To: All Faculty <everybody@illinois.edu> 
    From: "Brad Schwartz/College of Medicine" <comuc@med.uiuc.edu>
Reply-To: comuc@med.uiuc.edu

 Subject: MASSMAIL - Review for the Intercampus Research Initiative 

Program Review for the Intercampus Research Initiative in
Biotechnology (IRIB)

As co-chairs of the review panel for the IRIB program, we are writing to
request your opinion on the effectiveness of this program at meeting its
primary objective to stimulate intercampus collaboration, leading to
additional extramural funding.  In this time of very tight budgets, a
program that provides seed money for innovative interdisciplinary research
is extremely valuable.  However, continued support for this program is
dependent upon the success of its funded initiatives and the consensus of
the faculty that IRIB provides new opportunities to stimulate research in
biotechnology across the campuses.

At the risk of being repetitive, we would like to highlight the goal of
this program, which was to foster intercampus collaborations that result in
extramurally funded collaborative projects.  Ultimately, we hope to develop
a culture where such intercampus collaboration becomes routine.  Thus, the
fundamental question is whether or not this program has significant value
as related to its stated goal and if so, should it be continued in its
present form or modified.

For example:
        1.  Should continuation be at the current, a reduced, or
an expanded level of funding?
        2.  Should the topical or technological area be
redirected/broadened in future competitions?
        3.  Should the number and size of the grants be modified (e.g.
larger number of smaller grants  or a single large center grant)?
        4.  Should the program encourage large group proposals requesting
resources for planning and infrastructure to organize a major
inter-campus center?

Thank you for your consideration of these issues.  We appreciate your
responses and will bring all input to the attention of the full review 
panel.

Bradford S. Schwartz,
Regional Dean, College of Medicine
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
190 Medical Sciences Building (MC 714)
217-333-5465
217-333-8868  Fax
schwart2@uiuc.edu

Richard L. Magin, Professor and Head
Bioengineering Department (MC 063)
University of Illinois at Chicago
851 South Morgan Street, Room 212
Chicago, Illinois 60607-7052
(312) 996-2335
(312) 996-5921 Fax
rmagin@uic.edu



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