Leadership, Scientific Talent to Discuss Collaborative Research Opportunities, Strategies for Strengthening Connections
April 6, 2007 | Print this page | Share This | Email this page
National and local leaders headline forum co-hosted by the Rhode Island Science and Technology Council and Rhode Island EPSCoR program.
On Thursday, April 12, National Science Foundation Deputy Director Kathleen Olsen will be among those participating in "Expanding Rhode Island's Research and Development Capacity Through Collaboration," a one-day forum presented by Rhode Island's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) and The Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council (STAC.)
The event, free and open to the public, will bring together researchers, policy leaders, and members of the business community to discuss tools for creating successful collaborations and showcase "best practice" projects happening across the state's research community.
The event will be held at the Rhode Island Convention Center from 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., and will be followed by a networking reception for all participants. To register, visit cels.uri.edu/marketing/expanding.html.
The agenda includes presentations by:
- Dr. Kathie Olsen, Deputy Director & COO, National Science Foundation;
- Dr. Sridhar Ramaswamy, Tucker Gosnell Investigator, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Broad Institute;
- Dan Berglund, President, State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI);
- Dr. Rick Borchelt, Director of Communications for the Genetics and Public Policy Center, Johns Hopkins University;
- George Lennon, Public Affairs Director, National Science Foundation;
- Dr. John Muench, Science & Technology Program Director, Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC);
- Dr. David Rowley, Associate Professor, Biomedical Sciences, University of Rhode Island;
- Dr. Joseph Crisco, Professor of Orthopedics, Brown University Medical School;
- Dr. Bethany Jenkins, Assistant Professor, Cellular and Molecular Biology, and;
- Dr. Robinson Fulweiler, Department of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island (GSO).
Research that cuts across disciplines and institutions is widely seen today as key to conducting the multidisciplinary projects that federal grants and many commercial and foundation funding programs support. Collaborative, multi-disciplinary research also is seen as a successful route for advancing scientific knowledge and moving from research to commercial application.
The forum aims to help participants learn about national trends in research funding that make collaboration more essential and present tools and strategies for making cross-organizational collaboration easier.
"Collaboration is critical for competition and success," said Clyde Briant, vice president for research at Brown University. "Scientists, physicians and engineers can address more interesting problems and will be more successful in securing funding if they team with researchers in other disciplines or institutions."
The EPSCoR / STAC collaboration is a natural outgrowth of the state's effort to promote collaboration as a key driver of Rhode Island's research and development platform.
"Investing in and supporting collaborative research is strategic for Rhode Island in several ways," says Dr. Jeff Seemann, Dean of the University of Rhode Island's College of the Environment and Life Sciences. "Collaborative research takes advantage of Rhode Island's unique ecosystem, one in which the state's compact geography and tight knit networks enable collaborators to more easily share resources, equipment and information. And by working together, we can maximize state and federal investment in our research programs to make the most of our assets."
Invited participants include members of Rhode Island's academic and commercial research community and business and community leaders interested in supporting collaborative research in Rhode Island.
"We are already seeing the advantages of collaborative research in Rhode Island," says Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Saul Kaplan. "With the success of the EPSCoR program and the genesis of STAC's Research Alliance and Collaborative Research grant program, resources are being directed to projects that cut across traditional boundaries and take better advantage of our assets. With collaborative research, everyone wins-- our academic institutions become more competitive for funding, private sector companies get better access to crucial resources, and the state enjoys the economic impact of growing our R&D and innovation capacity."
Full Agenda
Networking Breakfast
8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Session I: Why Collaboration Matters
9:00 – 10:15 a.m.
Rhode Island has a unique brand of business-making that is based on collaboration. Discuss the key components of the collaborative model as it applies to success in Rhode Island's current and future research efforts. Learn why collaboration is the key to research success.
- Dr. Kathie L. Olsen, Deputy Director & COO, National Science Foundation
- Dr. Sridhar Ramaswamy, Tucker Gosnell Investigator, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Broad Institute
- Mr. Dan Berglund, President, State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI)
- Moderator: Mr. Saul Kaplan, Executive Director, Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation
Break
10:15 – 10:30 a.m.
Session II: Tools and Resources to Make Collaborative Research a Reality
10:30 – 11:45 a.m.
This session will identify the tools that are necessary to move research forward from innovation to implementation. Focus on the state and federal resources that are available to the competitive research sector in Rhode Island. Discuss ways in which these tools and resources can be applied to increase collaboration in order to make new research ideas a reality now, and for years to come.
- Dr. Rick Borchelt, Director of Communications for the Genetics and Public Policy Center, Johns Hopkins University
- Mr. George Lennon, Public Affairs Director, National Science Foundation
- Dr. John Muench, S & T Program Director, Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC)
- Moderator: Dr. Jeff Seemann, Dean, College of the Environment and the Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Co-Chair, Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council; Co-Chair, Rhode Island State EPSCoR Committee
Lunch
12:00 noon – 1:30 pm
Session III: Best Practices in Collaborative Research
1:30 – 2:45 p.m.
Explore best practices at the state, regional and national level in creating a collaborative approach to research. Learn about programs, policies, and partnerships in collaborative research that can be models for Rhode Island's scientific research community to increase program viability, and enhance the growth of the State's competitive research sector.
- Dr. David Rowley, Associate Professor, Biomedical Sciences, University of Rhode Island
- Dr. Joseph Crisco, Professor of Orthopedics, Brown University Medical School
- Dr. Bethany Jenkins, Assistant Professor, Cellular and Molecular Biology
- Dr. Robinson Fulweiler, Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island (GSO)
- Moderator: Dr. Edward Hawrot, Upjohn Professor of Pharmacology, Department Chair, MPPB, Brown University
Networking Reception
3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Media Contacts
Melissa Withers
401-278-9100
Andy Cutler
401-743-7842
