Direct Report Goals

Research2030 - Illuminate Phase

The priorities for this initial phase of Research2030 remain centered around talent, infrastructure and partnerships using the Digital Futures: Urban Futures Pathway initiative as a model use case.

• Grow federally sponsored research
• 1. Enhance faculty retention through strategic use of Recruitment & Retention allocation pool; creating the UC FRAME program; partnering between the ADR group and Office of the Provost; and by increasing internal and external visibility and recognition of top performing researchers. 2. Drive increase in non-NSF/NIH federal funding via dedicated push for defense-related sponsors, the Dept of Energy, and a focus on additional mission-driven agencies (e.g., NASA/Dept of Transportation). 3. Continued refinement and investment in seed funding through OoR Internal Funding Programs.
• Enhance research infrastructure
• 1. Successful completion of FCL process, which will permit classified research by our investigators and enable construction of SCIF to commence. 2. Continue to engage with P+D+C on strategic planning for any research-related buildings being proposed, and work with P+D+C to establish necessary financial support and model to continue to upgrade existing facilities so that faculty recruitment and retention is not space dependent. 3. On-board and integrate new partners into Digital Futures upon completion of Phase II buildout and renovations. 4. Major efforts will be spent in the second half of FY25 planning, preparing and executing an external review (including site visit) of the UC Digital Futures research program. This external review will be key in helping shape new opportunities for DF-related research, while simultaneously building awareness of the impact and success of research already underway in the space.
• Strategic Partnerships
• 1. Utilize new space to come online within Digital Futures to recruit additional defense-related partners to the space and our research ecosystem. 2. Establish an annual DF revenue target that accounts for building activities (e.g., consortium members, events, leasing revenue) that are separate from the research program goals for sponsored research. 3. Establish new strategic partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (DOE), with an initial focus on Leadership Class Computing. 4. Grow faculty-based partnerships through our International Research Mobility program.

• Increase proposal submission (in $) to federal agencies to at least $1.3-B by FY25 (7% CAGR based on FY21 value of $1.06-B)
• Increase federally sponsored annual awards to >$190-M by FY25 (3% CAGR based on FY21 value of $170-M)
• Increase relative percentage of submissions to agencies beyond NIH and NSF to 25% of total request by FY25 (FY21 total value $189.5-M of $1.06-B or 18% of total – hitting target would increase total value to >$325-M requested)
• Increase collaborative proposal submissions to federal agencies to >22% of all proposal submissions by FY25 (18% in FY22).
• Increase award dollars to DF lab leaders to $20-M annually by FY25 (current 3-year average of $18.9-M)
• Identify external partner(s) to lease at least 50% of available space on 4th floor of DF.
• Support at least three new faculty-directed International Mobility partnerships.

Research2030 - Transform Phase

This newest phase of Research2030 leverages the Digital Futures, Biosciences & Bioeconomy, and Society & Culture Urban Futures Pathway initiatives to enhance our national reputation and ranking. See more at https://ucurbanfutures.com/.

• Digital Futures
• 1. Leverage recently formed Institute Incubator Executive Leadership team to increase partners through Digital Futures that will enhance our applied research activities through dedicated research centers and institutes. 2. Cultivate existing relations with Honda and Ohio Department of Transportation to generate external support for the creation of Advanced Transportation Infrastructure Institute led out of Digital Futures and identify site costs, project partners, and sources of funding. 3. Utilize resources of UCRI, where appropriate, to enhance UC’s ability to contract sponsored research activities. As the UCRI Board Chair, I will be working with the UCRI Executive Director to bring new capacity to research business development, which will benefit the entire institution. 4. Support UC efforts led by Digital Futures Lab Leader Dr. Michael Knopp to serve as coordinating site for NIH U24 supporting NCI National Clinical Trials Network - Network Radiotherapy and Imaging Core Services Centers.
• Biosciences & Bioeconomy
• 1. Prepare philanthropic case for support, program of research, site possibilities, and business model to create stand-alone home for this institute in the CID. 2. Using the successful Digital Futures model, establish parameters for the UC Interdisciplinary Research Institute for NanoBiosciences – executive faculty team to identify benchmark institutions. OoR leadership will support development of funding goals and fundraising needs. 3. Using the successful Digital Futures model, develop institute-based research thrusts in sustainability (i.e., water and clean/green tech).
• Society & Culture
• 1. Create well-defined process and pipeline for nominating faculty for Nationally Competitive Awards (NCA). Process will be modeled after existing one used for limited submission nominations. 2. Continue scouting trips to relevant Foundations and other NCA organizations to establish relationships with key program managers and identify models for success.
• Research 2030
• 1. Expand partnership with UC News (and overall UC Marketing) to identify key research success stories. Enhance internal promotion of researcher success through mar-com channels. Update process for sharing UC research funding success and UC faculty awards. 2. Identify appropriate donor cultivation and recognition events that expose possible donors to UC researchers and the problems they are solving; in coordination with UC Foundation, create appropriate cases for support tailored to donors and major gift opportunities.

• Digital Futures
• 1. Launch nationally recognized stand-alone research institutes in National Security Research and Advanced Transportation Infrastructure. 2. Explore international research partnerships with Nirma (India) and Ming Chi (Taiwan) universities. 3. Create virtual homes for these initiatives by the end of the year with participating researchers, partners, and areas of specialization identified. 4. Rebrand UCRI to better align with organizational goal; increase contracting with external partners by 15% over FY23. 5. Successful submission of NCI U24 with Dr. Michael Knopp and UC serving as the coordinating site.
• Biosciences & Bioeconomy
• 1. Deliver plans to senior leadership that include the program of research/business model/size/capabilities/location for a stand-alone wet-lab facility supporting collaborative, applied research in the Biosciences & Bioeconomy. Major tenants planned are NanoBiosciences & Sustainability Institutes, Leather Lab, clinical trials – including those relevant to NCI designation, and desired amenities. 2. Generate new collaborative grant proposals in NanoBiosciences based on the four research pillars identified: (1) Nanomaterial sciences; (2) Diagnostics and Therapeutics applications; (3) Environmental impact research; and (4) Biosafety and toxicity research. Virtual kick-off of NanoBiosciences institute by summer. 3. Create charter, faculty executive team, and year one goals for new research institutes in sustainability.
• Society & Culture
• 1. Increase number of UC faculty receiving nationally competitive awards (NCA); UC normally averages around 4-5 annually (excepting NSF CAREER Awards). The initial target will be to support at least 10 nominations of faculty for NCAs plus create an NCA feeder program by supporting faculty nominations in other prestigious awards (e.g., AAAS Fellows). 2. Expand existing National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) matching award program to two additional NCAs based on learnings from scouting visits and pilot work with Fulbright Faculty Fellows.
• Research 2030
• 1. Increase number of articles/press releases highlighting impact of UC Research on region. 2. Lead in the cultivation of at least three donors in preparation for future asks to support broader UC Research agenda and particular goals for the new wet lab building (in partnership with UC Foundation)

Research2030 – OoR Excellence
The Office of Research will become the model of an urban public university research office; a leader in Inclusive, Ethical and Secure research activities; supporting the growth in our research enterprise’s impact and resource base

• Alignment of resource base with key needs of the OoR. We are starting by looking at compensation scales and will combine that with our on-going development of career ladders. A significant part of staffing challenges is retaining quality staff, thus our goal will be to reduce turnover in those key staffing areas that require stability.
• Review of on-going tasks/activities in positions and units versus those that are required (and match the staff skill levels). Where possible, we will look to automation or AI-informed means to reduce workloads; for other cases, we will begin to evaluate what services being offered should be discontinued or out-sourced when they do not align with our critical business needs or overall support mission of the OoR.
• I will be continuing to invest in management and leadership development for the staff. Working with the senior leadership team, we will identify what are the best vehicles for such training and establish clear metrics/outcomes expected for staff who receive this support. The goal here is to help equip all members of the unit with the tools to meet our growing needs and responsibilities – providing line leaders with ownership to identify the best solutions to workload challenges.
• Lastly, I will oversee the upcoming moves of OoR staff into Digital Futures and the 5th floor of University Hall. Once the current construction in Digital Futures is complete, some staff will be moving into renovated space in that building. Other staff, presently in University Hall, will need to be consolidated into a new, more vibrant work space in that building.

• The largest challenge to tackle this year with the Office of Research is the severe disconnect between macro successes of UC’s research enterprise and the micro challenges facing our staff. Our growth in sponsored research activity along with additional (new) compliance requirements from federal sponsors is pushing the boundaries of what our staff can support and manage, which is having downstream impacts on work/life balance.
• Success in these initiatives will be measured by a reduction in staff turnover, an increase in staff satisfaction, and enhanced relations between staff and management.
• Support for updates to University Hall space appropriate for OoR staff not transitioning over to Digital Futures due to space and function limitations.