As I’ve been making my way around the department meeting with various groups, I recently had the opportunity to meet with a small group of leaders representing our research-intensive faculty—inclusive of approximately 150 PhDs.
This small but mighty group is one of the primary forces fueling a substantial proportion of our $144M research enterprise. From basic science, to bench to bedside and back, their discoveries and science are making an invaluable difference not only to our research fiscal performance, but also for human health and understanding of disease. Additionally, our PhD faculty are active in training and mentoring the next generation of investigators and serve on several committees and leadership roles within the DOM.
While our NIH funding is strong (we’re #1 within the SOM at $85M) and our Blue Ridge® rankings have increased (from 27 to 24 nationally), if we want to accelerate our standing as a top tier institution for research, we must pay attention to several key aspects:
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Support and strengthen our hiring and retention of all our research-intensive faculty and staff (PhDs, MD/PhDs, MDs and research professionals)
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Continue to recognize the impact of how the COVID pandemic marginalized our research teams, and find ways to recover, re-energize and reset course for the future
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Examine our current support programs to ensure that they are indeed meeting the needs of our research-intensive faculty and investigators
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Have a deeper understanding of our research landscape within DOM by determining layers of independent/dependent research faculty, look for connections for program projects and compare data with other SOM departments for best practices and benchmarking
I’m heartened by the energy surrounding our research-intensive faculty and the value that they contribute. They are a key constituent of the DOM and we are lucky to have them in our midst.
To put a point on all our research accomplishments, I hope you all join me on Monday, April 4 for our annual Research Day. The event will kick off in Krugman Hall in RC2 beginning at 9:45am with pastries and coffee. You may also attend the full program on Zoom, if that is easier and more accessible for you. We have great slate of presentations and a robust virtual poster session showcasing the work of our researchers. You may even hear a thing or two about the work of a guy from Michigan! I look forward to seeing many of you there.
Onwards,
Vineet
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Vineet Chopra, MD, MSc
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