Signature Research and Academic Collaborations

Status Report to RHEDC

February 15, 2007

Establish a world-class higher education institution that leverages the U of M research capability, in partnership with IBM, Mayo Clinic, and other industry leaders, to build signature academic and research programs that complement SE Minnesota’s leadership roles in health sciences, biosciences, engineering, and technology. Educational programs will provide applications to economic activities via innovation, translational research, and clinical experiences. This institution will have a distinct identity and one governing entity. This institution will be the U of M Rochester.

RHEDC Report Recommendation

Research

• Worldwide Top Candidates• Top Candidates• Selective Enrollment

External Accelerators

• NSF, NIH, Other Benefactors

PhD & Masters

Programs

Undergraduate Programs

• Mayo, IBM, Others

Industry Partnerships

Reputation

• Endowed Chairs• Support Faculty• Post-Doctoral Fellowships

•Technology Transfer•Intellectual Property•University Enterprise Laboratory (UEL)

UM Workgroup Formed

• Charged with developing proposal that addresses RHEDC recommendations– Dr. Vipin Kumar, William Norris Professor and Head,

Department of Computer Science, Institute of Technology– Dr. Claudia Neuhauser, HHMI Professor and Head, Department

of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, College of Biological Sciences

– Jim Clausen, Program Management Consultant, Academic Affairs, UMR

– Dick Westerlund, Director of Academic Affairs, UMR

Workgroup Proposal

• Establish a center for biomedical informatics and quantitative and computational studies in the life sciences in Rochester at UMR.

• Research focus on quantitative biomedical research • Academic focus initially on a graduate program in

computational biology and biomedical informatics in life and health sciences

• Calls for collaboration in research and academics– Initially IBM, Mayo Clinic, UM Hormel Institute, UMTC, UMR– UMR to provide management, administrative and infrastructure

support

Status of Proposal

• Reviewed and endorsed by IBM, Mayo Clinic, UM Hormel Institute, UMTC, UMR

• All agree to collaborate and proceed with initial implementation phase

Initial Phase: Research

• Biotech Symposia - Spring 2007– Purpose: Establish collaborations for research and joint advising– Promote research seed grant program– Promote graduate student participation– Participants from IBM, Mayo Clinic, UM Hormel Institute and UMTC

• Committee representing collaborators formed to plan symposia, identify research topics and participants, and plan administration of initial grant programs– Committee meets February 15– First symposium targeted for March 8

• Follow-up meetings will be held of smaller groups having similar research interests to encourage collaboration and submission of grant requests

Symposia Planning Committee

• Drew Flaada: IBM, Director Mayo Collaboration, Life Sciences, and BlueGene Software Development

• Mike Good: IBM, Manager, BlueGene Software Development• Dr. Karla Ballman: Mayo Clinic, Chair of Division of Biostatistics, Department

of Health Sciences Research• Dr. Christopher Chute: Mayo Clinic, Chair of Division of Biomedical

Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research• Dr. Ann Bode: UM Hormel Institute, Assistant Director• Dr. Zigang Dong: UM Hormel Institute, Executive Director, McKnight

Presidential Professor in Cancer Prevention, Hormel-Knowlton Professor• Dr. Vipin Kumar, William Norris Professor and Head, Department of

Computer Science, Institute of Technology• Dr. Claudia Neuhauser, HHMI Professor and Head, Department of Ecology,

Evolution and Behavior, College of Biological Sciences • Jim Clausen, Program Management Consultant, Academic Affairs, UMR• Dick Westerlund, Director of Academic Affairs, UMR

Initial Phase: Graduate Programs

• Two year master’s program starting fall 2007• Utilize existing UM graduate programs and students• Recruit first cohort of 10 M.S. graduate students

– Spring 2007– From Rochester and Twin Cities– Funded via fellowships

• Co-advised by scientists across participating institutions• Curriculum to include

– 2-4 common courses– Weekly meetings to promote interactions– Joint symposia to bring students and faculty together

Initial Approach Concepts

• Start fast and keep scope narrow– Graduate cohort starts Fall 2007, graduates Spring 2009– Focus on biomedical informatics and computational biology

• Select a few research projects that have high potential

• Let center concept evolve through careful planning, experience, and management (proof of concept)

• Introduce new graduate degree programs based on need, faculty expertise, student demand, resources

• Utilize existing infrastructure

Parallel Planning: Spring 2007

• Form graduate program committee to develop plan for initial new graduate programs in biomedical informatics and computational biology in Twin Cities and Rochester for Fall 2008 start

• Form center development committee to recommend center’s vision, mission, structure, membership, organization, funding, etc.

• Committees to include founding collaborators – IBM, Mayo Clinic, and UM

Project Timeline

• Plan 1st symposium – 2/15/07• Hold 1st symposium – 3/8/07

– Announce request for grant proposals– Describe initial academic cohort program

• Extend offers to initial class of graduate students – 4/3/07• Initial meeting of academic planning committee – 4/12/07• Final date for graduate students to respond to graduate program offer –

4/16/07• Hold 2nd symposium – 4/18/07• Due date for submission of research grant proposals – 5/11/07• Selection of biotech research projects – 6/6/07• Start of funding for research projects – 7/2/07• Submission of proposal for new graduate degrees to UM Graduate

School – Fall 2007