Goal 2 - Lead in Innovation.

Goal 2 - Lead in Innovation and High-Impact Transdisciplinary Research to Advance the Health of Animals, People, and the Environment


Strategy 2.1.  Promote Innovative Multi-Disciplinary Collaborations to Address Societal Needs

Tactics:

  • Strategically identify and focus on research themes aligned with societal needs and challenges
  • Prioritize research faculty hires that are congruent with major research themes
  • Promote transdisciplinary research and team science through priority resource allocations (e.g. seed funds, space, equipment, technical and administrative support)
  • Incorporate graduate student and DVM student research training (e.g., STAR, YEAR) into themed areas
  • Identify themes that promote innovation, collaborations, and faculty leadership opportunities that intersect with university and UC-wide initiatives
  • Seek strategic alliances that include veterinary professionals, aligned institutions, industry, stakeholders, and government agencies to advance the school’s research mission
  • Integrate and leverage development opportunities to support major themes and specific components (e.g. research funding, endowed positions, training fellowships, equipment, etc.)
  • Continue to promote funding for cutting-edge animal health research in both clinical and basic arenas
  • Enhance innovation and entrepreneurship through partnerships across campus, within the UC system, and with strategic partners through the Biomedical and Engineering Entrepreneurship Academies
  • Further develop resources through technology transfer, licensure income, patents, and start-ups originating from school activities and intellectual properties
  • Promote research communications and marketing to enhance the research mission (e.g. New Horizons symposium, annual reports, impact stories, website, social media, etc.)
  • Foster research collaborations within the faculty by encouraging preclinical and clinical interactions
  • Provide up-to-date on-boarding information to new faculty regarding research resources and services, mentoring opportunities, and programs that support transition to independent research grants
  • Seek ways to reduce administrative and compliance burdens on faculty
  • Identify resources to help clinical faculty with time commitments so that they can participate in translational research studies
  • Investigate ways to increase recognition and rewards related to collaborative research and particularly translational science outcomes

Strategy 2.2.  Enhance Research Training and Experiential Opportunities for Clinician-Scientists, Residents, Veterinary Students, and Graduate Students

Tactics:

  • Seek mechanisms and funding opportunities to support graduate students aligned with strategic theme priorities
  • Pair House Officers with both clinical and basic science faculty to learn research methodologies and promote collaborative team science
  • Enhance funding for and communications about DVM student training opportunities and build on current programs (i.e. STAR, YEAR, GSSP, VSTP), and seek opportunities for 4th year DVM students to be involved with clinical and translational research projects
  • Actively pursue training grants and other funding mechanisms for DVM/MS or DVM/PhD training programs
  • Provide financial incentives to basic science faculty to conduct resident research training and 2-week DVM rotations that include research basics and principles, the value of clinical trials, data mining for clinical studies, methodologies, and grantsmanship
  • Promote clinician-scientist training opportunities with strategic partners such as the Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Clinical and Translational Science Center, and investigate funding for research fellowships  
  • Offer research seminars or training on topics such as clinical trial development, study design, writing IACUC protocols, etc.
  • Promote and enhance recognition of the school for its excellence in training PhDs, veterinary specialists, veterinary and undergraduate students in research

Strategy 2.3.  Enhance Shared Resources that Support Clinical, Basic, and Translational Science

Tactics:

  • Seek opportunities to design shared translational research space in the new VMC facilities
  • Prioritize support of common research spaces and core labs to enhance transdisciplinary research and assist new faculty hires to establish their research careers
  • Explore the development of storage facilities for large sample collections with state-of-the-art searchable databases
  • Seek investments to support common laboratory equipment or replace outdated equipment (e.g. centrifuges, freezers, PCR machines, etc.)
  • Promote the Veterinary Center for Clinical Trials to basic scientists to encourage their participation with clinician-scientists
  • Seek ways to streamline grant review processes and support programmatic and center grants
  • Prioritize faculty mentoring for grant writing; 1-on-1 mentoring has increased competitiveness
  • Establish a grant library (samples of grants) as a resource for faculty
  • Promote use of existing school and campus animal resources, funding, shared resources, common equipment and other infrastructural support
  • Seek out UC data on research costs (e.g., animal per diems, overhead, etc.) and consider ways to reduce cost of research
  • Investigate tools and IT support to enhance research productivity

Strategy 2.4.  Promote Impact of School’s Research to Enhance Recognition and Influence Policy and Stakeholder Engagement

Tactics:

  • Engage in advocacy and public outreach to promote the impact of discoveries (e.g., role in public health) and gain national and international attention for people and program
  • Provide experts and evidence-based outcomes on issues of importance to legislators and constituents, government agencies and all stakeholders
  • Enhance communication of discoveries to all audiences (e.g., funders, stakeholders, influencers, clients, public, etc.)

 

Concept Paper - pdf