As the Associate Vice President for Research at University of Utah Health, I have the honor of witnessing our world-class research in action. Each day, we push the boundaries of knowledge, revolutionizing clinical practices to enhance well-being.
Let’s reflect on our journey, celebrate our achievements, and chart an exciting path forward. Our true strength lies in our people—the passionate researchers, graduate students, dedicated clinicians, and visionary collaborators who propel our research mission.
The Importance of Research in Health Sciences
Research serves as the heartbeat of progress in our mission to improve health and health outcomes for all Utahns and beyond. It ignites innovation, illuminates essential truths, and accelerates better outcomes. At University of Utah Health, we know that the discovery of today transforms the lives of tomorrow.
Our unwavering commitment to research fuels a transformative journey—one that transcends borders and uplifts communities. We're deeply committed to the intertwined role research plays in our overarching commitment to deliver exceptional patient experience and health, recognizing the power of research to revolutionize peoples’ quality of life and longevity.
Our Research Strategy
Our research strategy, a collaborative endeavor since 2019, is a roadmap paved by our faculty, staff, and trainees. It focuses on three areas.
- We want to strengthen the research community by recruiting and nurturing top talent, providing the resources and support they need to thrive.
- We want to fuel discovery, by fostering an ecosystem where curiosity thrives, ideas collide, and breakthroughs flourish.
- Collaboration is crucial to all of our work, and we will continue to foster a vibrant environment where diverse perspectives come together to spark innovation.
Our strategy gains strength from ten distinct action plans. These pillars align with our university’s mission and propels healthcare toward a brighter horizon.
Implementation and Impact
Our strategy isn't just words on paper. We're actively implementing it, and the impact is already evident. Some bright spots include:
- Our faculty have been awarded more than $500 million in research awards! That's a 40% growth since 2019 and 2/3rds of the research portfolio at the University of Utah.
- We launched 3 new research initiatives fostering interdisciplinary collaboration in Data Science, Digital Health, and Medical Cannabis.
- Our faculty have created more than 200 startups, with 7 new startups created in Fiscal Year 2023. This has resulted in $23 million in licensing revenue.
- We formed and secured continued funding for the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), which will accelerate research translation to the local community.
- We launched the Biomedical Research Education Office. BREO invests in the next generation of scientists by coordinating and supporting activities related to the mentoring of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral trainees.
- We continue to make strategic faculty hires. We used strategy funds in the last fiscal year to hire five new faculty members.
- We have begun a meticulous analysis of our research investments, ensuring strategic alignment.
- We have developed plans for expanded research space, ensuring capacity for future breakthroughs.
- We have refined our process for recognizing our exceptional investigators and developing the next generation of leaders.
These impacts reflect the dedication and talent of our people. Our achievements are testaments to the power of collaboration.
We encourage you to explore our research strategy and send your comments and feedback to researchcomm@hsc.utah.edu.