SIF187A GCRI-ERS: Grand Challenge Research Investment-Environmental Resilience and Sustainability. Faculty, WISE, Library, Entrepreneurship, and Future Opportunities

Project Manager: Ian Baucom

BoV Approved: Summer 2022

Project Dates: 1/1/2023 – 12/31/2027

Total Funding: $17,500,000

Executive Summary

This project is part of the overall Grand Challenges Research Investment in Environmental Resilience and Sustainability and has five components:

Faculty hiring ($10.64M) – In partnership with the schools, we will provide starting resources to allow the schools to hire approximately 13 faculty members over the next 5 academic years.  Particular fields and specialties are targeted to provide expertise necessary to support and enhance the Grand Challenges research projects.  Salary support is provided on a step-down basis (100% year 1, 75% year 2, 50% year 3, 25% year 4, with the school covering the full cost in year 5 and beyond).  Startup packages will be split 50/50 with the schools.  Approximately 6 candidates will be hired in catalysis, and appointed in either SEAS, A&S, or both.   Approximately 7 faculty members will be hired in various schools to contribute to the UVA Climate Collaborative research project, which will focus on engaging with particular local communities to conduct cutting-edge research and develop solutions for climate mitigation and adaptation.  

A coordinating committee will coordinate the searches, recruiting, and integration of new faculty members into the research community and the Grand Challenges projects.  The Environmental Resilience Institute will be overseeing the UVA Climate Collaborative and coordinating faculty integration into that project.  The Catalysis group in SEAS and A&S will integrate faculty into their research community and projects.  

Deans Grand Challenge Opportunity Fund ($3.36M; $6.4M in total in combination with SIF 188A) – to provide resources for additional Grand Challenges research projects in Environmental Resilience and Sustainability that are proposed in FY23, FY24, or FY25.  Projects must be proposed by at least two deans, or a dean and an institute director, and meet the other Grand Challenges criteria.1

UVA Wise Fund ($500,000) – to provide resources for research collaborations between UVA and UVA Wise in Environmental Resilience and Sustainability.  Proposed collaborations must be supported by the provosts at both UVA Wise and UVA.

Library Resources ($500,000; $1M in total in combination with SIF 188A) – to provide funding to acquire and license crucial scholarly material, including journal subscriptions, data sets, databases, and other e-resources to support the Grand Challenge research projects.  These materials will be accessible to the entire UVA community, along with the faculty and students involved in the specific projects. 

Entrepreneurship Fund ($2.5M) – resources to help develop the UVA and local entrepreneurial ecosystem, particularly around clean energy and other social and for-profit entrepreneurship efforts related to environmental resilience and sustainability.  This fund will be used in conjunction with the development of a pan-University entrepreneurship initiative and hiring the Tadler University Professor in Entrepreneurship.  While the pan-University entrepreneurship initiative will include any subject area, this funding will be used to develop signature programs in entrepreneurial efforts related to environmental resilience and sustainability. 

Current Status: Active

Progress

Faculty Hiring

We have developed a committee to coordinate searches, recruiting, and integration of new faculty members into the research community and the Grand Challenges projects. We have established school plans for hiring specific Grand Challenges positions that will be reviewed annually. These plans include templates for wording for the searches, coordinating committee members tol meet with final candidates and provide feedback to hiring committees and provost

ensuring alignment with the overall Grand Challenges goals. In 2022-23, 2 of 6 positions in catalysis were filled, and 3 of 7 other positions related to Environmental Grand Challenges were filled.

Deans Grand Challenges Opportunity Fund

We have engaged the deans, institute directors, and other stakeholders about Deans’ Opportunity fund through several venues. We have established the funding cycle and application protocols, ran a first round of applications and selected three projects in 2022-23 and one additional proposal was funded through SIF 188B GCRI-BN (Research Cores). We additionally set up milestones and metrics and a review cycle for these and future projects.

UVA Wise Fund

We have engage UVA Wise leadership, UVA deans, institute directors, and other stakeholders about the UVA Wise fund. We discussed having a set funding schedule, but ultimately determined an ad-hoc approach would be best for this unit. We have establish appropriate goals, milestones, metrics, and assessment materials for each selected project, but have not yet funded any projects.

Library

We are collaborating with faculty, library liaison, and stakeholders to identify resources. Identify recurring and one-time cost for resources. We are working on negotiating appropriate licensing agreement with publishers and/or vendors. We are working to make the resources accessible in LIBRA and database A to Z list

Entrepreneurship Fund

We have completed an assessment of the current entrepreneurship ecosystem. We have held over 50 stakeholder meetings. Held discussions at multiple Deans/Provost meetings and held individual meetings with deans to engage them in the process. We held the Entrepreneurship Initiative Design Workshop in December 2023 with representatives from across Grounds, met monthly with the Entrepreneurship Advisory Committee. We have named Professor Mike Lenox as the Interim professor leading initiative, Tadler search will recommence in 2024. We have completed a landscape assessment of current entrepreneurship activities and done benchmarking with other universities. We now have a written plan and budget for entrepreneurship programming submitted to the Provost and we are in the process of securing a physical location to base this effort from.