Targeted Research Initiatives
Even as we provide more support for the research enterprise as a whole, we must also make focused investments. Concentrated attention must be given to areas the University has identified as priorities, that combine the strengths of several disciplines or sub-disciplines, that have a high probability of attracting extramural resources, and that can have a ramifying effect across the full range of the Arts & Sciences mission. In planning targeted research initiatives, we must not only take account of opportunities to build new foci and attract new sources of funding, but also acknowledge that sometimes identifying and rewarding home-grown talent is the best investment we can make in our future.
- The Biological and Human Sciences
- The Physical Sciences
- Planet Earth: Living and Physical Systems
- Quantitative Methods and Theory
- Digital Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
- International and Global Studies
- The Visual and Performing Arts
The Biological and Human Sciences
Some of the most important and consequential scientific discoveries of the next decade will be made in the biological and human sciences. U.Va. has a special opportunity to leverage its strengths in the departments of biology and psychology with those in the health sciences to build integrated, interdisciplinary research programs in several highly promising areas. One such area is morphogenesis and regenerative medicine, which the University has identified as a priority growth area. Morphogenesis focuses on determining how organisms form, grow, and deteriorate. Advances in this field could have major implications for the treatment of disease. A second promising area is healthy aging, which studies the neurological and behavioral aspects of aging, with an eye toward developing treatments for countering or moderating its deleterious effects.Goal: Continue to work with the Provost’s office and our colleagues in the health sciences to invest in morphogenesis, the aging program, and other related areas that expand our ability to understand human function.
The Physical Sciences
Faculty in the departments of physics and chemistry are conducting the fundamental scientific research in nanoscience that will drive technological developments in the 21st Century. Arts & Sciences supports the University’s initiative in nanoscience and is eager to continue our collaborations in this area with the School of Engineering and others around Grounds. We also have an opportunity to build on the reputation we have earned for conducting the scientific research that will measure the universe from the subatomic scale to entire galaxies. Increasingly, the scientific community is witnessing an extraordinary connection between research being done at the smallest scale and research focusing on the very nature of the universe. New findings in elementary particle physics, for example, are changing our understanding of the universe and its contents. Conversely, new research in cosmology is driving progress in understanding elementary particles. Exciting work is also being done at U.Va. in the field of spectroscopy, and the College has significant strength in laser physics, chemical structures, and astronomy. Goal: Work collaboratively with the Provost on senior and junior hires in the fields of nanoscience, laser physics, spectroscopy, and other key areas of the physical sciences.
Planet Earth: Living and Physical Systems
Faculty in several departments focus on understanding the systems that make up our planet. For example, researchers in the department of Biology examine ecological and evolutionary controls of plant and animal species and the features that help them survive. Similarly, faculty in the department of Environmental Science have wide-ranging interests in geosciences, meteorology, and ecology. By supporting research designed to understand these varied but interconnected fields, we have an opportunity to have an impact that extends beyond the laboratory and into the classroom and the world at large. For example, we propose leveraging our strengths in chemistry, geology, conservation biology, and environmental change to create a new collaborative research program in sustainable energy. Scientists at U.Va. will be looking for new, clean, and sustainable energy sources that will power the world in the future. We must also seek better to understand the human impact on the environment and continue to support programs in environmental change, such as the proposed National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) project and the Southern Africa Virginia Networks Association (SAVANA). Goal: Create a new, interdisciplinary research program in sustainable energy and support research into the causes and mechanisms of environmental change.
Quantitative Methods and Theory
Advancements in fields as diverse as particle physics and economic forecasting depend on – and are often driven by – a strong and innovative program of theory and mathematical science. Sophisticated numerical methods and modeling techniques form the core of experimentation. Nearly all of our physical, biological and social sciences have faculty whose research depends on advanced thinking in mathematics and statistics. Arts and Sciences is replete with examples of how collaborations have arisen through shared usage of these skills. As but one example, the Institute for Mathematical Sciences has successfully fostered connections between math and such diverse fields as history, economics and finance, and also has a strong component of public outreach. If we are to move to the vanguard of research in the sciences and social sciences, expertise in quantitative methods and modeling will provide the interstitial strength and innovative drive to succeed.Goal: Support targeted research initiatives across the curriculum focusing on quantitative methods, mathematical science, and theory.
Digital Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
The College, together with the University Library, stands in the forefront of research in the digital humanities. The University has excellent resources – both technology and expertise – to support digital research projects envisioned by faculty across the disciplines (e.g. IATH and ASCIT). Centers such as the Virginia Center for Digital History, the Virginia Center for Computer Music, the Tibetan-Himalayan Digital Library and others have grown out of faculty research interests and will require additional resources to grow and flourish. There is strong interest among many faculty in the social sciences in further developing our capacity to use digital technology for research, and we will need to invest accordingly in data archives and statistical resources. To maintain our edge in digital humanities research and expand our digital efforts in the arts and social sciences will require a significant commitment to complement the external grants and fellowships awarded to our faculty. Goal: Enhance opportunities and support for digital arts, humanities, and social sciences research in the College and promote the development of new tools for digital research and creativity.
International and Global Studies
Across the disciplines, from politics to environmental science and beyond, the issues our faculty are grappling with are increasingly global in nature. In the biological and human sciences, problems of world health are driving many research programs, while economists, historians, anthropologists, and literary scholars are thinking of their work more and more in relationship to global systems. The University has identified international studies as a strategic focus, and Arts & Sciences supports the effort to build strength in this area. We believe this must be achieved through broad investment in faculty research and student programs that engage these issues. We also believe the University should consider creating a new International (or Global) Studies Center, which could provide the critical mass to leverage better funding for international initiatives, build a sense of community and scholarly exchange, and support recruitment of faculty with interests in international studies. Such a center could financially support and coordinate multi-disciplinary teaching and research initiatives, offer pre- and post-doctoral programs, and sponsor faculty exchanges with international scholars. Goal: Build research strength in global studies through a program of broad support for faculty and student activities, and work with the University to explore the creation of a new International Center.
The Visual and Performing Arts
Research and creativity in the arts requires good production facilities, materials, technical support and venues for exhibition/performance. Studio Art, Drama, Dance and Music all need significant infusions of resources to allow faculty to carry on their research programs at a high level. For example, dedicated positions for support technicians are needed in Studio Art, Drama, and Music. The completion of Ruffin Hall will provide creative space to our visual artists, but a gallery director is needed to support faculty and student exhibitions. To allow Dance to flourish as a fourth component of our arts programs, flooring and acoustic equipment must be provided. Research and creativity in the arts tend to be collaborative, so that resources devoted to faculty research programs often have positive corollary benefits for arts teaching programs. Goal: Build and enhance facilities and provide support to advance the research and creative initiatives of faculty in the visual and performing arts.
