NS Strategic Plan 2015 Strategic Plan Creation of a Neuroscience Institute at UMass Amherst 1. Vision p3 2. Mission and Goals p3 3. Timelines and Deliverables for first Three Years p8 4. Stakeholders p13 5. SWOT Analysis p13 6. Differentiation Strategy p15 7. Contribution to Campus Mission p15 8. Peer and Aspirant Programs at other Institutions p16 9. Benefit of being an Institute Member to Faculty p16 10. Activities and Accomplishments to Date p16 11. Proposed Resource Needs for the Creation and Operation of INSI p16 12. Next Steps p17 Appendix A: Neuroscience Faculty (UMA and Five College Affiliates) p18 Appendix B: INSI Cluster Proposal Summaries p21 Appendix C: Full Cluster Proposals p23 INSI Steering Committee – 9/4/2015 Page 1 of 52 NS Strategic Plan 2015 Executive Summary In July 2014, the Dean of the College of Natural Sciences, in collaBoration with the VCRE, instituted a Neuroscience Strategic Planning Task Force and charged this task force with developing a strategic vision for neuroscience on the UMA campus, with Both immediate and longer-term oBjectives. MemBers of the task force represented each of the major suBstantive levels of current UMA neuroscience research (cellular/molecular; systems/circuitry; and Behavior/cognition), included assistant, associate, and full professors, and represented four departments in CNS and the School of Public Health and Health Sciences (SPHHS), as well as the Institute of Applied Life Sciences (IALS). The Neuroscience Strategic Planning Task Force has articulated a vision and operational plan for the creation and advancement of a new world-class Integrative Neuroscience Institute at UMA. The Institute will encompass research interests and eXperimental approaches contributed By a Broad range of departments and promote cross-departmental collaborations and close interactions with the Medical School (UMMS) – all leading to unique mechanistic insights into nervous system function in health and disease. Over the neXt three years the Institute seeks to: • Expand the cohesive network of engaged neuroscience researchers dedicated to furthering and participating in creating an Integrated Neuroscience Institute at UMA. • Establish the leadership and administrative infrastructure to undergird and ensure the development of a vital Integrated Neuroscience Institute. • Establish an operational plan with dedicated leadership to guide, inform and evaluate a sustainaBle and successful UMA Integrated Neuroscience Institute. The strategic plan attached Below outlines the vision, mission, and goals of the Integrated Neuroscience Institute and defines timelines and deliverables for the first three years of operation. Also discussed is a SWOT analysis, a list of stakeholders, a statement of how the Integrated Neuroscience Institute contriButes to the campus strategic plan, a competitive analysis, and a list of activities and accomplishments to date. Finally, the proposed resource needs for the formation and continued operation of the Integrated Neuroscience Institute and specific next steps are presented. INSI Steering Committee – 9/4/2015 Page 2 of 52 NS Strategic Plan 2015 1. Vision The overarching vision is to establish and advance a world-class Integrative Neuroscience Institute (INSI) at UMA. The Institute will encompass research interests and experimental approaches contriButed By a broad range of departments and promote cross-departmental collaborations leading to unique mechanistic insights into nervous system function in health and disease. The task force eXtensively discussed the pros and cons of a Neuroscience department compared to a Neuroscience Institute. It was concluded that an Institute will Better serve the interests of the UMass community facilitating the integration of faculty from multiple existing departments, colleges and schools, as well as the UM Medical School. This will serve to differentiate INSI from many other more narrowly focused departments and better position the Institute for engaging diverse industry partners. 2. Mission and Goals The mission of INSI is to develop a venue for the development and eXchange of ideas, research and training in neuroscience at UMA. Activities in support of this mission will include, but will not be limited to: A. Establish interim leadership groups, an advisory board, and hire a dedicated institute Director. B. Identify, and bring into INSI an interactive group of neuroscience researchers who prioritize the bridging of disciplinary boundaries from across a range of departments. Organize the research interests of the faculty into three major research themes of Discovery Neuroscience, Translational Neuroscience, and Neurotechnology. C. Establish initial core groups of faculty with complimentary and overlapping research interests (‘clusters’) that could generate some quick wins for the institute. D. Prioritize a research ‘cluster’ that would benefit from a co-localization of some or all of the cluster faculty into contiguous space, and identify the possible short-term achievements. E. Establish longer-term timelines and deliverables for research clusters and for INSI faculty. F. Take the lead in a campus-wide effort to create a permanent home for a larger number of INSI faculty that will benefit from collaborating in contiguous space. G. Develop initiatives to strengthen the training of both undergraduate and graduate students in neuroscience. A. Establish interim leadership groups, an advisory board, and hire a dedicated institute Director To coalesce input from all neuroscience-related faculty a Neuroscience Strategic Planning Task Force, consisting of 15 faculty from 4 departments (Biology, Chemistry, Psychological and Brain Sciences, Communication Disorders) and IALS was constituted in July 2014 and met throughout 2014-2015. Faculty and staff membership is as Below: § Jeff Blaustein (Professor, PBS) § James ChamBers (Assistant Professor, Chemistry) § Rosie Cowell (Assistant Professor, PBS) § David E. HuBer (Professor, PBS) § Rolf O. Karlstrom (Professor, Biology) § Jacquie Kurland (Associate Professor, Communication Disorders) § Agnès Lacreuse (Associate Professor, PBS) § Genglin Li (Assistant Professor, Biology) § Jennifer McDermott (Assistant Professor, PBS) § David E. Moorman (Assistant Professor, PBS) § Sally Powers (CNS Associate Dean for Faculty & Research; Professor, PBS) § Peter Reinhart (IALS Director, Professor, BMB) INSI Steering Committee – 9/4/2015 Page 3 of 52 NS Strategic Plan 2015 § Luke Remage-Healey (Assistant Professor, PBS) § Wendy Varner (CNS Director of Faculty Development Programs) § R. Thomas Zoeller (Professor, Biology) The Neuroscience Strategic Planning Task Force serves as an interface to the neuroscience- affiliated faculty to clarify objectives and timelines that are incorporated into this proposal for an Integrated Neuroscience Institute. This group will continue to meet regularly during 2015- 2016 to discuss general operating issues, including input from the Broad range of over 90 faculty currently part of neuroscience at UMA, and covering all departments that will Be contriButing faculty to INSI (AppendiX A – List of MemBers and Departments seeking affiliation with INSI). Establish an External Advisory Board: In the first year, an interim Advisory Board, composed of leaders in the field, alumni, and industry partners, will help refine the goals of INSI and hire a Director. Following director recruitment, core memBership of the external Advisory Board may be eXtended in suBsequent years for regular meetings and evaluation. The goal is to provide an outside perspective on and evaluation of areas of strength and growth for INSI. Hiring of an INSI Director: The INSI Task force has proposed hiring a dedicated INSI Director committed to clarifying and executing the vision and mission of INSI. CNS Dean Goodwin has pledged support for a 2015-2016 search for a new senior-level faculty hire with the charge of leading Broad-based integrative growth in neuroscience across UMA. If INSI is approved By UMA, this new hire would Be positioned to lead INSI as director. The institute director would Be an international leader in neuroscience research, and would prioritize the Broad and integrative research projects of the institute. The Task Force proposes to work with Department Chairs, Deans, IALS, the Provost, the VCRE and Chancellor’s office to clarify the director’s joB description and to provide an initial list of names of faculty that have the appropriate Background and skillsets for such a position. In summary, director responsiBilities include: § Work with department heads/chairs to promote research interests in neuroscience across the university § Guide joint faculty recruitment (with Heads/Chairs and Deans) § Enhance visiBility of UMA neuroscience internally, and at state, national, and international levels § Foster relationships with other constituencies and stakeholders § Establish and administer seed grants, graduate fellowships and undergraduate summer fellowships for neuroscience research § Oversee plans for temporary contiguous space for clusters of faculty engaged in neuroscience research and for a permanent home for INSI § Develop and grow the three research themes of Discovery Neuroscience, Translational Neuroscience, and Neurotechnology § Initiate and direct center grants & training grants § Identify core facilities needed § Continue implementation of strategic and operational plans § Identify and recruit Advisory Board memBers The goal is to partner with stakeholders to develop an INSI Director