Advancing Ohio State’s strong tradition in life sciences research training

1. Advancing Ohio State’s strong tradition • in life sciences research training • “Excellence in research is ultimately determined by the productivity of our graduate students, as defined by lead-authorship in top-tier publications.” • Visibility - Integration - Connectivity

2. OAA Discussion 6 Feb 2013 Kathleen Boris-Lawrie, PhD David White Professor of Molecular Virology College of Veterinary Medicine Executive Director, Ohio State’s Life Sciences Network

3. Vision: To link discipline-based and interdisciplinary graduate programs and the Office of Research in common purpose to build on Ohio State’s strengths to reach prominence in the life sciences. • …the result of a continuing effort to revitalize graduate education • and research in the life sciences at Ohio State….. • External review of the interdisciplinary graduate programs 2004 • Doctoral program assessment and plan of Graduate School 2008 • Provost’s task force on the life sciences 2009 • NRC rankings 2010 • Connect organizational processes and agreements to develop the overarching research themes and existing strengths given present funding opportunities for Ohio State.

4. Mission: Toadvance the impact and productivity of research activities of life sciences faculty, staff and graduate students. • Specific Objectives • 1) Leverage OSU’s considerable financial resources and intellectual capacity to form new interdisciplinary teams of faculty that are researching the most important issues in the life sciences. • 2) Recruit and productively matriculate highly qualified, talented and diverse graduate students. • 3) Raise the visibility, integration, and recognition of Ohio State’s life sciences research and graduate programs to the highest levels of public and private recognition.

5. “Ohio State's Time” … President Gee Ohio State’s Life Sciences Network http://oncampus.osu.edu/2012/12/bridging-the-silos/

6. Accomplishments Year-1 • The LSN webportal: http://lsn.osu.edu • - Draws together people and resources from 12 colleges & schools; • - Serves the public, OSU and external life scientists; • - Provides a single entry point to the full scope of life sciences research activity at Ohio State University. • 2) Ratified for the first-time membership standards and uniform administrative guidelines for the interdisciplinary graduate programs (IGPs); • 3) Co-localized the life sciences IGPs (n=4) in one campus location; programmatic functions were integrated; IGP staff responsibilities reconfigured; advance integration with Interdisciplinary Research Initiatives. • 4) Commenced arrangements to colocalize IGPs and discipline-based graduate programs (n=7), thus physically linking discipline-based and interdisciplinary graduate programs.

7. 5) Developed principles of Ohio State’s interdisciplinary advancement Global health requires fundamental understanding of howcells and organisms function Molecular events in a single cell function in series transmit to provide environment responsiveness and generation of cellular constituents of tissues, organs and ultimately whole-organisms. Populations-based research of human, animal and plant communities is the basis for strategic analysis of public health issues and appropriate solutions. Applicationsof scientific knowledge involve delicate local, national & international partnerships, thus empowering communities to protect the health of the planet.

8. 6) Ohio State’s interdisciplinary breadth & capacity, include……. • Genome-based networks Epigenome-wide marks • Microbiomes and model systems Science of behavior • Nanoscale cellular machines Regulatory science • Bioinformatics and computational biology • Workforce preparation • Mentoring life scientists to succeed in the global & interdisciplinary workplace; • Innovative training methods to complement traditional research training; • - Contemporary career entry points: industry, biotechnology, entrepreneurial enterprises, tech transfer, science policy, regulatory agencies, STEM training ect.

9. Connection and Energy

10. Highlights of Expected Year-3 Outcomes • In partnership with Program Council, the LSN has generated: • Measures to incentivize faculty to advance interdisciplinary research • - Seed grant funds supporting innovative faculty proposals to significant RFAs • Measures to reward graduate programs progressing to NIH-level metrics: Domestic student recruitment, retention, to productive matriculation • (n=> 2 first-author publications in impact-journals) • and placement in the scientific workforce • - External assessments recognizing OSU’s life sciences programs and high impact strategic initiatives.