Letter from the Vice President for Research

Welcome to the first edition of our monthly newsletter Explorations. This newsletter was developed to keep you informed and provide up-to-date information on the exciting and evolving world of research and graduate studies at Texas A&M University.

To begin, we have just returned from China and the 2009 China-U.S. Relations Conference. Prior to the Conference, I met with different organizations, funding agencies, and Chinese universities in Beijing and surrounding areas and discovered the wealth of opportunities that exist to grow the research, scholarship, and educational partnerships of our two countries. This conference was an important step in continuing our relationship with China and determining how Texas A&M can continue its key leadership role. The Research Roundtables - a significant venue for China and the United States to partner in research and scholarship and strengthen our relationships - help both countries pursue new knowledge, make important scientific breakthroughs, create new funding potentials, and form long-term scientific and/or educational collaborations. International research partnerships such as these are an essential component of our research competitiveness in the academic research arena.

Another priority for all of us is the strategic development and implementation of moving Texas A&M into Top 10 status as a national public research institution. Achieving this goal means working closely with the A&M System leadership and its agencies; broadening partnerships in industry, federal, and state governments; and forming strong international research relationships. It is an inspiring and collective effort – and we will reach this critical Vision 2020 goal.

Left to right: Texas A&M University Interim President Bowen Loftin, Bai Ge, Director, Bureau of International Cooperation, National Natural Science Foundation of China, and Jeffrey R. Seemann, Vice President for Research, Texas A&M University, at the 2009 China-U.S. Relations Conference

During the month of September, the first A&M System-wide retreat for Chief Research Officers was held. Representatives from all of the System agencies and universities attended, and we discussed possible cooperative initiatives in research and education, as well as reviewed our areas of unique expertise. As an extension of this meeting, I have begun to visit all of the System universities with the Vice Chancellors. The hope is that this effort will promote collaborations and partnerships with other principal investigators to bolster our collective efforts. I have enjoyed meeting with the presidents and research leaders on the System campuses recently and learning about the resources, expertise, and uniqueness of each program - an important step in relationship building.

I also want to share some of the exciting accomplishments and activities that have occurred recently across our campus:

• The National Science Foundation recently named Texas A&M University as the only new member of the NSF’s annual list of the Top 20 Academic Research Performers in the United States. For 2008, Texas A&M’s research expenditures increased by 6.99 percent to $582 million. This pushed Texas A&M up two places on the 2009 NSF list from No. 22 to No. 20, displacing Washington University, (St. Louis, MO.) which had been a member of the NSF Top 20 since 1999. For more information, see http://pitch.pe/30751 .
  
• Another inspiring research statistic - Texas A&M’s recent award levels in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The ARRA link at http://rgs.tamu.edu/arra/american-recovery-and-reinvestment-act-texas-a-m-research-and-development-information will take you to several exciting stories about the great research that is occurring at Texas A&M with these funds – which now total more than $20 million.
• The annual Research Symposium funded under the Texas A&M-CONACYT: Collaborative Research Grant Program was held last month at the Texas A&M University Center in Mexico. since 2002 this program has funded more than 120 proposals with $2.5 million - enhancing research opportunities in areas that are important to both Mexico and the U.S. Visit the CONACYT website at http://conacyt.tamu.edu/ to learn more about upcoming funding opportunities and the breadth of this important program..
• The formal opening of the Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building was held in September. This incredible building, which provides core facilities across our campus, will enable our world-class researchers to make what could be life-changing discoveries. To read and hear more about the ILSB, visit the building's website at http://ilsb.tamu.edu.
  
• I was honored to be appointed to the Research Valley Board of Directors, as well as the Board of Directors for the Houston Technology Center. These appointments will be instrumental in promoting and facilitating alliances and collaborations for the future of research at Texas A&M.
• Finally, we are excited about the appointment of Dr. Charles A. Johnson as a Senior Associate Vice President for Research, and the added dimension he brings to the Division of Research and Graduate Studies. Dr. Johnson has been a successful dean for one of the largest colleges on campus for more than eight years. He began his new role Nov. 1, and is focusing on a number of critical University-wide responsibilities. You will be hearing more about his efforts in the coming months.

Finally, I want to extend my sincere thanks to Interim President Bowen Loftin and Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academics Karan Watson for their immeasurable energy and engagement in the research enterprise at Texas A&M.

I hope you will find this newsletter useful and informative. There are numerous other exciting stories and accomplishments around the campus, and we will highlight just a few of these every month. Please visit our website http://rgs.tamu.edu for other information and daily updates to the news and information that is being published about our great University and our exceptional faculty. We welcome your stories and ideas about the exciting things going on in your colleges, so please let us hear from you. Contact Tiffany Inbody at t-inbody@tamu.edu. We are committed to the success of Texas A&M research, scholarship, and education, and want to keep you informed of our progress and activities. In return, we welcome your engagement and feedback.

Regards,

Jeff

Jeffrey R. Seemann

Vice President for Research