Voices of the Staff accepting applications through March 31
Staff members across the University of Michigan are encouraged to help shape the future of their workplace by applying to join Voices of the Staff, U-M’s longstanding employee-engagement program for staff from Michigan Medicine and every academic campus. It brings together 130 staff members to help drive workplace improvement for all. “Voices connects our campuses in a way that no other program does,” said Dyan Jenkins-Ali, associate director of Voices of the Staff. “It’s a catalyst for workplace improvement. And it supports the missions of U-M by enhancing engagement and giving passionate staff a path to contribute in amazing ways.” An example of a recent impact made by the program is the new Career Development Fund for Staff, administered by University Human Resources in partnership with the Voices of the Staff program. Applications are being accepted for topic-specific teams: Advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Enhance the Employee Experience; Embrace Change; Promote Career Growth; Facilitate Flexible Work; Strive for Well-being. To participate, staff members must have at least one year of service, be in good standing, and have supervisor support. Learn more or apply online at hr.umich.edu/voices/.
Center for Academic Innovation seeks proposals for programs
The Center for Academic Innovation has opened calls for proposals across a variety of disciplines that align with the center’s work, including educational technology adoption funding, support for creating open online courses, online and hybrid degree program portfolio development, and educational research. The center provides financial support and in-kind support to help U-M faculty and staff develop innovative projects. Each call for proposal has project priorities, submission requirements and deadlines for final proposals. Staff at the center also are available to consult on potential projects, offering consultation services by appointment or through open office hours. Learn more about each open call for proposal, and additional details about submission guidelines, procedures and consultation with the center is available at the center’s Academic Innovation Fund webpage, ai.umich.edu/academic-innovation-fund/.
Four projects selected for grants focusing on rural life
Rural areas around the globe face distinct challenges, and four new projects bring U-M social scientists and engineers together to improve understanding and develop solutions. The projects are part of a joint pilot program between the Institute for Social Research and College of Engineering. Each project will receive $150,000 in funding over a two-year period. The pilot grant program aims to address issues facing rural populations and to improve rural life through rigorous research. The projects are strengthened by the interdisciplinary nature of the collaboration. ISR and CoE are leaders in interdisciplinary research, combining the expertise and perspectives of diverse disciplines to address real-world problems. “When engineers and social scientists work together, they bring different yet complementary skill sets and perspectives to the table,” said ISR Director Kate Cagney. The collaborations will touch on issues of rural life including water stewardship, electric vehicles, energy poverty and diabetes care. Learn more about each project and their teams online at isr.umich.edu/news-events/news-releases/19551/.
Water Center to work with state on Lake Erie phosphorus reductions
The U-M Water Center received a $610,000, three-year grant from the Erb Family Foundation to work with the state of Michigan to reduce phosphorus loading to Lake Erie. “Our work together will establish a dialogue between and among the many organizations and stakeholders involved in Lake Erie stewardship, resulting in a more resilient management plan, a more informed public and a healthier lake,” said Jen Read, director of the Water Center and principal investigator. The Water Center will provide technical and day-to-day collaborative support to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. The state agencies and the Water Center will work to understand and reduce Michigan’s nutrient runoff to Lake Erie, as well as design and implement a diverse, robust and transparent advisory process to inform the state’s adaptive management plan for the lake. Read more about the grant.
Upcoming projects to affect traffic on North, Medical campuses
Two upcoming street projects will close traffic in sections of the North and the Medical campuses this spring. Expected to begin in early March, and last a few weeks, Bonisteel Boulevard will be closed to through traffic in both directions as part of the Bonisteel Boulevard Water Main and Road Reconstruction project. Only westbound local traffic for service and dock access will be maintained to NC55 and NC13. Anticipated to begin in mid-March and last through August, intermittent lane closures, with shifting traffic patterns, will continue on Bonisteel. All street parking along Bonisteel, north and south, will be unavailable for the project duration. Glen Avenue will be closed between Ann and Huron streets for about a month, beginning in late April, for utility work associated with the new College of Pharmacy Building.
— Compiled by James Iseler, The University Record
