IU's Commitment to Indiana's Future
Leadership
The Indiana Life Sciences Initiative: An Update from Vice President Craig Brater
Issue No. 1
June 2006
When I accepted the challenge of implementing Indiana University's Life Sciences Strategic Plan it was clear its success would be determined by the stakeholders' determination to work as a team.
Teamwork requires communication, so I think it is important to share our progress with you and other life science leaders and stakeholders—both inside and outside the university—whose support and participation will be essential.
I have enclosed a new brochure that explains Indiana University's goals and summarizes our long-term hopes and expectations, which center on this: We believe Indiana's economic future depends on success in the life sciences, and we have committed Indiana University's strengths in life sciences to ensure that success.
This is the first of my reports on our progress in the life sciences at IU; I hope you find it informative and useful.
In this issue, you'll find much discussion of new construction—but new construction is not just so we can enjoy new buildings. We must retain and recruit the scientists whose work will produce the discoveries, businesses, and jobs for Indiana's future. Scientists must have laboratories and resources to do their work, and investment in this construction will enable their discoveries to benefit Hoosiers everywhere.
Much has happened since February when our 15-goal Life Sciences Strategic Plan was presented to the IU Board of Trustees. I'd like to update you on a few of these.
Staffing
I am pleased to announce that we have freed up a substantial part of Bob Jones's time to help with all the things we need to do to pursue the Life Sciences goal. Some of you may not know Bob. He has both an M.D. with a focus on infectious diseases and a Ph.D. in microbiology. He has been Infectious Diseases Division Chief, where he built a strong program and was the lead researcher on the AIDS Clinical Trial Grant and on a Center Grant for Sexually Transmitted Diseases. He has served as vice chair of the Department of Medicine; as the medical director of Wishard Health Services; and as executive associate dean for strategic planning, operations, and finance.
The original concept was to hire a chief of staff but on further reflection I felt that someone with a strong scientific background coupled with administrative and strategic planning experience would be best at the start of this undertaking. Bob and I will interview for a senior administrative person to assist us and accept increasing responsibility over time. Bob will soon start making the rounds to get to know those of you involved in the life sciences.
Facilities
At their April meeting, the IU trustees took a major step to advance the Life Sciences Strategic Plan. They adopted a capital appropriations request that seeks state contributions for several construction projects integral to the plan. If approved by the Indiana General Assembly next session, it would provide funding for new research facilities at both Indianapolis and Bloomington and enable major renovations of many existing laboratories.
The Life Sciences Strategic Plan calls for expanding research space by 1.5 million square feet, and this proposal would move us a long way toward that goal. The plan seeks $176 million in state funds toward projects totaling $256 million.
To this end, the IU School of Medicine has begun building an $83.3 million, seven-floor research building that will add 254,000 square feet for basic research. Scheduled to open in 2009, Research III will include 118 laboratories, an auditorium, and a symposium center. Many of the faculty and scientists in Research III will focus on cancer research, with an emphasis on breast, prostate and ovarian cancers, and genetic and blood-related disorders.
Complementing this effort, Clarian Health is building a new facility that links into the existing IU Hospital and Indiana Cancer Pavilion, which will provide new in- and out-patient facilities for cancer patients. The IU Cancer Center expansion, scheduled to open in late 2008, will bring on line 46 new inpatient beds, 40 new infusion treatment areas, six new operating rooms, and shell space that will permit all of these to be increased as needed.
In Bloomington, IU's life sciences activities will get a boost from Simon Hall, which is slated to open its doors to 750 research and support staff in February 2007. The $55.7 million, 140,000 square-foot scientific research building will include special technologies and safety features that improve the operations of basic scientists, whose projects frequently require rigid climate and humidity control, shock absorption, and a sterile environment.
Top scientists in cell biology, microbiology, molecular biology, genetics and genomics, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, and biophysics will call Simon Hall home. It will host the Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, which has grown from a few scientists to about 40 full-time and part-time research staff; and the proteomics research group, headed up by IU Chemistry Department Chair David Clemmer. The Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science will have conference and office space. Simon Hall will also provide research space to new staff for the Lilly Endowment, Inc. funded, $53-million METACyt project.
Supercomputers Support Science
Topping our capital appropriations request list is $20 million from the state toward construction of a $75 million Cyber Infrastructure Building on the Bloomington campus. This structure is sorely needed to provide a state-of-the-art facility for IU's new supercomputer and massive data storage infrastructure. This greatly expanded information technology infrastructure will serve research facilities in Indianapolis and regional IU campuses as well as Bloomington. It gives our scientists the computing power they need to be competitive with any university-based research program in the nation. Because of its high value, the system needs to be in a structure that can withstand the most powerful tornadoes and earthquakes.
Upcoming
I will be making a progress report to the Board of Trustees in June, and shortly thereafter I hope to provide an update to the University Faculty Council. My next letter will focus on that update and its outcome.
Please send your thoughts and comments. I'm at dbrater [at] iupui [dot] edu (dbrater@iupui.edu).
D. Craig Brater
Vice President for Life Sciences
