SIF194 Grand Challenge Research Investment Phase 2: Precision Health, Digital Technology, and Democracy-Faculty, Library, Future Opportunities

Project Manager: Megan Barnett

Approved: Fall 2023

Project Dates: 1/1/2024 – 12/31/2028

Total Funding: $31,500,000

Executive Summary

This project is part of the overall Grand Challenges Research Investments. Phase 2 focuses on Precision Health for Populations, Digital Technology and Youth Development, and Digital Technology for Democracy. It has three main components: faculty hiring, future opportunities, and library resources, plus support for these initiatives.

Faculty hiring ($27M) – In partnership with the schools, we will provide starting resources to allow the schools to hire approximately 25 faculty members over the next 5 academic years in the phase 2 Grand Challenge areas. Particular fields and specialties are targeted to provide expertise necessary to support and enhance the Grand Challenges research projects. Salary support is provided on a step-down basis (100% year 1, 75% year 2, 50% year 3, 25% year 4, with the school covering the full cost in year 5 and beyond). Startup packages will be split 50/50 with the schools.

A separate coordinating committee will coordinate the searches, recruiting, and integration of new faculty members into the research community for each of the Grand Challenges areas. These committees will be chaired by the faculty leaders of each Grand Challenge initiative and will be populated with representatives from each of the hiring schools, as well as the provost’s office and VPR’s office.

Deans Grand Challenge Opportunity Fund ($3M; $9.4M total in combination with the Deans Opportunity Fund from the Grand Challenges Research investments Phase 1, SIF187 and SIF188) – The Deans Opportunity Fund will provide resources for additional Grand Challenges research projects in the Grand Challenges areas of Precision Health for Populations, Digital Technology and Youth Development, and Digital Technology for Democracy that are proposed in FY24, FY25, or FY26. Projects must be proposed by at least two deans, or by a dean and an institute/GC initiative director, and meet the other Grand Challenges criteria.

Library Resources ($1M) – This funding will support acquisition and/or licensure of crucial scholarly material, including journal subscriptions, data sets, databases, and other e-resources related to the Grand Challenge research projects in the areas of Precision Health for Populations, Digital Technology and Youth Development, and Digital Technology for Democracy. These materials will be accessible to the entire UVA community, along with the faculty and students involved in the specific projects.

Grand Challenges Project Manager ($500k) – This funding will support a project manager to help support and connect the Grand Challenges initiatives, track the various Grand Challenge budgets, and assist in gathering and reporting results.

Grand Challenges projects must 1) build on existing strengths; 2) be multidisciplinary and ideally involve more than one school; 3) be in an area where UVA could be preeminent or distinctive; and 4) address pressing problems and support UVA’s mission to be both great and good.

Current Status: Award in Progress

Progress: