As part of an expansive effort to catalyze discovery and innovation for broad societal impact, the Office of the Vice President for Research has launched two new units to support faculty honorifics and expand research funding opportunities across the University of Michigan.
OVPR created the Faculty Honorifics Office and the Research Foundation Partnerships Office as part of a new presidential strategy to amplify research and scholarship across disciplines.
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President Santa J. Ono charged OVPR with developing and implementing the first phase of the amplify strategy, which aims to increase universitywide capacity to address critical challenges impacting communities worldwide.
“In order for us to maintain our reputation as a leading public research university, it is imperative that we act boldly and set a visionary path forward so that together we can impact the world,” said Rebecca Cunningham, vice president for research.
“Our faculty remain the cornerstone of our research enterprise, and the amplify strategy is designed to support and elevate their work at the highest levels.”
Faculty honorifics, which include prestigious research-related medals, prizes and fellowships, as well as membership in national academies and scholarly societies, highlight the tremendous work of faculty and also signal the university’s leadership in key research areas.
Visibility of such awards create future opportunities for U-M faculty to conduct innovative work in critical areas of medicine, science, technology and creative practice.
Led by Henry Dyson, the newly launched Faculty Honorifics Office is designed to boost faculty visibility for external honorifics by increasing coordination across units, ensuring equitable nomination processes, and expanding the ability to track where and how U-M researchers are being recognized.
In partnership with university leadership, Dyson and his team will directly support the submission of several highly prestigious external award nominations, including coordinating letters of support and tailoring nomination packages to specific audiences.
The office also will provide analytical and logistical support to help departmental awards committees and other nominators increase the number, diversity and quality of their external nominations.
“The University of Michigan is home to some of the world’s best and brightest minds, and it is incredibly important for us to ensure faculty expertise and engagement is recognized on the grandest of scales,” Dyson said.
The newly launched Research Foundation Partnerships Office, led by Laura Williams, will help faculty identify, engage with and gain support from foundations and other nonprofit funders to explore high-risk science and scholarship, as well as early-stage, proof-of-concept projects.
Williams and her team will partner with faculty to develop nonprofit research proposals, supporting work that aligns with foundation funding priorities for research and creative practice.
In collaboration with the Office of University Development and other U-M units, the office will provide guidance on how to approach foundations, exchange ideas and write research proposals that target specific organizations, as well as facilitate proposal development and align university strengths.
With increased funding from nonprofits and foundations, U-M researchers can work to address societal challenges that are undersupported by federal agencies and other traditional funders.
“The funding landscape for academic research is competitive, and so our primary objective is to provide faculty with additional tools and resources necessary to pursue research and creative practice that will impact the world,” Williams said.
