I am delighted to announce the results of our call for proposals for faculty FTE for programs of excellence, interdisciplinary programs and scholarship in diversity.   Thirty-six FTE have been awarded to programs that submitted proposals under one or more of these categories, representing a substantial investment in our strategic plan.
 
We received an impressively rich array of proposals, making the final selections difficult.  To that end, I would like to extend my appreciation to the Deans, the ADVANCE Program Advisory Committee, and the Academic Planning Group, who provided the thoughtful analysis and advice that were instrumental in making these decisions.  I congratulate the finalists, and thank those who contributed the many excellent proposals.  UCI’s broad and varied strengths continue to reinforce our profile as a major public research university.  
 
The programs selected for support are listed below; these proposals are available by links below.   Several programs represent areas of research that combine two or more proposals, or were pertinent to more than one of our categories.
 

Systems Biology
Systems biology is becoming a major paradigm in the life sciences.  This area of research is considered important for UCI because it builds strong bridges among several schools and many departments through interdisciplinary collaboration, and it presents powerful scientific and professional models for undergraduate and graduate students.   Our strong tradition of multi-disciplinary collaboration will help UCI take a leadership role in this field.  
 
Environment/Energy
UCI is already a world leader in global change research, having developed international leadership in five of the eight issues identified as Grand Challenges in Environmental Science by the National Academy of Sciences.  Strategic appointment of faculty in several schools will assist collaboration and provide leadership.  Faculty appointments will support initiatives in energy, air and water resources; energy and atmospheric quality; environmental science; integrating humans and global change; and urban water research. 
 
Regenerative Medicine
The Regenerative Medicine proposal is a joint effort from the Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, the Developmental Biology Center, and the Chao Family Cancer Center.  Faculty appointments will be in the areas of basic stem cell biology in health and disease.  UCI has already demonstrated excellence by success in California’s Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative, and a recent grant to upgrade stem cell research facilities and training will solidify UCI’s intensive efforts in this vital area of research.
 
Music: Integrated Composition/Improvisation/Technology
The Department of Music currently offers two excellent programs focusing on contemporary forms of composition: 1) Composition and Technology, and 2) Jazz Studies.  Employing FTE from this award, the two sub-disciplines will be united in a unique, cutting-edge cluster concept (Integrated Composition, Improvisation, Technology) that will place the Music Department at the forefront of innovative music programs in the U.S.  The program will embrace multi-ethnic influences, jazz traditions, and improvisation to foster the creation of new music.  This innovative program will also stand out as a distinct Master’s degree within the UC system.
 
Master of Public Policy Program
An innovative two-year Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree will educate leaders in policy development, implementation, innovation and analysis in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.  The distinctive features of the new UCI program will be its focus on the full range of policy activity and on both quantitative and qualitative methods.  The proposal is offered jointly by the Schools of Social Ecology and Social Sciences and includes plans for appointment of faculty FTE over a five-year period.
 
History of American Slavery
The History Department will receive two positions for its proposal to enhance scholarship about the history of American slavery: one in the antebellum and Civil War (1800-1865) period and one New World Slavery position.  The study of slavery is a crucial, cutting-edge field within U.S. and Latin American history, and the strength of the UCI History Department will be further enhanced by a focus on this critical field.
 
Materials Chemistry
This proposed concentration of new faculty in Materials Chemistry will enable a strong interface with the basic sciences, engineering and medicine.  It will position UCI to be competitive for new funding initiatives in energy, defense, communications, health and the environment, and it will significantly expand the graduate program.  Currently, the Chemistry Department has one of the strongest programs in synthetic chemistry in the United States.  The appointment of a core group of faculty in materials chemistry will build upon the strength of the Department to make UCI a center of excellence in materials-oriented research. 
 
Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education
The Department of Education, in collaboration with basic science departments, will develop a core research program focused on teaching and learning in science, mathematics, and related fields, including research to identify the most effective strategies to prepare K-12 teachers in these disciplines.   Appointed scholars will form the core faculty for a new UCI Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education to partner with campus strengths in science and math education.
 
Immigration
Faculty expertise in population, immigration and policy has established UCI as a national leader in the scholarship of immigration.  This allocation to the Center for Research on Immigration, Population, and Public Policy and to the departments of Chicano/Latino Studies and Sociology will help build on these campus strengths.
 

Once again, thanks to the many faculty who participated in writing and reviewing all of these superb proposals.
 
Michael R. Gottfredson
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost