goal of identifying new, large-scale thrusts in this area leading to interdisciplinary grant applications and research efforts
- Created the Cyber-security Working Group
- Host bi-annual meetings with the External Research Advisory Board (ERAB), consisting of senior and high-ranking representatives from industry, national laboratories and the policy sector
- Actively engage the campus Research Coordinating Council, consisting 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
- Hold regular meetings of the interdisciplinary faculty steering committees and working groups
- Coordination of planning efforts for the stem cell research initiative for the campus, including key administrators and researchers
- McClellan Nuclear Radiation Center Research Advisory Board’s development of research priorities to support campus initiatives
- Received approval from the National Cancer Center to use NCI central review on NCI-supported oncology studies
- Participate in externally funded programs such as the Cancer Center AP 4 program. Lynne Chronister and David McGee are co-investigators
- Established a task force to review the clinical trials sponsored activities
- Created the Interdisciplinary Research Support (IRS) unit, led by Dr. Richard Meisinger. IRS has become a significant campus resource that is in high demand, providing faculty with the needed and desired support for the preparation of major grant/contract applications: 30 proposals submitted; 4 proposals in progress.
- Assumed a more proactive role in communicating proposal opportunities that require multi- or inter-disciplinary teams, with an increasing emphasis on limited submissions opportunities
- Enlisted key faculty members to attend national conferences focusing on emerging areas of research, such as nano-technology and cyber-security
- Conduct dialogue with Office of Graduate Studies and faculty, concerning the issue of new graduate education and training efforts, as a result of an increasingly interdisciplinary research landscape (eg., nano-science and -technology, cyber-security, computational biology)
- Hold informal luncheons bringing together Organized Research Unit (ORU) directors and Office of Research senior administrators, to foster an ongoing dialogue regarding research issues pertaining to organized research and interdisciplinary research in general
- Organizing first ORU directors retreat, to broadly discuss ORU-related issues
- Established an expanded role for the John Muir Institute of the Environment ORU, led by a new Associate Vice Chancellor for Research
- Establishing a new ORU: Air Quality Research Center (to be directed by Professor Tony Wexler; proposal submitted to Academic Senate for review) (http://airquality.ucdavis.edu)
- Established ORU Budget Review Committee to ensure that the core budget best supports emerging areas of research
- New Organized Research Projects (ORPs):
- Center for Computational Science and Engineering (http://cse.ucdavis.edu)
- The UC Davis Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (http://citris.ucdavis.edu)
- Rhizosphere Biology Initiative
- Emerging proposals under development:
- Combinatorial Chemistry Center
- Institute for Complex Adaptive Matter
- Mathematical Biology
- National Cancer Bioinformatics Grid
- In the areas of Nano-science and Nano-technology, there is the possibility to catalyze research thrusts 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 campus center of excellence.
- Provided leadership role in the development of new university-industry engagements — development of relationships including those with PIXAR and Intel
- Academic development of the Venture Design Center and implemented a business development certificate program for Ph.D. students and postdoctoral students in science and engineering in collaboration with GSM.
- Streamlining technology transfer processes and decentralizing technology transfer transactions from UCOP to campus management
- Aggressively promoting campus research strengths in areas that are likely to lead to valuable university-industry relationships. UC Davis CONNECT and the Graduate School of Management’s Little Bang student poster competitions was held in conjunction with ITS, CIFAR and CBST. Sixteen student teams participated and the top two teams went on to the Big Bang business plan competition.
- Worked with the Lighting Design Center on establishing an Industry Affiliates Program
- Developed new grants program research ideas/results to patent in progress (developed in conjunction with UCDHS)
- Continue to enhance and expand UC Davis interactions with state agencies
- Expand efforts to support regional economic development, including monthly meetings with campus representatives and holding regional meetings with economic development leaders
- Worked to build the security and infrastructure of the California National Primate Research Center
- Worked with campus and the Office of Resource Management and Planning to propose and begin a boating safety program
- Worked to solidify Tahoe Environmental Research Center and successfully recruited Director, Professor Geoffrey Schladow.
- Worked to coordinate successful implementation of Tahoe Environmental Science Center.
Short Statement of Plans for 2005-06
- Implement a new, expanded and streamlined process of handling limited submissions
- 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
- Work with Academic Senate on revision of UC Davis policy concerning ORU creation and evaluation
- Establish metrics for evaluating the investment in the Interdisciplinary Research Support unit
- Expand collaborative efforts with national laboratories (advancement: Homeland Security workshop held at UC Davis in November 2004, jointly sponsored by Office of Research and the Lawrence National Laboratory, bringing together campus and lab scientists with the goal of identifying new areas of collaboration)
- Work more closely with ORU and Center directors to develop effective strategies to foster more collaborative efforts with industry (advancements: 1) ITS – synergy of Chevron executive on ERAB; 2) introduction to potential industry partners to potential industry partners for IDAV, Genome Center, and the Center for Molecular and Genomic Imaging)
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 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
Existing metrics:
- Increase in national and international leadership and recognition of UC Davis research programs as reflected in prestigious awards and appointments for faculty and research staff
- Improvement in the ranking of UC Davis programs in national surveys that are based on research visibility and excellence
- Growth in the level of extramural funding across all disciplines
- Enhancement of the number of participants in, and impact of, interdisciplinary initiatives
- Increase in the dissemination of knowledge through appropriate venues
- Timely implementation of promising new initiatives that expand the realm of knowledg